Why did you set up Cap Langues?
People would sometimes tell me I was a dreamer. I, on the other hand, believed I had practical solutions and wanted to put them into practice. It was this frustration that led me to start my own business and put forward my own vision of language teaching. That was 21 years ago now.
You have deliberately chosen to keep your workforce below ten employees. Why?
“It was a strategic decision right from the start. I wanted an organisation that would remain genuinely small-scale, yet capable of bringing together a strong network of trainers, educational managers and experts. Today, we have seven staff members and work with a network of 85 expert trainers.
For me, entrepreneurship is not measured solely by the number of employees a company has, but also by the number of people you manage to rally around a shared project and vision. Above all, this small team enables us to be highly responsive. Our sector is changing rapidly. When a decision needs to be made, it can be put into action almost immediately.
How does this network of 85 trainers work?
“They are freelancers, so they retain the freedom to work elsewhere. But I make no distinction between them and our employees in the way we regard and train them. They represent Cap Langues to our clients. We’ve managed to create a corporate culture to which they remain very committed. Some have been with us since the company was founded, and many have been working with us for over ten years.
We also set very high standards when it comes to recruitment. Candidates must already have experience in vocational training before joining our Cap Academy, where they are trained in our approach. This academy then also serves as a platform for their ongoing professional development.
Rather than devising a set methodology and asking every learner to adapt to it, we seek to understand how each individual learns, communicates and responds.
Has the range changed much since you started out?
“We started with five main languages. Today, we offer 16. The top three are French, Luxembourgish and English. The formats have also evolved considerably. We run group and one-to-one lessons, which account for around 45% of our business, delivered in person, online or as a hybrid of both.
Added to this today is digital content that enables learners to continue their learning between sessions with the trainer. Technology has become an excellent tool. But the role of the trainer has not changed and will not change here: the human element remains paramount.
You’ve noticed, in particular, a strong demand for the Luxembourgish language. How do you explain this?
“For several years now, we have been seeing a very significant rise in demand for Luxembourgish language courses. There are, of course, many foreigners in Luxembourg. Some wish to obtain citizenship, but the issue is also simply one of integration.
More and more companies are offering their employees the opportunity to learn Luxembourgish to help them settle into life in the country. The growth of distance, blended and digital learning programmes is also making it easier to learn the language than before.
You say you’ve moved from “bespoke” to “ultra-personalisation”. What’s the difference?
“I was already offering bespoke solutions when I set up the company in 2005. Today, for me, that’s the bare minimum expected. Ultra-personalisation goes a step further. Rather than creating a methodology and asking every learner to adapt to it, we seek to understand how each person learns, communicates and reacts. Then, the methodology adapts to them.
In the same exercise, two people may, therefore, have different roles. One may be better at recounting facts, whilst another may be better at raising questions or facilitating a discussion. The basic approach remains the same, but everyone can use their strengths to learn.
So, in your view, some people aren’t simply “bad at languages”?
“No. It’s always annoyed me to hear people say that one person is less good at languages than another. If someone is less receptive or makes slower progress, it may be because the teaching method isn’t quite right for them. It’s not enough just to get someone to practise: you also need to find a way of practising that will enable them to retain what they’ve learnt and make progress.
That is what we are aiming to achieve with our new methodology. In the pilot projects we have carried out, we have seen progress that is around 20 to 25% faster. And we are continuing to refine this approach.
Luxembourg is a veritable linguistic laboratory.
Was Covid the main turning point for Cap Langues?
“Yes. Like many businesses, we’ve been through a very difficult period. But I asked myself whether we should simply manage the crisis or use this time to prepare for the future. I chose to invest. The trainers who had fewer classes worked on creating new content for our learning platform. Internally, we also digitised our tools and reviewed our processes from top to bottom.
Looking back, I believe that was the biggest turning point in the company’s history. It was a risk, but it enabled us to gain a head start and strengthen our competitive edge.
Why is Luxembourg so important in your career?
“It is the country that has enabled me to grow professionally and realise my ambitions. But it is also an exceptional environment for our profession because, here, language is not just theory. We experience it every day in businesses, in teams, in career paths and in individual journeys. Luxembourg is a real linguistic laboratory.
I even think it has the potential to become a European benchmark for innovation in language learning. For now, my life as an entrepreneur is here. This is where I’ve found what I was looking for.
After 21 years as an entrepreneur, what does success mean to you?
“Success means carrying on doing what I’m already doing and being able to do it for as long as possible. It means staying true to who we are, continuing to innovate and, above all, continuing to love what we do. I still teach, although I do so much less now; I work on educational research and development and remain involved in day-to-day operations. I’m involved in a bit of everything, but that’s by choice.
As long as my work remains meaningful to me and to my colleagues, we will be successful. What we do must be meaningful.”
This article was written for the October 2026 issue of Paperjam magazine, published on 16 September. The content is produced exclusively for the magazine. It is published on the site to contribute to Paperjam’s comprehensive archive. Click on this link to subscribe to the magazine.
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