Language learning marketplace Preply has raised $50 million in Series C funding as it looks to solidify its foothold in US and Europe markets.

VR language learning company Immerse has raised $9m in funding which it will use to expand its team globally and further invest in virtual education innovation.

The Saudi Arabian education minister Hamad Al-Sheikh announced a new program for teachers in the Kingdom to learn Mandarin in order to teach Saudi students.

Oxford University Press has announced a collaboration with a Singaporean development company to bring augmented reality to its learning materials.

Chinese students are increasingly taking up Spanish and Portuguese as China strengthens its ties with Latin America and its economy gains attractiveness to Chinese job hunters. 

Languages Canada has signed an MoU with Mexican university association Consorcio de Universidades Mexicanas to collaborate on language learning and internationalisation.

Duolingo has launched a Hindi language course, one of the world's top five spoken languages, with what the firm say is a high market demand.

Research produced for the International Association of Language Centres has estimated the size of the annual study travel market for foreign language learning to be 2.28 million language students.