▁to ▁discover ▁that ▁J oly ▁bare ly ▁spoke ▁English , ▁and ▁was ▁h ired ▁to ▁teach ▁French ▁to ▁English ▁speak ers ▁in ▁their ▁native ▁language . ▁The ▁first ▁Berl itz ▁language ▁school ▁opened ▁in ▁Prov idence , ▁Rh ode ▁Island , ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 8 7 8 . ▁A ▁de cade ▁later , ▁Berl itz ▁moved ▁to ▁Boston , ▁Massachusetts , ▁and ▁opened ▁additional ▁schools . ▁So on ▁after , ▁he ▁opened ▁schools ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁he ▁moved ▁the ▁headquarters ▁and ▁his ▁personal ▁residence ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁a ▁children ' s ▁language ▁learning ▁book ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁Maxim ilian ▁Berl itz . ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁there ▁were ▁about ▁ 2 0 0 ▁Berl itz ▁schools ; ▁ 6 3 ▁Berl itz ▁schools ▁in ▁Germany , ▁and ▁ 2 7 ▁in ▁Britain . ▁ ▁G row th ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁there ▁were ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 ▁Berl itz ▁School s ▁world wide . ▁Maxim ilian ▁Berl itz ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 1 . ▁His ▁son - in - law ▁and ▁associate , ▁Victor ▁Harrison - Ber l itz , ▁assumed ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁business . ▁Harrison ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁and ▁control ▁passed ▁briefly ▁to ▁his ▁son , ▁Victor ▁Harrison - Ber l itz , ▁Jr . ▁The