Top Voices in Language Learning 2025 | Businessmen | Marcus Witte & Babbel app

Every week, we break down one top language expert from the map to help you navigate the world of language learning with confidence. Today: Marcus Witte (LinkedIn) — linguist, teacher, and co-founder of the Babbel App, with 10M+ paid users and 14 languages for learning

🐄Check out our visual map above to learn key facts and stats about Babbel and its founder. Want to learn more about Babbel? Check out this 10 min independent youtube review that our editorial team enjoyed quite a bit

💅 S2S vs Babbel

💓CEFR level

Babbel > From 0 to B1 (Intermediate)
S2S > From B1+ (intermediate) to C1+ (advanced)

💓Skills & systems

Babbel > all skills & systems*
S2S > only speaking & vocabulary

💓Topics

Babbel > country study, general topics
S2S > IT, career, cultural nuances

💓User portrait

Babbel > general audience, travelers, hobby learners
S2S > career and business builders, professionals

💓Funding

Babbel > $33M
S2S > powered by your love & support (share this channel ;))

*Post Glossary

🫧discrepancy between — A difference between two things that should match
"There is a discrepancy between what the company promised and what they delivered"
🫧claims (on website) — Statements that say something is true, often used in marketing
"Don’t trust all the claims on websites — check reviews too"
🫧language skills & systems
skills = receptive (listening, reading), productive (speaking, writing)
systems = grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, discourse

🪴 Stay tuned for another top voice next week & spread the language learning love

Recognising Sam Altman in the video, Open AI (chat GPT) CEO? 😉 We like Sam's definition of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence)

⚖️ This week S2S assessors check our users discussing AGI, its capabilities, likelihood, and implications. Lots of exciting perspectives, very different takes on it — we're thrilled to have attracted such an enthusiastic crowd. Also, not so many doomers among us: most of you are AI optimists or take a balanced stance

🩺 1 AGI use case that S2S folks care about a lot is in medical care: will and should AI tools be used in diagnostics (e.g., IDx-DR for diabetic retinopathy=eye disease)? The author of this channel Yulia did diagnose her skin condition with chat GPT. The accuracy of that diagnosis was later confirmed by a human doctor!

3 phrases from this week's S2S AGI speaking plan for you to learn

1. Implications —The possible results or effects of an action or decision

Example: The new law has serious implications for schools using AI tools

2. (Mis)aligned with human values — (Not) matching or fitting well with what most people believe is right

Example: The robot’s actions were misaligned with human values

3. Doomers — People who strongly believe that a bad future is unavoidable

Example: The doomers say AI will destroy the world

📎 Learn more about S2S

😈TGIF, learners! How many polite emails have you sent this week? Speak up in comments, don't be shy — we won't judge! We judge only grammar here 😂

Post glossary
🫧Born to — Meant for something from the beginning
🫧Cursed to — Doomed to something bad, like a punishment
🫧Have no mercy — Be very cruel or strict; show no kindness

📎S2S, your step to English freedom for real. Learn more here

British Council (BC) Drama | IELTS | Editorial Opinion

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has labeled the British Council — one of the organizers of the IELTS English exam — an “undesirable organization.”

Prosecutors claim the BC “uses education and culture as a cover” to promote British interests and values. They also accuse it of supporting the LGBT movement (banned in Russia), discrediting Russian state policies, being a “nest of spies” (their words, not ours!)

Yulia’s Take (Ex-BC Employee & IELTS Band 8 Holder)
(Author of this channel worked at BC in 2016 and shares the inside story)

💓 The Good Side of BC

Student-focused – Courses tailored for specific needs (medical English, teens, IELTS writing, etc.)

Well-run – Clear processes, career growth opportunities, and solid* training for teachers

Prestigious brand – Tough to get hired (even for Brits), but it’s a mark of quality

Diverse accents – Students hear different English speakers (not just "Queen’s English")

☺️ The Reality (No Rose-Tinted Glasses)

Backed by* the UK government – Part of its diplomatic mission, protects its interests. Some departments focus on profit (like IELTS), others push cultural influence (charity events, etc.)

Why the cultural push? Practical, not ideological – The UK wants to attract international students (big $$$ for their economy)

Side effect? Some employees start comparing their home country unfavorably after seeing better work standards abroad.

LGBT inclusion – Coursebooks cover rights (LGBT, women, disabilities, race), but some behind-the-scenes hypocrisy exists (e.g., bias against hiring Indians).

🧸 Final Opinion: It’s Complicated

People love black-and-white narratives (good vs. evil) and hate fence sitters*, but reality is messier. The BC isn’t all saint or all spy — it’s an organization with interests, like any other.

Your best move? Focus on your goals (like acing IELTS) and make decisions that benefit YOU.

*Post Glossary

🫧 fence sitter → Someone who doesn’t pick a side in an argument; stays neutral.
🫧 solid training → High-quality, practical lessons that actually help you learn
🫧 backed by → Supported/funded by (often a government or powerful group)

🤐 Gonna zip my lip about BC & IELTS — don’t want problems
📈 Even more motivated to take IELTS now
🤷‍♂️ Not an IELTS fan either way

Sunday plug* for old & new @EnglishForImpact readers

Our channel was born on March 3. It's growing fast — but to go from baby to toddler*, we need to hit 500 subscribers

We're almost there — and when we cross 500, we’re unlocking a brand-new bonus for you:

🪴Free Weekly Group Speaking Meetups
🫧On advanced topics
🫧 New vocab, better fluency
🫧 Real practice with real people
🫧 Free

Wanna help us launch this next week instead of in September? Share this channel in your stories, groups, channels, or just DM a friend

Think your share won’t matter? It does. One share = one step closer. Maybe your share is the magic one

🔗 [Channel link]
📩 Send proof to @ybeymlina and reserve your free speaking spot already now, before public release (optional)

*Post Glossary
🫧Toddler — a small child who has just learned to walk, usually between 1 and 3 years old.
🫧Plug — a short message where you promote or recommend something — like a shout-out

We're grateful to work with a smart, professional, and motivated crowd. Let’s grow this together 🙌

😵‍💫 Any viral video junkies here?

