As you know, we are currently working on a new version of Palabea. This will bring improvements in all areas of the platform – as well as features that are completely new.

Today, we want to ask you about your opinions on one of these new features: The Palabea Marketplace!

What is the Palabea Marketplace?

In the Marketplace, users can sell self-made documents that help other users with their language learning. These can be PDFs, video files as well as mp3s. The content can include vocabulary lists (general or for a specific area of interest), grammar overviews as well as videos or mp3s explaining certain aspects of a language – or anything else that you created and that can be useful to other users!

In the Marketplace, the seller can set the price for her document, and sell it to the entire Palabea community – currently more than 110.000 people!

Find the document YOU need!

If you are looking for a specific document that you cannot find anywhere (i.e. a guideline for job applications in Bulgarian), you can publish a request in the Marketplace and anybody with the necessary knowledge in Bulgarian can offer creating that document for you.

Be one of the first and become a seller now!

You are interested in selling your PDFs, videos or mp3s on Palabea? Maybe you already created content that you would like to offer? If yes, you can contact us now to become a seller: info@palabea.com. Tell us what kind of documents you could envision yourself offering, and in what languages these would be – we will get in touch with you so your content will be available on the Marketplace as soon as the feature is launched.

What do you think about the Palabea Marketplace?

We would love to hear your feedback about this. Are you interested in buying PDFs, Videos or mp3s on Palabea? Please leave a comment or e-mail us at feedback@palabea.com!

Seven-digit funding and new management team

International language learning platform starts with full speed ahead

Berlin, 1^st March 2011 – More than one Million Euro change owner these days: the Investment Bank Berlin (IBB) started funding the international language learning platform Palabea. Financial means come from a program for the funding of research, innovation and technology (Pro FIT). The managing directors, Regine Haschka-Helmer (CMO), Fabian Hübner (CTO) and Matthias Spanic (CSO) set up the basis for the strategic adjustment of the in 2007 founded startup.

The subsidies will especially fund the relaunch of the new website, which will be available in nine languages, and the development of Apps. “Apps for smartphones, tablets and Facebook are planned. Additionally we want to animate our users with serious games to broaden their language skills playfully”, says CTO Fabian Hübner. He was, as the director IT of the affiliate network Zanox, responsible for the technical development.

The monetization is planned in two ways: Palabea earns pro-rata on sales, which are realized through the platform own market place for educational offers, and offers white-label-solutions for charge. “The demand of companies, schools and universities is high and conversations are running”, says CSO Matthias Spanic.

CMO Regine Haschka-Helmer, former CEO of the “ID ” -Media AG and today Business Angel (Seedlab), is convinced: “the funding through the IBB was just the starting shot. We will, perceptively, develop Palabea to a competitive and successful company. Our goal is, to increase the number of active users to 60 percent until the end of the year and to achieve a six-digit turnover in 2011.”

About Palabea (www.palabea.com)

According to the motto „Palabea – the speaking world“, the international language learning platform Palabea realizes an innovative didactic concept with the means of web 2.0: users from all over the world broaden their language skills online and connect themselves with tandem partners. The concept already contains interactive courses in virtual classrooms, video lectures, podcasts as well as audio-visual chats and a virtual marketplace for educational offers. Today the offers are used by a six-digit number of users in 163 countries. Operator is the Palabea e-Services GmbH. The company is based in Berlin-Mitte and currently employs 15 employees.

We would like to point out the offer of our partner TANDEM ® Fundazioa. Various Scholarships are still available for German Italian and Spanish courses. You will find further information into the linked documents.

In Spanish, German or English

A lot of fun by learning languages
Your Palabea Team

We are looking for motivated developer, speaking Ruby on Rails, REST and Ajax fluently, having the passion for self-determination and creative exertion of influence. If your destiny is the ambitious realization of projects, Palabea is the right place for you.

Be a part of it – join us!

Find details about the job advertisement here

We are looking forward to receiving your application, preferably via e-mail at
count-me-in@palabea.com

Come and see Matthias Spanic, CFO of Palabea, speaking about future concepts in e-learning. He is lecturing on Saturday, November 20th, from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm at the Expolingua in Berlin in room 511 (5th floor).

