Online school Let's Learn polled 266 adult students and found that 35 % study Croatian to talk with relatives, while only 16 % learn mainly for travel. The data challenges the idea that Croatian is merely a vacation phrasebook and highlights rising heritage demand worldwide.
MUNICH and ZAGREB, Croatia, July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A comprehensive survey by online language school Let's Learn (https://www.lets-learn.eu) reveals that family ties - not beach-holiday chit-chat - are the top reason adults choose to learn Croatian. Among 266 active students polled, 35% said they enrolled "to speak with Croatian relatives or because of family roots," while only 16% cited travel as their main reason.
"The data challenges the cliché that Croatian is just a 'vacation language'," said Maja Jukić, School Manager at Let's Learn. "Learners want genuine conversation with grandparents, partners and children - that's what drives them to learn."
With an estimated 3.2 million people of Croatian descent living abroad - nearly matching Croatia's own population - many learners are turning to the language to connect with family and heritage. Major diaspora communities include the United States (~1.2 million) and Germany (~430,000).
Main motivation (n = 266)
- Family heritage / Croatian relatives: 35 %
- Croatian partner or spouse: 20 %
- Frequent holidays in Croatia: 16 %
- Owning property in Croatia: 15 %
- Work, friends or other reasons: 14 %
The survey numbers are backed by real stories from students around the world:
- Saskia, a German engineer, kept a childhood promise to "crack the secret code" her grandmother spoke. Today she chats fluently with family in Tuhelj, turning summer visits into real conversations instead of smiles and nods.
- Josh, a public-health professor from New Orleans, decided it was "ridiculous" to claim Croatian citizenship without speaking the language. Lessons helped him reconnect with family recipes and decode long-lost phrases from his grandparents.
- Anita, an Austrian midwife, enrolled so she could raise her son bilingually and speak with Croatian in-laws. Her new skills now let her comfort Croatian-speaking mothers at work without waiting for a translator.
- Billie, a Wyoming attorney, completed a post-office transaction in flawless Croatian and went on to buy a seaside apartment near Zadar.
"These stories prove the survey isn't just statistics - real people are using the language to reclaim heritage, strengthen families and integrate into local life," Jukić added.
All four stories and other student experiences can be read on the school's story page (https://www.lets-learn.eu/croatian/stories).
About Let's Learn
Founded in Munich in 2009, Let's Learn specialises in European languages often overlooked by major platforms. Today the school teaches Croatian, Greek, Polish and Ukrainian to 450 active students worldwide. Its 27-member teaching team applies four core principles - active speaking, guided self-study, expert instruction and continuous feedback - to help adults achieve meaningful fluency.
Media Contact
Maja Jukić, Let's Learn, 49 089125018520, [email protected], https://www.lets-learn.eu/
SOURCE Let's Learn
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