At S2S and PitchUp, we work with very serious people — founders, top managers, product folks, engineers. Focused, thoughtful, time-conscious. And yet, when it comes to silly viral videos, our users tend to split into* 2 camps*:
📌 those who quickly dismiss them as noise*
📌 and those who recognise their power (whether or not they personally enjoy them, that’s a separate question)

Whatever your take is, viral videos are hard to ignore if you:
📌 create products and want to understand how attention really works
📌 raise kids and want to speak their (digital) language
🪴 or learn English, and want to sound natural instead of bookish

In fact, very serious data scientists study virality patterns, because attention drives trends, and competition for attention is fierce*

This week, S2S learners explore the anatomy of virality, and pick up new expressions from a sharp BBC analysis of viral content

*Post Glossary
🫧 a camp — a group of people who share the same opinion or way of thinking
"People were in two camps — some loved the idea of AGI, others hated it"
🫧 to split into — to divide into parts or groups
"The team split into small groups to work on different tasks"
🫧 to dismiss (sth) as noise — to say that something is not important or useful; to ignore it
"Some people dismiss TikTok as noise, but others see value in it"
🫧 fierce /fɪəs/ competition — very strong or intense competition
"There is fierce competition for attention online — everyone wants to go viral"

🌀 Want to shape up your English with topics like this?
Learn more about S2S
📅 Book a very demure, very mindful trial call [here]

😊 Saying Words vs. Real Communication

Lots of English learners say things, but that’s not the same as communicating. At S2S, our learners get feedback not only on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, but also on how they interact in real conversations

Why does that matter? Because even perfect grammar won't save a conversation that feels awkward, stiff, or one-sided

Yesterday, Dasha (S2S assessor) and Yulia (S2S founder) provately chatted about the little “magic moves” that turn an 'answer-the-question' exercise into a real human exchange

Let us share 2 simple magic moves for effective communication you can start using today:

⭐️ Confirmation checks
“Does that make sense?”
“Do you see what I mean?”
“Did I explain that clearly?”

These show you care if the other person is following. They invite response and make the conversation feel mutual, not like a speech

⭐️ Meaningful follow-up questions
Instead of generic “How about you?”, try:

“Have you seen something similar before?”
“Do you feel the same about AI?”
“What did you mean when you said AGI is hypothetical?”

These lead to real thoughts, more speaking, and stronger skills

Too obvious? Yep. But here’s the thing Knowing a trick ≠ Using it in real time. It takes focus and practice to apply these in actual conversations, but when you do, your results skyrocket

🚀 If you want to grow your communication skills
👀 If you want Dasha & Yulia to record short demo videos showing real vs. robotic communication? Let us know in the comments!

Feeling ready to level up your English communication? DM @ybeymlina with the word “communication” and she’ll ask you a couple of quick questions and invite you to a free demo call

Speaking English with AI Chatbots: Game-Changer or Trap?

Hey English warriors! Love it or hate it, AI chatbots are here to stay, but are they really preparing you for real-life convos?

🧸Disclaimer:
This post is based on 17+ years of teaching experience and psycho-linguistical background (Msc Psychology, Cambridge Delta) & 2+ years of tech management at Yandex Practicum
@EnglishForImpact’re tech optimists. We LOVE and ecnourage AI adoption*, but this post is written purely from a teaching & learning perspective

🪴 Pros of Practicing with AI:

📌 Unlimited access: chat anytime, anywhere
📌 Low or no cost: democritising access to learning opportunities
📌 Infinite patience, no judgement. Bot won’t roll its eyes if you ask "What is the present perfect?" 100 times
📌 Prompt-based feedback. Say: "Only correct my pronunciation!" & and it obeys

⭐️AI makes English practice accessible to everyone, and that’s AMAZING.

😐 But… The Dark Side of Learning Exclusiveley with AI Bots:

🚬 The downside of infinite patience, no judgement is no communication skills training
🚬 Zero pressure. You don't learn to adjust*, impress, get your message across: AI will accept you just the way you're
🚬 Emerging unprepared to face real life interactions & a bit... egotistical ;)

⭐️AI = great gym for your brain. Real humans = the real battlefield

What About You? Do you use AI chatbots? Does talking to real people in English still feel awkward? Share your thoughts in comments

P.S. This post was not written by AI… or was it?

*Post Glossary
🫧Adjust (verb) – To change something slightly to make it fit or work better
"She had to adjust her glasses to see clearly"
🫧 Adoption (noun) – The act of starting to use something new
"The adoption of smartphones changed how we communicate"
🫧 Roll (one’s) eyes (idiom) – To move your eyes upward to show annoyance, disbelief, or sarcasm
"When he told another bad joke, she just rolled her eyes"
🫧 Emerging unprepared (phrase) – Coming into a situation without being ready
"Many students are emerging unprepared for job interviews because they don’t practice speaking"

🪴Now go practice, with bots OR humans!

📎Learn more about S2S (Human first)