Demand for English Language

Services in India and China

April 2009
Outline
 Objectives & methodology 3
 Main findings – India 6
– Methodology 7
– Overview of the market 10
– The market among learners/potential learners 24
– The market among English language teachers 45
– The market among major employers 58
– Summary & Implications 68
 Main findings – China 73
– Methodology 74
– Overview of the market 77
– The market among learners/potential learners 92
– The market among English language teachers 113
– The market among major employers 125
– Summary & Implications 132
2
Objectives & methodology

3
 Research objectives
 Research required to provide quantitative data on market trends and developments in the
demand for, and provision of, all kinds of English language services in India and China
– And to up-date previous research conducted in the two markets in 2007 and 2008
 Specific questions that need answering include:
– Who wants to learn English, and how does this market segment?
– What are the key drivers of demand?
– What kinds of English language services are required?
– How much is currently being spent on these services and how is this forecast to change over the next
5-10 years?
– In what way do perceptions of, and demand for, UK English compare with other kinds of English (eg
American, indigenous variants)?
 This will be used to inform strategic decision-making by UK EL providers in relation to:
– Business opportunities in India and China
– Recruitment of students for ELT in the UK

4
Meeting the objectives

Quantitative research
Desk research with adults/parents
learners and potential
learners

Qualitative research Qualitative research with

with teachers major employers

5
Main findings - India

6
Methodology - India
 Qualitative research:
– In-depth interviews, conducted face-to-face
– Each interview up to 30 minutes long
– 5 interviews with English language teachers, mix of schools/universities
– 5 interviews with leading employers, HR Director level or equivalent, mix
of national companies serving the domestic market only and those who
are ‘going global’, range of sectors
– Employers - Gugaon and Mumbai, 18 April – 2 May 2009
– Teachers – Delhi and Bangalore, 18 April – 2 May 2009
– NOTE: care must be taken in interpretation of these qualitative results
due to the small number of interviews

7
Methodology – India - cont
 Quantitative research:
– Face-to-face interviews
– Each interview up to 20 minutes long
– 200 interviews, 50 each with adult learners, potential adult learners,
parents of young learners and parents of potential young learners
– Delhi and Bangalore, 17-24 April 2009

 Comparisons also made with quantitative research conducted by

IMRB in 2008 – ELT Audience Segments report:
– Mix of self-completion with interviewer present, and face-to-face
interviews (approx 60% self-completion)
– 756 interviews with teachers/professors
– 50 interviews with establishments
– Report dated March 2008
8
Desk research sources - India
 English Language Teaching Audience Segments in India & Sri Lanka and their
Support Requirements, IMRB International, March 2008 (Previous research)
 CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets Report 2008
(http://www.scribd.com/doc/5324806/CLSA-Indian-Education-Industry-Survey)
 Angel Broking (www.angelbroking.com)
 The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) (www.iamai.in)
 National Institute of Finance & Accounts (NIFA) (www.nifaindia.com)
 IMRB International (www.imrbint.com)
 The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) (
www.assocham.org)
 The Constitution of India (www.commonlii.org)
 NIIT (www.niit.com)
 BusinessWeek (www.businessweek.com)
9
Overview of the market - India

10
 Large and growing market

 India’s private sector education and training market is estimated to

be worth US$40bn, with a potential 16% five year CAGR (CLSA
Asia: Pacific report, 2008)
 Of this, the adult market for ELT (aged 20+) is estimated to be
worth around US$450m
 CLSA - estimates 3.8m people paying average fee of US$120

11
Majority of English Learning population aged
below 18
 Estimated 320m aged 5-17 (Census 2001 - projected to 2008)
 249m students (the English learning population) enrolled at
primary, middle, secondary and higher educational levels
(Department of Education)
Population Versus Enrolment Levels
350 320
300
249
250
200
Million

146 146
150
100 74
58 50 50
50 28 15
0
Total (Age 5-17) Primary (Age 5- Middlle (Age 11- Secondary (Age Higher
10) 13) 13-15) Secondary (15-
17)

Age group

Population Enrolment 12
Around 2.1 – 2.2 million English language
teachers in India

Type Of School Number (Million) Total Teachers[1] English Teachers[2]

Primary 0.88 Million ~ 2.26 Million 0.88 Million

Upper Primary 0.34 Million ~ 1.70 Million 0.68 Million

Secondary 0.11 Million

Higher Secondary 0.05 Million ~ 2.20 Million 0.32 Million

1.88 Million (plus

1.38 Million English teachers in
Total 6.16 Million
language schools
etc)

College/University ~ 17,500 0.5 Million -

[1]
Source: Department of Education, Government of India
[2]
IMRB International estimate based on primary survey
13
English forms a large proportion of vocational
training

 Vocational training in India accounted for US$1,365m,

according to CLSA
 And English training represents one-third of this figure

Data Source: CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets (2008)

14
English becoming increasingly important
 Service sector = 55% of India’s GDP (Angel Broking)
– Industries like Information Technology (IT), Information Technology-
enabled Services (ITeS), Hospitality, Tourism, Retail and Aviation in
particular generate a large number of jobs which require competency and
fluency in English
– Eg Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) /IT/ITES sector alone expected
to need approx 3.6m English speakers in 2010, implying 1.9m new jobs
2007 – 2010 (NIIT, 2008)

15
One of major drivers is growth in IT/ITES
industry

 Top five IT IT/ITES Industry - Employment (India)

companies
1,800 1,630
spending US$ 1,600
1,293
500 million a 1,400
1,058

'000 numbers
1,200
year on 1,000 830

education and 800

600
training for 400
200
their 0
employees FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007

Financial Year
 Many
IT Services
established
ITES-BPO
large training Engineering Services and R&D, Software Products
campuses for Domestic Market (Including Users)
this Total

Data Source: NASSCOM

16
English language ability commands a premium
 ‘Our results indicate a significantly high English skill premium in
the labour market in terms of 2004 wages’ (Kapur & Chakraborty,
Washington Univ in St Louis, 2008)
 MNCs pay better than non MNCs, sometimes by over 50% and
regard English skills as a pre-requisite (spokesperson for NIFA,
2008)

17
English – bridging India’s communication gap

 22 languages recognised by the Indian constitution.

 Hindi is the ‘official’ language, but spoken by only 50% of the
population (IMRB, 2008).
 English is therefore key for internal communication:
– Part of colonial legacy
– Part of education system from school onwards (either as medium of
instruction or second language, depending on State)
– High social status
– Second most widely read and spoken language in India after Hindi –
15% have speaking, writing and reading capabilities in English
compared to 40% for Hindi (National Readership Survey)

18
Online becoming more popular but limited by
internet availability

 Indications that more popular for things like test preparation,

tutoring in school curriculum etc
 But only 50 million people in India have internet access (IAMAI,
2008)*
 Rapid adoption of mobile based access to the internet may
change this.
 A special report in BusinessWeek in 2007 described how the
Indian Cellular Association forecasts 200 million people will sign
on to the internet with their mobile phones by 2010.

