Download
Chinese parents are not afraid to dream big when it comes to their children's futures - talk of Yale, Harvard and other prestigious overseas universities can begin when the child is still in kindergarten.
Many can now afford to make such dreams a reality, which has led to a boom in demand for English language training and exam preparation courses.
According to the Ministry of Education's National Education Development Statistical Bulletin, the market is already worth about 30 billion yuan ($4.9 billion), and is growing at a rate of 15 percent a year.
"Chinese parents lavish money on their children, and they are spending more on their education," said Ma Linjie, who has run Lyn Education, a private English training center in Shanghai, since 2010.
"English training has existed for a long time, and the market is relatively stable," she said. "But one record-breaking year after another in terms of Chinese studying abroad has driven growth."
Last year almost 400,000 Chinese went abroad to study, an increase of 18 percent from 2011, the Ministry of Education said. Between 1978 and the end of 2011, China sent 2.25 million students overseas, 90 percent of those after 2000, and from 2000 to 2010, annual growth was 28.2 percent.
Today, China is the largest exporter of students, accounting for 14 percent of the world's total, according to a report jointly released last year by the Center for China and Globalization and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The resulting demand in English language training has seen Chinese and foreign companies scramble for a share of the market, with centers springing up at most malls in large cities, as well as in other commercial districts.
Wall Street English, owned by global education group Pearson, has been in China since 2000 and has about 62,000 students enrolled at 66 locations nationwide. It has more than 240,000 alumni.
"China really is a center of excellence for Pearson in terms of English-language learning," said Global CEO David Kedwards. "Because of our scale, we have the ability to do things other companies can't do, and because of China's scale we have the opportunity here to be the pathfinder and to refine new ideas for use in the WSE network around the world."
The company will continue to open three to six new centers annually in China for the next three to five years, he said, adding that student numbers are growing at about 5 percent a year.
"We will invest significantly in online capabilities to ensure our students can continue learning conveniently and on any device, such as smartphones and tablets," he said.
Bill Fisher, China CEO of Education First, said his company is focusing on second- and third-tier cities this year, with plans to open 45 to 50 branches, as well as develop more products that utilize technology.
In addition to the swelling in numbers, the age of Chinese students going overseas is becoming younger. Many now skip the national college entrance exam, particularly those at top high schools.
Open Doors 2017, a report published last year by the Institute of International Education with support from the US State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, said there had been a 31 percent increase over the previous year in Chinese students enrolling at the undergraduate level.
Consequently, training and preparation for overseas study, such as for the English-language TOEFL test and SAT, the US college admission exam, have become popular.
A source at New Oriental Education, China's largest English training company, said the number of students receiving SAT training rises 20 to 30 percent every year.
An industry insider also estimated there are about 25,000 to 30,000 SAT prep students nationwide, mostly in their first or second year of high school.
Questions:
1. How big is the English training market in China?
2. How many Chinese students went abroad to study last year?
3. How many students are enrolled at Wall Street English in China?
Answers:
1. 30 billion yuan ($4.9 billion).
2. Almost 400,000.
3. About 62,000 at 66 locations nationwide.
About the broadcaster:
Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.
耐克提价 转嫁成本上涨
日本拟遣返登岛保钓活动人士
追求幸福不是政府的工作
普京黑海豪华别墅曝光 造价10亿美元
Sharing is Caring 分享就是关爱
双语让儿童更有创造力
当妻子挣得更多时 你怎么想?
伦敦奥运闭幕式 辣妹重组掀高潮
越来越多的美国人或租或买野营车
美国应叫停生物燃料生产
风湿性关节炎可能源自肺部
英大学评出父母心中孩子必读十大好书
暮光之城男主角复出 因工作关系重回戏场
上海市试运行新法规 允许街头表演
西班牙市长成罗宾汉 带头抢超市劫富济贫
Facebook股价下跌 扎克伯格该卸任?
英国女子遇车祸 80位过路司机冷漠拍照围观
如何管理好我们的情绪
大学教室天花板突降小猫
伦敦市长奥运加分 民众希望其出任首相
李娜辛辛那提逆转夺冠 打破14个月冠军荒
未婚女孩一定要知道的十件事
不要再数羊了:十种助你熟睡的食物
福岛核事故后日本蝴蝶明显变异
各国家会给奥运冠军什么奖励?
澳高法通过法案 烟盒不得出现烟草公司标志
Facebook股票从IPO当日起已下跌过半
英国盲猫爱弹钢琴 用音乐的力量感知世界
厄瓜多尔为阿桑奇提供政治庇护
俄奥运奖牌得主获奖奥迪 遭网友吐槽
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |