Maximilian Berlitz

Maximilian Berlitz (1852 – 1921) was the founder of the Berlitz Language Schools. The first school was established in 1878 in Providence, Rhode Island.

He came up with this methodology after accidentally employing a monolingual French teacher to teach his French class while he was ill. Upon his return he was so impressed by the progress his pupils had made that he created the Berlitz Method which involves a form of total immersion.