* www.internetworldstats.com shows internet penetration in India at 7.1% in

November 2008, and 81 million users
19
Some key players, other than British Council

 British School of languages (BSL):

– Founded 1975
– Over 1.6 million students trained in spoken English
– A network of 30 study centres across the country
– Caters to a broad audience - from those who do not know English to
those who aim to hone their English speaking skills
– Works in the corporate training sector – Ashok Leyland, Ranbaxy,
American Express, U.N.O, Asian Paints are some of the clients
– Course fees range from Rs 2500 to Rs 3000

20
Some key players - cont

 Veta English language training institute (formerly known as

Vivekananda Institute):
– Founded 1981
– Over 2.2 million students trained in spoken English
– A network of 200 study centres across the country
– Some centres can accommodate more than 500 students
– Veta offers a ‘Self tutor’ pack for those learners who cannot access one
of its centres
– Seven main programmes, including ‘Veta English Holiday’

21
Some key players - cont

 Hero Mindmine Institute (HMIL):

– Founded 2000
– Provide training and development services to multinational companies,
Indian Blue Chip companies and the Government
– Part of USD 4.2 bn Hero Group
– Over 1.6 m students trained in spoken English
– A network of 150 offices and learning centres across the country
– A team of 200 professionals
– Clients include IBM, American Express, Bharti Telecom and Convergys

22
Some of key players - cont

 Inlingua
– 300 language centres in 40 countries
– Language centres are free to shape their training programs to suit the
local market
– Mix of private persons, employees of large and small companies,
institutions and government offices have used their services
– Course fees range from Rs 6500 to Rs 10000

23
The market among learners/potential
learners - India

24
Personal development + improved career
prospects = key reasons for learning English
Which of these, if any, best describes your reasons for wanting to learn
English/for wanting your child to learn English?
All Adult learners/ Parents of current/
potential learners potential learners

Top mentions
61%
Personal development 50%
73%
Improved career prospects
60%
53%
68%
Many jobs now require employees 55%
to speak English 50%
60%
General interest in learning English
54%
61%
47%
To meet new people/make to
26%
friends 25%
26%
To communicate with friends in 19%
other countries 18%
21%
Base: All respondents, India (202), adult learner/potential learner (102), parent of current/potential learner (100)
25
Increased propensity to learn, esp among young
Do you think you/your child are more likely or less likely to learn English
(outside school) than you were 6 months ago?
Less likely Don’t know 2%
No real difference 7%
compared to 6
8%
months ago

83%
More likely

Much more likely

Parent of current 42%
learner
Parent of potential 36%
learner
Base: All respondents, India (202), parent of potential
learner (50), parent of current learner (50), adult Adult potential learner 33%
potential learner (52), adult learner (50) Adult learner 12%
26
Economic downturn main current barrier
Which of these things, if any, have caused this change?

Global economic downturn (7 out of 14)

Cannot find a suitable course (3 out of 14)
Cannot find a teacher (2 out of 14)
Don’t know (3 out of 14)

Base: All who think their likelihood of learning English will decrease, India (14)

27
 ELT schools most used method by adults
Are you currently learning English / ever learnt English / in the next 2-3 years
think you are likely to learn English in any of these ways?

Currently Ever learnt Likely to learn

ELT school 23%

14%
26%
1%
Online training course
2%
Personal teacher for 1%
one-to-one tuition 1%
Part of full time education course 11%

Training course provided by

your company 2%
Adult education class 1%
5%
Base: All respondents, India (202)
28
 ELT school is preferred method for parents
Is your child currently studying English in any of these ways?
Would you like your child to study in any of these ways?

Preferred for child/ren Child/ren currently use

60%
ELT school
39%
24%
At school
44%
Personal teacher 12%
for one-to-one tuition 7%

Other kind of organisation 12%

5%
5%
Online training course
1%

None of these 4%
25%
Base: All parents, India (100)
29
Group tuition most used and most preferred
In which of these ways, if any, would you prefer (your child) to learn English / are
you/your child currently using to learn English (outside school) ?
Preferred Used by current learners
Top mentions
85%
Group or classroom tuition
81%
30%
One-to-one tuition
22%

‘Teach Yourself’ guides – 16%

text book 8%
12%
Online courses
12%
‘Teach Yourself’ guides – 6%
audio/visual
6%
Base: Preferred - All respondents, India (202), Current – All adult learners/parents of current learner, India (100)
)
30
 High future demand for ELT, across all groups
How likely is it that you/your child will (continue to) study English at an English
language learning institute in the next 2-3 years?

Certain not to 1% Don’t know

Certain
Very unlikely 11% To
19%
4%
Fairly 11%
unlikely Slightly lower demand
among parents of potential
Very learners (64% certain/very
likely likely) but more ‘don’t
17% 36% know’ – 28%)
Fairly
likely

Base: All respondents, India (202), parent of potential learner (50)

31
Very high level of interest in UK ELT institutes
And, in the next 2-3 years, how likely is it that you/your child will study English at
a UK English language learning institute, assuming one was based in your city?

Don’t know 1%
Fairly unlikely
Certain to
6% 14%

Fairly likely
21%

Very likely
58%

Base: All likely to study at an ELT Institute in the next 2-3 years, India (145)
32
Better quality teaching, credibility and UK
English = key reasons
Why do you say you/your child would study at a UK English language institute?

Top mentions

Better quality teaching 50% (71% of parents of

current learners)

Will have more credibility with 41% (56% of potential

employers adult learners)

Prefer to learn UK English 35%

Have heard good things about

UK providers from others 19%

Have had a good experience

in the past 18%
Have a generally positive
Image of the UK 17%

Base: All likely to study at a UK ELT in the next 2-3 years, India (135), potential adult learner (36), parent of current learner (31)

33
Price and usefulness of UK English = barriers
Why do you say you/your child would not study at a UK English language institute?

Too expensive (4 out of 9)

Learning US English more helpful (4 out of 9)
Learning a more general form of (4 out of 9)
‘international’ English more helpful
UK has an image of being old- (3 out of 9)
fashioned/not innovative enough
Learning ‘local’ English more helpful (1 out of 9)

Base: All unlikely to study at a UK ELT in the next 2-3 years, India (9)
34
Online learning – fairly high awareness
but low usage
Were you aware that it is possible to learn English online, that is using an
online course provider?

All Adult learner

59%
Yes
48%

29%
No
25% But just 1% currently
learn via online
course
12%
Don’t know
27%

Base: All currently not learning English via an online course, India (199),adult learner (48)
35
Less than half would consider online learning
How likely are you to consider learning English online in the next 2-3
years/choosing an online English learning course for your child?
Certain
To
9%
Don’t
know 27% Very
likely
21%
Certain not to/
Very
unlikely/Fairly
Certain not 8% unlikely
to
10% 17% Adult learner 33%
Very 9% Fairly Adult potential 37%
unlikely likely learner
Fairly
unlikely Parent of current
22%
learner
Base: All not currently learning English via an online course, India (199), adult Parent of 14%
learner (48(, adult potential learner (52), parent of current learner (49), parent
of potential learner (50) potential learner
36
Use of multimedia methods biggest draw
Why do you say you/your child would study online?