Be there and ask him about his e-learning experiences and ideas.
The Expolingua is the leading international fair for languages and cultures. For more information have a look at www.expolingua.com.

Matthias and the whole Palabea team is looking forward to seeing you at the Expolingua!

This year the Palabea team will attend the Expolingua in Berlin (Germany) for the first time. Get to know the Palabea-Team personally at the both A60 on the ground floor from 19th to 21st November. The fair takes place in the „Russisches Haus der Wirtschaft und Kulturen“, Friedrichstraße 176 – 179, 10117 Berlin, Germany.

The Expolingua is the leading international fair for languages and cultures. For further information have a look at www.expolingua.com.

We are looking forward to seeing you!

At the webinar “Language resources and Web 2.0 – the latest hype or new perspectives?” on October 1st 2010 in Luxembourg, Regine Haschka-Helmer discussed publicly with experts from the field of online language learning about the future of language learning and the influences and chances of the web 2.0.

Regine Haschka-Helmer is part of the new Palabea Management Team. With 20 years´ experience in interactive media and more than 900 successful international projects, Regine is one of the pioneers and leading creative figures in the European web industry.

But hear for yourself, which interesting approaches have been discussed:

http://www.elearningeuropa.info/main/index.php?page=fix&id=47

Le Carton Jaune – Die gelbe Karte – The yellow card
Vuvuzela – Vuvuzela – Vuvuzela

Et comment dit-on dans ta langue? Partage tes impressions sur la Coupe du Monde de Football 2010 en direct sur www.palabea.net où tu pourras échanger avec des personnes du monde entier!

Und wie sagt man in deiner Sprache? Jeden Tag neue Wörter mit Palabea lernen. Registriere dich auf www.palabea.net, um mit Leuten aus der ganzen Welt die Spiele zu kommentieren. Liebe WM-Grüße!

And how do you say in your language? Each day, learn new words with Palabea. And to share your thoughts on all the matches, visit www.palabea.net where you will meet many people around the world!

Ce soir, c´est la Fête de la musique. Dans 340 villes et 60 pays d´Europe et du monde, des musiciens joueront dans la rue pendant toute la soirée.
Célèbre-t-on la Fête de la Musique dans ton pays?
Comment la fête-t-on?
Viens en apprendre plus sur la Fête de la Musique dans le monde entier et dans toutes les langues sur www.palabea.net.

Es leben die Musik!
Heute ist die Fête de la Musique. Überall in Europa und in der Welt werden Amateure und Profis den ganzen Abend auf den Strassen Musik spielen.
Wie wird die Fête de la Musique in deinem Land gefeiert?
Lern mehr über die Fête de la Musique in der ganzen Welt und in allen Sprachen auf www.palabea.net

Music!
Today, it´s the Fête de la Musique. In 340 cities and 60 countries all around the world, amateur und pros will be playing all the evening long.
How do you celebrate the Fête de la Musique in your country?
To learn more about it and share your feelings about this event, just connect to www.palabea.net

Es geht los!
Das Tor = The Goal = Le But
Das Stadion = the Stadium = Le Stade
Der Ballon = The Balloon= Le Ballon
Die Rote Karte = The Red Card = Le Carton Rouge

Et comment dit-on dans ta langue?
Wie sagt man das in deiner Sprache?
How do you say in your language?

Spécial Coupe du Monde
Chaque jour, apprends de nouveaux mots avec Palabea. Et pour échanger tes impressions sur tous les matchs, connecte-toi sur www.palabea.net où tu rencontreras des personnes du monde entier!

Spezial WM
Jeden Tag neue Wörter mit Palabea lernen. Registriere dich auf www.palabea.net, um mit Leuten aus der ganzen Welt die Spiele zu kommentieren. Liebe WM-Grüße!

Special World Cup
Each day, learn new words with Palabea. And to share your thoughts on all the matches, visit www.palabea.net where you will meet many people around the world!