Top mentions

Can use multimedia 68%

methods

More flexible/convenient 51%

More cost-effective 32%

Environmentally 20%
better

Can chat online with

students and teachers 18%

Base: All likely to study online, India (96)

37
Main barrier is lack of speaking practice
Why do you say you/your child would not study online?

Top mentions
Little/no opportunity to
practice speaking 55%

Online English qualifications 32%

little credibility

Don’t have access/easy access 19%

to the internet

Concerns about security 19%

on internet

The speed of the internet 13%

can be slow

Software might not be 9%

compatible with my pc

Base: All unlikely to study online, India (53)

38
Few employees offered ELT at work
Does your company offer English language courses for employees?

Don’t know 1%
I am
unemployed Yes 2%
I am a 3%
student
13%
None are currently learning
English using a training
course provided by their
employer

Just 2% have ever done so

81%

No
Base: All current/potential adult learners, India (102)
39
Majority of all groups feel the type of English
learnt is very important
How important or unimportant to you is the type of English learnt?

Not very important

4%

Fairly important
32%

64% Very important

Base: All respondents, India (202)

40
International English most popular, except
among current adult learners
Which if any of these different types of English would you choose to learn/for
your child to learn?

International English 46%

Local form of English 30%

UK English 20%

US English 4%

Adult learner Adult Parent of Parent of

potential current potential
learner learner learner
International English 12% 60% 56% 54%
Local form of 54% 21% 26% 18%
English

Base: All respondents, India (202) 41

Divided opinions over local vs overseas materials
When it comes to materials for English language learning, do you generally
prefer those produced locally or by overseas organisations or do you have no
preference? Don’t know
No preference
8% 2%

Locally
47%

Overseas 43%

Base: All respondents, India (202)

42
UK materials the same or better than others
Do you think that materials produced by UK organisations for English language
learning are generally better or worse than those from other overseas
organisations or are they about the same?
Don’t know
10%

49% Better
41% Better
About the same Adult learner 38%
Adult potential 62%
learner
Parent of 56%
current learner
Parent of
40%
Base: All respondents, India (202) potential learner
43
Ease of use & quality are strengths
Why do you say you materials from UK organisations are better?

Clearer/easier to use 47%

Better quality/more reliable 42%

Prefer UK English 36%

UK materials have a better 16%

reputation

Have a generally positive

image of the UK 15%

Base: All who think materials from UK organisations are better, India (99)
44
The market among English language
teachers* - India

* These findings are based on just 5 qualitative interviews, so are indicative only 45
Teachers have little say in materials used

 Public sector: decided by the university (eg “To make it more

creative and
Delhi University) or school boards (eg interesting I pick out
CBSE, ICSE etc) the boy or girl and
– Individual teachers have no say they will read out in
the class”
 Some do try to liven up lessons by adding
their own things – but only limited in scope
 More advanced techniques/audio visual aids “We make teaching
etc only really used in private sector* aids and we give
them projects like
collecting more
information”

* Confirmed by IMRB 2008 report on ELT Audience Segments which found private
sector use more advanced teaching methods than government schools
46
Old-fashioned approach to teaching
 A number of key weaknesses identified:
– Out of date materials & curriculum/need “The curriculum
reviewing more frequently to keep up with should change
changes in outside world
every 3-4 years, if
– Teaching methods too traditional – chalk & not every year”
board* – making lessons monotonous and
boring
– Too much emphasis on exams and not enough
on real understanding and fluency
“Even in an English
class, when the
“Even though they score good teacher speaks, the
percentage marks in English, inability to follow,
they are unable to write understand,
correctly and they are unable to comprehend, this
express themselves in good constitutes about
English” 70% of the students”
* Confirmed by IMRB 2008 report on ELT Audience Segments, 81% use
chalk & board, the top method 47
Materials need up-dating and tailoring

 Need for regular review of curriculum and

“The needs are different. course materials:
…we have students who
have absolutely no – Committee of experts (teachers, government
foundation of English yet officials, industry experts and external
the whole book is not experts) to up-date materials regularly
geared up to teach them,
 More tailoring of materials to students of
and we do have
intelligent students…the different abilities
text doesn’t reach them
 More flexibility for teachers to add in
either, it’s somewhere in
between, and so the extras to main course work
standard just comes
down automatically” “I think there should be
collaboration with
professionals”
48
More emphasis on real command of the language

 Want more emphasis on the basics of the language at an

early age
 Exams and assessment to be a better reflection of a student’s
true ability, rather than ability to learn by rote
 More emphasis on practical application of the language

“It is really tough to make them

understand that they really need
to learn the language in a very
different way and not just to get
marks”

IMRB 2008 report on ELT Audience Segments showed fluency as a major area of
concern for students, followed by grammar, reading habits and writing skills
49
And more use of interactive methods

 More audio visual aids, PCs, internet,

“That would probably CDs, plays, quizzes called for:
help me teach better
and encourage them – Makes lessons more interesting and
to read more and interactive
more which is lacking – Richer learning experience
in today’s generation”
– Increased involvement and motivation

50
Both hard copies and online materials required

 Materials available on the internet “It would be better if

particularly useful for teachers: they are hard copies
– More flexible and accessible because most of our
students would not log
 But hard copies also required for on and use the soft
students: copies. For them
– Not all have internet access internet access is
purely for
– Some students don’t take online entertainment and
materials seriously fun”

“It should be both online, as it is easily

accessible, and hard copies, where we
know it can help as well”

51
Mixed reaction to external assistance

“In one place you

 In favour: cannot find so many
– Involvement in development of materials will experts and
improve quality of materials/keep them more up- expertise in different
to-date skills. Their coming
together can help in
– Could help in organising seminars/workshops for developing good
a richer learning experience for students
materials”
– Must involve internal bodies as well though

 Against:
– Only the institution itself knows the needs of its “It would be better if
students every college does it
because every class
– Cost – external help is expensive is different and every
batch is different”
52
Fairly high awareness of many UK organisations

 All heard of British Council, BBC, Longmans, “British Council you

CUP, OUP, Pearson and Macmillan know flourishes in
 Many had used books by Longmans, CUP, many countries, they
OUP, Pearson and Macmillan have the experts.
Their main purpose
 Almost all aware of IELTS
is to help the
 Only university/college teachers aware of teachers, in training
exam boards them. They provide
 Aware of websites, but could not name any the material and
design”
“I would prefer to make use of
audio visuals, LCD and CDs,
 Not necessarily detailed knowledge
especially British Council, they
of what is on offer though
prepare material in English as a
primary and secondary  Assumed they provide English
course and materials – reference
language and that really helps” materials, CDs, cassettes etc
53
UK organisations associated with quality

 Materials from organisations known to be

reputable are seen as:
– Good quality
– Dependable
– Trustworthy
– In line with latest needs of the language

“Organisations which are reputable

prove fruitful…. You do not have to
worry about quality. But if you go in
for material from another source you
have to be careful”

54
But cost, access and accent can be a problem

“I have a couple of CDs  Can be difficult to understand the

and VCDs from different
companies but I find their
language is difficult for us
to learn. The accent is
an issue”
accent used
 Online access can also be an issue,
especially as most services need to
be paid for
 And most would like to have both
hard and online copies of materials

“Whenever I have gone through a website I have found one

or two things come up and then the rest is you will have to
pay and then get it. So once you start going deeper and
deeper into the subject, I don’t have an easy access at all
and trying to pay £8 is really quite a lot of money and I
certainly would not go for such things”
55
Professional development opportunities limited

 Two out of the five say they have no such opportunities*

 Others mention seminars, workshops, intra and inter institution
meetings, presentations and refresher courses
 However, even these not felt to be enough, or directed in the right
way

* Confirmed by IMRB 2008 report on ELT Audience Segments, 30% had

never attended a formal training programme

56
More and different opportunities required

 Teachers want: “To train the teacher

in this
– More seminars and training sessions on
(communicative
communicative language training – ie how best to
language training) is
teach students the basic skills they need
most important
– Better training in the area of student because having just
motivation/student psychology patience is not
– More on latest training techniques – ideally enough”
developed with their particular institution in mind
“Training in this (student
– Training which keeps them up-to-date with the
motivation) is very
changing needs of a competitive world
important for any
– Opportunities to meet counterparts in other teacher. Only a
institutions (eg in discussion forums) motivated teacher can
motivate his/her
– Guidance from experts
students”
57
The market among leading employers* -
India

* These findings are based on just 5 qualitative interviews, so are indicative only 58
For most English is a key requirement for staff
 Most see English as a mandatory
language requirement, particularly: “At the end of the day
you are working with
– Those with most contact with overseas
clients (eg call centres, hospitality industry) US clientele”
(Business Process
– For front line staff dealing with overseas
Outsourcing)
clients

 In those sectors where it is particularly

important, pay is often linked to English
skill levels
“That’s how you give a pay
package. If the person has
average communications
skills then the pay packet is
low” (Retail)
“We only hire people who
are trained, and have good
communications skills and
we only hire those people
who have a background in
international call centres”
(Call Centre)

59
Skills required depend on sector/type of staff

 Most expect basic English knowledge among new recruits

 Verbal communications skills particularly important*
 Where English is crucial (eg call centres) skills are assessed at
recruitment stage
– Voice test, listening test, written test
– Accent checking (a neutral accent is deemed best)

 Knowledge of the culture of other countries is also a benefit for

those dealing with other countries
“It does not include only speaking to
customers in English, it also includes
connecting with them emotionally,
sympathising” (Call centre)
* Confirmed by IMRB 2008 report on ELT Audience Segments, 60%
importance attached to communication/soft skills and 40% to functional skills
60
Perfect English in new staff usually not expected

 Acknowledgement that some training may be required to improve

skills, eg
“When the trainer takes
– To correct errors the training and this
– Improve pronunciation person has
grammatical issues,
– Improve understanding of other cultures some people do have
– Improve confidence in ability errors, the trainer helps
them” (Retail)
– Link language skills to requirements of the job

 Most of those interviewed provide in-house training for relevant

staff*; some for all staff
– Particularly call centres – structured training modules, debates, role-
playing, grammar, telephone ethics
* The quantitative research shows very few employees say their company
offers ELT training, no doubt because most work for smaller companies than
those interviewed in the qualitative research. 61
English will become increasingly important

 Due to increasingly global, competitive

“It is a global economy.
economy Spoken English is very
 Also think there will be a need to important not only from
communicate with more non native our own perspective
speakers of English - requiring a more but to compete in this
competitive world
neutral accent
(Retail)
 Continuous improvement among employees
will become more necessary – and hence “And through a web
rigorous training, which may or may not cam and projector we
require external assistance, depending on are actually using
needs technology, we are
giving training by voice
 More technology driven training also
and accents of the
anticipated clientele. So it saves
time and cost” (Call
62
Centre)
Only perceived challenge in ELT is time

“We have to make them work a

nine hours shift and then to
make them sit after a nine hours
shift is a bit difficult”

63
Linked to this, hard copies preferred to online

 Easier for employees to use in their

own time (eg at home)
 Not all employees have internet
access*
“Hard copy is better because online
we have to provide computers
because at the end of the day it is
cost and there is no time. If you give
hard copies you can sit back at home
and use that because everybody
would not have a laptop or PC at
home”

* www.internetworldstats.com shows internet penetration in India at 7.1% in

November 2008, though of course penetration will be higher in urban areas
64
Many use own internal ELT resources

 Three out of the five have their

own internal training “Our company is a huge
company, we have our own
departments* resources, our own set up. In
– Rarely use external providers – the rarest of rarest cases do we
only when there is a specific actually have the need to have
need** an external source” (Call
– Believe in house department has Centre)
a better understanding of their
needs
* IMRB 2008 report on ELT Audience Segments. Most tests developed internally by
organisations themselves
** IMRB 2008 report on ELT Audience Segments suggests use of external
consultants rather higher than in our five interviews – 62% had used an external
trainer – but it may be related to the very large size and type of companies (three
very outwardly orientated) interviewed in the qualitative research, which means they
are more likely to have their own internal training departments
65
Some do use external providers though
 Two of the five do
 Single provider used – books, notes, CDs, online links and tests
 Chosen on the basis of*: “Any external body
– Cost (major role) has to be customised
to our requirements”
– Level of service
– Course material (including multi-media)
“Someone who is
– Expertise of trainer
outsourced is always
– Level of trust & commitment shown approachable and they
– Ability to customise training to needs try to give you the best”

 High levels of satisfaction

* IMRB 2008 report on ELT Audience Segments – main factors in
choice of trainer were course content, presentation skills, educational
background, certifications of trainer and previous experience 66
Low awareness of UK providers
 Only aware of British Council* and British School of Languages
 Thought to offer:
– Various types of course
– Reference material, CDs, online links

 But not much known about the offering

 Perception that they are professional, equipped with latest
services and training techniques, and well respected
 But also felt to be expensive and not tailored to needs of
organisation
* MRB 2008 report on ELT Audience Segments suggested that the BC has a good
reputation for ELT among establishments; two-thirds were willing to use ELT
services from the BC
67
Summary & implications - India

68
Summary & implications - India
 Large and growing market for English language services
 While taught in all schools, interviews with teachers suggest it is
not necessarily taught ‘well’ due to:
– Poor quality/out of date teaching materials, old-fashioned teaching
methods, emphasis on passing tests rather than real understanding

 This means there are real opportunities for UK organisations to

help teaching of English in schools through:
– Working with universities and school boards to improve course materials
and teaching methods – to increase student motivation and ability to
apply skills in the real world
– Offering teacher training/professional development programmes – latest
teaching techniques (including interactive techniques), communicative
language training, student motivation/psychology, discussion forums etc

69
Summary & implications – India - cont
 Potential barriers:
– Low budgets available in public sector schools/among teachers
– High awareness of UK bodies but low awareness of their offering – so
need to build up this awareness
 Poor quality of learning in schools also means there is a strong
and growing demand among learners, both adults and young
learners, for ELT institutes
 The positive reputation of UK ELT and materials means UK
organisation are well placed to capitalise on this demand
– UK organisations/materials associated with quality and high credibility
 Potential barriers:
– Cost – offer lower cost options as well as higher cost/quality options?
– International English is preferred to UK English – offer more ‘international
English’ teachers?
70
Summary & implications – India - cont
 Demand for English skills at a corporate level is driven by service
sector in particular (eg growth of call centres)
 English language ability therefore commands a premium in such
sectors, particularly in MNCs
 In such companies, basic English skills are often mandatory,
though many provide further training
 Opportunities for UK organisations therefore lie in:
– Assistance with in-house training programmes tailored to the
organisation’s needs

 Potential barriers:
– Cost (key consideration)
– Low profile of UK organisations – need to raise profile
71
Summary & implications – India - cont
 Most employees, many working for smaller companies, are not
offered in-company training in English though
 Further emphasises importance of ELT institutes in the market
 Within ELT sector, online learning growing, but still tiny proportion
of market
 Internet access is a key barrier – only 7% of population have
access – as are limited opportunities to practice oral skills
 Has wider implication for materials offered by UK organisations –
need to offer hard copy as well as online learning materials as
most learners will not have internet access
 Rapid adoption of mobile based access may change this though
– so should be monitored carefully
72
Main findings - China

73
Methodology - China
 Qualitative research:
– In-depth interviews, conducted face-to-face
– Each interview up to 30 minutes long
– 5 interviews with English language teachers, mix of schools/universities
– 5 interviews with leading employers, HR Director level or equivalent, mix
of national companies serving the domestic market only and those who
are ‘going global’, range of sectors
– Beijing and Shanghai, 13 – 22 April 2009
– NOTE: care must be taken in interpretation of these qualitative results
due to the small number of interviews

74
Methodology – China - cont
 Quantitative research:
– Face-to-face interviews
– Each interview up to 20 minutes long
– 200 interviews, 50 each with adult learners, potential adult learners,
parents of young learners and parents of potential young learners
– Chengdu and Quingdao, 18-19 April 2009

 Comparisons also made with quantitative research conducted for

the BC in 2007 by United Research China (URC) on English
Language Teaching Market
– 1,535 central location test interviews in six cities, 1-16 April 2007, adult
learners and parents of young learners with ELT schools
– 666 telephone interviews in six cities, 1 April – 9 May 2007, adults
learners and parents of young learners
75
Desk research sources - China
 Report on English Language Teaching Market in China by United
Research China, for the British Council, 2007
 Social Survey Institute survey 2005
 Online-education, September 2008 (www.online-edu.org)
 People’s Daily, May 2008 (www.people.com.cn)
 China Education Investment Institute, December 2008 (
www.ceif.cn)

76
Overview of the market - China

77
A growing market
 Experts in 2005 predicted an annual growth rate of around 15%
up to 2010
– Based on China’s accession to the WTO, the 2008 Olympic Games
and 2010 Shanghai Expo
– (note: this was before the global economic downturn)

Market Value of English Language Training Market (2005-2010)

Unit: RMB 100 million
300
300 260
227
198
200 172
150

100

0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
(Forecast) (Forecast) (Forecast) (Forecast) (Forecast)
Data Source: Survey Results Published by Social Survey Institute of China, 2005 78
ELT dominated by private institutes

 Social Survey Institute of China, 2005:

– Approx 50,000 ELT institutes in China

 China Education Investment, 2008:

– Over 90% are private institutes
– Universities act as an effective supplementary provider
– Solely foreign invested and joint venture institutes positioned at high
end
– mainly concentrate on economically developed areas and cities
open to the outside world, like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and
Shenzen

79
Focus on large developed cities

 China Education Investment, 2008:

– Major markets for ELT in East China, North China and South China,
particularly in large developed cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou
– Demand increasing quickly, particularly in more developed coastal
areas

80
Market dominated by adult learners
The projection of English learner population between 7-45 years old
in six surveyed cities, 2007:

　 total learners aged 7-45 (Unit: 1,000)

Beijing 3,814.2, of whom 224.6 = 7-15

Shanghai 2,047.8, of whom 86.4 = 7-15

Guangzhou 1,502.1, of whom 124.3 = 7-15

Shenyang 822.3, of whom 134.7 = 7-15

Chengdu 1,110.3, of whom 93.2 = 7-15

Wuhan 902.7, of whom 59.5 = 7-15

Total 10,199.4, of whom 722.7 =7-15

Source: China Statistical Yearbooks, 2007

81
But growth among younger and older learners

 People’s Daily, 2008:

– Approx 300 million ELT consumers
– Mainly aged 20-40
– Also growth at both ends of age spectrum – children and older people:
– ELT for children began early 1990s, but still in its early stage
– By end of 2007 there were 350 million children of school age – so
huge market potential
– Many pre-school training institutes established – eg EF Small Stars
programme
– Foreign invested institutes expanding in this area
– Growth in older learners – particularly for some vocational English
courses and high-end programmes which appeal to students in
their 40s

82
Career advancement key driver of demand

 People’s Daily, 2008 – key drivers of demand:

– Improve English communications skills, particularly in work context, to
expand social circle and improve career prospects
– Focus on practical use of English through listening and speaking
practice
– Will become the main driving force of market demand in the future
– Prepare for English tests for study abroad or enrolment in schools
– Focus on test techniques rather than practical use of English (eg
TOFEL, GRE, ITLTS and CET 4/6 etc)
– Get professional qualifications, eg oral interpretation certificates
– Again, focus is on test techniques

83
Learning mainly done in spare time

 China Education Investment, 2008:

– ELT mainly done in learners’ spare time
– Each course usually:
– 48-60 class hours over 2-4 months
– Each class hour = 40-50 minutes
– 2-3 class hours = one session
– 2 nights per week, or half a day at weekends

84
Three main types programme in terms of cost

High
Small % of market
Low
Developed cities
Medium Mainstream market
Mainly foreign
Mainstream market Mainly
invested institutes
Developed large supplementary to
(eg Wall Street)
and medium cities school education
Entry level = at
One programme Learners are mainly
least 6
costs RMB 1,000 – students
programmes,
4,000 One programme
costing around
Each class hour costs RMB 100 –
RMB20,000
costs RMB 20-50 500
Learners are high
income, mainly
white collar,
mid/senior
management

Data Source: China Education Investment, 2008 85

Mainly traditional methods but online growing

Small Class Online

Mainly foreign Still at early stage,
Large Class teachers/text books but showing fast
Using self-compiled Focus on listening growth
or state-recognised and speaking Low cost, cheap,
text books 10-20 students per flexible timetable
Domestic teachers class
30-50 students per Many online training
class providers now use
Traditional teaching Computer-aided Voice Interaction
methods Combines Technology so can
Widely used in test computer-aided provide a ‘face-to-
preparation training programmes with face’ learning
lectures delivered environment similar
by teachers to a real classroom

Data Source: China Education Investment, 2008 86

Some of key players

 New Oriental School:

– Founded 1993
– 2006 New Oriental Education and Technology Group listed on NYSE
– Services include English and other foreign language training, overseas
and domestic test preparation courses, primary and secondary school
education, educational content and software and online education
– End of 2008 – 41 schools, 400 learning centres and 6 subsidiaries in 39
cities in China
– Given 7 million training programmes
– Test preparation courses are a particular strength – estimated that
nearly 50% of Chinese students studying abroad took the NOS course
– 2008 – opened 8 elite learning centres in Beijing – use multi-media
software (DynEd) and aimed at professionals and elite entrepreneurs
87
Some of key players - cont

 Wall Street Institute:

– Entered China in 2000
– 15 training centres in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen
– Focuses on ELT to adults
– Mid/high end positioning
– Programmes include Introduction to English, English Online and
Premier English
– Targets civil servants, managers, and university students
– Has a Corporate English Training Department and over 300 corporate
clients in China

88
Some of key players - cont

 EF Education:
– Entered China in 1996
– 2000 – opened language schools in Guangzhou and Shanghai
– Adopts ‘Communicative’ method of English training – encourages
students’ involvement through talking and listening
– Major programmes include comprehensive English, teens/kids English,
business English, practical English for overseas living/studying and
IELTS

89
Some of key players - cont
 Crazy English:
– Li Yang set up this institute in 1994
– One of most influential in China
– Features a ‘speak out’, oral-centred and sentence-centred learning
– Focussed on American oral English
– Operates closed-door, intensive training camps in key cities
– Also publishes English pronunciation learning materials
 Modern English:
– Established 1999
– 2000 – started a ‘Modern English’ programme in cooperation with
Beijing TV station
– Programme is broadcast over 60 provincial TV channels

90
Will more study overseas in economic downturn?

 China Education Investment & People’s Daily, 2008:

– Depreciation of foreign currencies in global economic downturn
reduces cost of study abroad
– Speculation that this will result in more studying overseas
– Especially as companies slim down work force and it becomes more
important to strengthen personal skills

91
The market among learners/potential
learners - China

92
Personal development key for learning English
Which of these, if any, best describes your reasons for wanting to learn
English/for wanting your child to learn English?
All Adult learners/ Parents of current/
potential learners potential learners
Top mentions
71%
Personal development 74%
67%
General interest in learning 47%
English 39%
55% 2007 URC survey:
40%
Improved career prospects 51% Personal development – 57%
29% Interested in English – 25%
Many jobs now require employees 25% Job requirement – 36%
to speak English 33%
16% Similar pattern, though lower
To communicate with friends in 20% figures for most
other countries 28% Reason - unprompted
12% question in 2007?
To get into college/ 20%
university 7% 33%
Base: All respondents, China (200), adult learner/potential learner (100), parent of learner/potential learner (100)
93
Increased propensity to learn, esp. among young
Do you think you/your child are more likely or less likely to learn English
(outside school) than you were 6 months ago?
Don’t know 2%
Less likely
7%

No real difference
compared to 6 23%
months ago

70% More likely

Much more likely

Parent of potential learner 36%

Parent of current learner 28%

Adult potential learner 22%
Adult learner 14%
Base: All respondents, China (200), parent of potential learner (50), parent of current learner (50), adult potential learner (50), adult
learner (50)
94
Time more of a barrier than economic reasons
Which of these things, if any, have caused this change?

Have not got the time (6 out of 13)

It is not a priority (3 out of 13)
Cannot find a suitable course (2 out of 13)
Global economic downturn (1 out of 13)
Don’t know (2 out of 13)

Base: All who think their likelihood of learning English will decrease, China (13)

95
 ELT schools most used method by adults
Are you currently learning English / ever learnt English / in the next 2-3 years
think you are likely to learn English in any of these ways?

Currently Ever learnt Likely to learn

18%
ELT school 54%
32%
Part of full time education course
6% 17%
17% 2007 URC survey:
Adult education class 5%
5% Currently learning at ELT
13% school – 19%
2%
Online training course 5% Ever learnt in ELT school –
5% 30%, rather lower than now, a
reflection of growth?
Training course provided by your 4%
company 5%
Company training course &
personal tutor similar levels
Personal teacher for 2% to now
one-to-one tuition 3% Company training course a
little higher than in 2007
Base: All respondents, China (200)
96
ELT schools are preferred method for parents
Is your child currently studying English in any of these ways?
Would you like your child to study English in any of these ways?

Preferred for child/ren Child/ren currently use

67%
At school 89%
89%
ELT school
51%

Other kind of organisation 7%

3%

Personal teacher 6%
for one-to-one tuition 2%
4%
Online training course
2%

None of these 4%

Base: All parents, China (113)

97
Group tuition preferred, but possible unmet
demand for one-to-one tuition
In which of these ways, if any, would you prefer (your child) to learn English / are
you/your child currently using to learn English (outside school)?
Preferred Used by current learners
Top mentions

68%
Group or classroom tuition
86%
‘Teach Yourself’ 23%
guides – text
book 24%

Online courses 18%

9%

‘Teach Yourself’ guides – 19%

audio/visual 7%

36%
One-to-one tuition
5%
Base: Preferred - All respondents, China (200), Current – All adult learners/parents of current learner, China (100)
98
Future demand higher among young learners
than adults
How likely is it that you/your child will (continue to) study English at an English
language learning institute in the next 2-3 years?
Certain not to Don’t know 1%
Very unlikely 1%
Fairly unlikely 4%
4%
Certain
34% To

Certain to

41% Adult learner 20%

Potential adult 12%
Fairly likely learner
16%
Parent of current 54%
learner
Very likely Parent of
potential learner 50%
Base: All respondents, China (200) , adult learner (50), adult potential learner (50), parent of current learner (50), parent of potential
learner (50)

99
UK ELT would be considered, esp. by parents
And, in the next 2-3 years, how likely is it that you/your child will study English at
a UK English language learning institute, assuming one was based in your city?

Don’t Certain to
know
Certain to
Certain not to
Adult learner 20%
Very unlikely 3% 5% 10% Very likely Potential adult 12%
4% learner
Fairly
unlikely 9% 11%
Parent of current 54%
learner
Parent of potential 50%
learner

2007 URC survey:

57%
Lower figures – 45% said they or
their children likely to study in UK
Fairly likely ELT institute

Base: All likely to study at an ELT Institute in the next 2-3 years, China (182) , adult learner (46), adult
potential learner (39), parent of current learner (49), parent of potential learner (48) 100
Better quality teaching = key reason in choice
Why do you say you/your child would study at a UK English language institute?

Top mentions

Better quality teaching 73%

Prefer to learn UK
English 34%

Have heard good things about 23%

2007 URC survey:
UK providers from others Quality & experience of teachers =
top criterion in judging overall
Will have more credibility with quality of ELT institutes (71%)
employers 18%

Have had a good experience UK English is good = key reason for

in the past 10% interest in UK ELT (36%)

Have a generally positive

image of the UK 6%

Base: All likely to study at a UK ELT in the next 2-3 years, China (143) 101
Price = key obstacle
Why do you say you/your child would not study at a UK English language institute?

Top mentions

Too expensive 43%

Learning US English more

helpful 27%

Learning a more general form of 7%

‘international’ English more helpful

UK has an image of being old-

fashioned/not innovative enough 7%

Learning ‘local’
English more helpful 3%

Don’t know 13%

Base: All unlikely to study at a UK ELT in the next 2-3 years, China (30) 102
Online learning – high awareness but low
usage
Were you aware that it is possible to learn English online, that is using an
online course provider?
All Parent of potential learner - least aware

72
Yes
58

19
No But just 2% currently
24 learn via online
course 2007 URC survey:
Lower figures – 47% of
9 English learners had
Don't know heard of online methods
18 Suggests higher profile
now

Base: All currently not learning English via an online course, China (195), parent of potential learner (50) 103
 Majority would consider online learning; few
certain to
How likely are you to consider learning English online in the next 2-3
years/choosing an online English learning course for your child?
Certain to/ Very
Likely/Fairly likely

Don’t know
Certain to Adult learner 62%
Certain not to
3% 9% Very likely Adult potential 78%
11% learner
Very unlikely
4% 10% Parent of current
65%
learner
Parent of potential
Fairly unlikely learner
15% 62%

2007 URC survey:

48%
Also showed majority would
consider online
Fairly likely

Base: All not currently learning English via an online course, China (195), adult learner (47), adult potential 104
learner (50), parent of current learner (48), parent of potential learner (50)
Convenience biggest draw, partic. for adults
Why do you say you/your child would study online?

2007 URC survey:

Top mentions
Convenience/flexibility also
key – 81% flexible time, 66%
convenient location
More flexible/convenient 82%
Cost-effective more likely to
be mentioned this year – 23%
More cost-effective 42% in 2007 – reflection of
economic downturn?

Can use multimedia 26%

methods More flexible/
convenient
Can chat online with
students and teachers 23% Adult 90%
learner/potential
Environmentally learner
better 16%
Parent of 73%
current/potential
learner
Base: All likely to study online, China (130), adult learner/potential learner (68), parent of current/potential learner
(62)
105
Though some have concerns about security
Why do you say you/your child would not study online?

Top mentions

Concerns about security 51%

Little/no opportunity to
practice speaking 25%

Online English qualifications 24%

little credibility
2007 URC survey:
Don’t have access/easy access
to the internet 20% Fewer concerns over
security – 28%
Similar concerns over lack of
opportunity to practice
speaking = 30%

Base: All unlikely to study online, China (59)

106
Low access to ELT courses at work
Does your company offer English language training courses for employees?
Don’t know

I am 1%
unemployed Yes (8 out of 100)
6% 8%
I am a
student 19% Courses offered:

Business (4 out of 8)
Basic (3 out of 8)
Vocational (2 out of 8)
Professional (1 out of 8)
66%
All 8 likely to participate mainly because
better geared to their needs
No

Base: All current/potential adult learners, China (100) 107

Type of English important, especially to
parents of potential learners
How important or unimportant to you is the type of English learnt?
Not important at all Don’t know 2%

2007 URC survey:

2%
Very 55% thought original country of
Not very important origin of ELT important
important 25% 31% Difference in question wording
may account for some of the
difference between this result
and the current results

Fairly important
41%
Adult learner Adult Parent of Parent of
potential current potential
learner learner learner
Very important 26% 26% 26% 44%

Base: All respondents, China (200), adult learner (50), adult potential learner (50), parent of current learner (50),
108
parent potential learner (50)
US English most popular
Which if any of these different types of English would you choose to learn/for
your child to learn?

US English 54%

UK English 29%

International English 7%

Australian English 3%

Local form of English 0% 2007 URC survey:

Country of origin of ELT – 52% preferred
No preference 5% UK, 36% US
Suggests preferences changing
Don't know 3%

Base: All respondents, China (200) 109

Overseas materials generally preferred
When it comes to materials for English language learning, do you generally
prefer those produced locally or by overseas organisations or do you have no
preference? Don’t know

3%
No preference Locally
27%
27%

Prefer
overseas
materials

43% Adult learner 52%

Potential adult learner 46%
Overseas Parent of current learner 32%
Parent of potential 42%
learner
Base: All respondents, China (200), adult learner (50), adult potential learner (50), parent of current
learner (50), parent potential learner (50)
110
UK materials the same or better than others
Do you think that materials produced by UK organisations for English
language learning are generally better or worse than those from other
overseas organisations or are they about the same?
Don’t know

16% Better

31%

2%
Worse
51% Better
About the same Adult learner/Adult 25%
potential learner

Parent of current learner/ 37%

Parent of potential
learner
Base: All respondents, China (200), adult learner/adult potential learner (100), parent of current learner/parent of potential
learner (100)
111
Quality & ease of use are strengths
Why do you say that materials from UK organisations are better?

Better quality/more reliable 60%

Clearer/easier to use 52%

Prefer UK English 31%

UK materials have a better 21%

reputation

Have a generally positive

image of the UK 10%

Base: All who think materials from UK organisations are better, China (62) 112
The market among English language
teachers* - China

* These findings are based on just 5 qualitative interviews, so are indicative only 113
Public sector tied to approved materials
Public sector schools and universities
 Obliged to use the textbook compiled by the
District Education Committee
“I have no choice in the
textbook, which is
 E-courseware is tied to the text book forced on us by the
District Educational
– Eg textbook for West District is ‘New Starting Committee. Current
Point’ and the E-courseware is provided by textbooks are better
Golden Sun Company than before, however,
some key points still
 Additional training exercises also used need to be highlighted
– Ideas coming from journals, newspaper, the and, as a result, I will
Internet etc prepare some additional
materials…the E-
– Usually identified via word of mouth among courseware helps me
teachers circles
prepare some games”
– Usage determined by English department of
school 114
More choice of material in private sector
Private schools
 Flexible to choose any material which suits their students’
needs
 Tend to use textbooks produced overseas:
– More ‘native’ in terms of thinking and expression of language
– Better for those preparing to study abroad
– Sourced from Foreign Language Bookstore, Hong Kong or original
country’s publisher

“The materials from English

speaking countries are more true
to life than what we make”

115
Public sector textbooks not good enough

 Key challenge = quality of textbooks:

– Accuracy - compiled and edited by local
“Fundamentally, the Chinese, resulting in ‘Chi-English’
textbook we use is – Not geared towards practical application
produced by of English – not relevant to students or
Chinese…there are arouse their interests, cannot be applied
always cultural in everyday life
differences and we
don’t have an English
environment in which
students can learn like “One frequent problem is
native speakers” that students understand
the meaning of some words
but find it hard to use in
their life or other contexts
besides in the textbook”
116
Call for more ‘native’ materials

 Native - ie developed in UK or USA or at

least compiled by people from English- “Personally, I don’t
speaking countries have any preference
on England or
– Students need to understand more about the
American English.
culture of the country the language comes from England is more
– UK and USA preferred – the latter tends to be elegant and
preferred by students these days*: American tends to
have higher
– UK – standard, normal, precise, gentler than
US English practicality”

– US – accent easier to identify, more open and

simple in expression

* Confirmed by quantitative research, US English preferred by 54% of

learners/potential learners vs 29% for UK English 117
Frustration over exam driven nature of learning

 English learning driven by exams, not practical use:

– So teaching geared to passing exams, rather than real command of the
language

118
Need for interesting, practical, up-to-date material
 Interesting to students – relevant, able to
stimulate interest
“How to stimulate
 Practically-oriented – can easily be applied students’ interest is a
big issue. If the
in students’ real life
resources can resonate
 More video/audio materials with students, they will
be compelled to learn it
– Particularly if can be downloaded from Internet
on their own”
– more up-to-date and flexible in terms of
choice of topics

Example quoted: ‘Family Album USA –

internet-based, shows aspects of everyday life
in USA, so helps with practical use of English
as well as better understanding of US culture
 http://www.56.com/u51/v_MzEzMzU2OTY.html 
119
Challenging to adapt approach to pupils’ needs
 Need to adapt approach to different
age groups:
– Things that work well with younger age
groups (eg games) will not work well
with older pupils
 Different levels of ability in same
class:
– Access to extracurricular English
lessons, English films/TV, foreign travel
varies by student
“Even with primary school
students, Grades 1-3 are very
different from Grades 4-6.
Grades 1-3 are very happy to
be involved in any interactive
communications/games;
however, this won’t work with
the elders. Grade 4-6 are
relatively more practical than
the younger students and they
think my games are a waste
of time”

“There is a student in my class (Grade 1 in Junior High

School) who has passed Grade 10 of GESE which is
equalled to the level of Senior-High school, so he feels
that my teaching speed is too slow. But I have to
balance to the level of the whole class”
120
Need to constantly improve their own skills

 Teachers need to constantly improve their own English:

– Maintain their own skills with daily practice
– Keep up-to-date with changes in current English usage
– Keep ahead of their own students, particularly in higher level classes

“Nowadays, students get knowledge from many different

channels and they can compare with the school
curriculum, so teachers feel easily challenged if we are
not familiar with the latest language trends and update
ourselves”

121
Development opportunities felt to be limited

 Current opportunities felt to be very limited, though an number of

examples mentioned:
– Internal seminars – for teachers to share experiences
– Discussion Forum organised by District Educational Committee – to go
through text book and hot topics likely to be covered in exams
– Subscriptions to English journalists – eg English newspapers, China Daily
– Exchange programmes with foreign universities
– Some schools encourage teachers to study abroad – schools typically
pay 50% of costs
– Some private schools will use external organisations to train teachers

122
Better development opportunities required

 Teachers want:
– Opportunities to practice English with native speakers
– Guidance on how to improve their relationship with students

“Besides improving my own English ability, I also

want to learn some skills to better understand
students’ psychology. It will help me speak in my
students’ language and communicate more like
friends”

123
Limited awareness of UK-based organisations

“I never heard of any UK-based organisation providing teaching

resources, maybe there are many, but I am not aware of them”

 British Council – high awareness of organisation, but no

awareness of what it can offer teachers
 BBC – high awareness; some university teachers use audio clips
from its web site for class materials
 Publishers – only aware of Longman. Dictionary well known
 IELTS – high awareness. Seen as passport to study abroad
 UK universities – Aware of Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Warwick.
Would search Times ranking of UK universities for others
 Examining and assessment bodies, UK language schools,
websites – no awareness 124
The market among leading employers* -
China

* These findings are based on just 5 qualitative interviews, so are indicative only 125
English is a ‘must-have’ for new recruits
 English seen as a ‘must-have’
qualification, regardless of sector
– CET 4 and 6 are basic requirements. For
some CET 6 is the minimum requirement
for a new employee “My company attaches
– IELTS, GRE, GMAT and other English a high importance to
English. We use a very
certificates not required, but a high score
strict process to screen
will help potential employees stand out from
their English ability. It
the crowd
is an important criterion
– Potential employees also need to pass which will show their
English written and oral tests, designed and ability”
administered internally
– For jobs which require more regular contact
with foreigners, only graduates with an
English major will be considered
126
But on-going ELT often not offered to staff
 Many do not provide on-going English
“English is not the only training or assessment for their staff*
way to demonstrate
one’s ability; if it was, – Because recruitment process screens for
we would recruit all suitable skill level
employees with an – Working language internally is Chinese
English major…they all
pass examinations so – Training can conflict with workload
we believe that they do commitments
not have any problem – Overall performance seen as more
to use English in their important
job. We review their
performance, but not “In general, a day release course
their English” will last for 1-3 months, and it
means the staff cannot work during
that period.”

* Confirmed by quantitative research, just one in ten learners/potential

learners in employment said their company offered such training 127
Some do offer ELT to staff though

 Some larger organisations do offer some form of English training

and/or encourage staff to develop their skills
– These tend to be organisations where command of English particularly
important

“Our company is a special case.

We need to do lots of research and
read English materials so our
qualifications for English are higher
than others. Because of this, we
provide each employee with many
options they can choose by
themselves”

128
Varied approach to ELT, where offered

 The approach taken varies:

– Some offer regular internal training on written and oral English
– For those staff for whom oral English is important, ‘English Corners’
(informal gatherings to practice English) may be encouraged
– An English training fund may be provided for those whose English is
below the standard required - assumes employee will choose vendor
– Exchange programmes/overseas training offered to employees with high
potential
– Some offer combined management and English training outsourced to
external provider, eg TIP in Beijing

129
Limited awareness of UK-based organisations
 Only two mentioned as possible
UK providers:
– EF:
– Felt to be well known in the
English training market for
general public
– British Council:
– Seen as proving opportunities
for company employees to
study for an MBA in the UK
– Such MBAs felt to be useful
way of improving English
performance
“I know very little about the UK-
based English training
organisations…was it EF that is
from the UK? I guess so; it is a
large enterprise providing
training services. Also, one of
my colleagues attended a
programme held by the British
Council. It seems that the
British Council cooperates with
UK universities to offer
opportunities to leading national
organisations only”
130
Future demand for more business English training
 Economic crisis means training budgets dramatically cut in 2009
– ELT not a priority

 Longer term, companies want ELT to be combined with business

or management-related skills
– Work-related English training is more practical
– English learnt at school/university is not geared to business English
– English training combined with management or other business-related
topics is deemed more efficient
– Employees can improve professional skills and English skills at the
same time
“TIP is not simply English training; it covers a lot of
information besides spoken English, like
management and EQ topics. With the training, our
employees also develop their minds”
131
Summary & Implications - China

132
Summary & Implications – China

 Strong and growing market, particularly in main cities and more

developed coastal areas, so good potential for UK providers
– Especially as English increasingly seen as a ‘must have’ in the larger,
outwardly facing companies

 Currently, market dominated by adult learners, but strong growth in

the young learners market, which offers huge market potential
– Especially since teaching in the public sector still lags behind that available
in private sector (in terms of practical application of skills and quality of
learning materials)

 Market seemingly unaffected by economic downturn; indeed some

speculation that it may increase the importance of learning English
as competition for jobs becomes more intense

133
Summary & Implications – China - cont

 ELT institutions remain main way of learning English outside school

– Huge number of such institutions of varying size, cost and quality

 UK providers of ELT and learning materials have a good reputation

– Associated with quality and high levels of credibility with potential employers
– But, UK ELT also associated with high price (the flip side of quality?) – look
for lower cost options to offer in addition higher cost/quality options?
– Also interviews with teachers suggest UK organisations have a low profile in
China, meaning there is a need to build this profile
– Furthermore, US English preferred to UK English, which represents a
potential obstacle – offer more US English teachers?

134
Summary & Implications – China - cont

 Online learning still at an early stage, but growing force in the

market, and therefore could represent an important opportunity
for UK organisations
– Particularly if Voice Interaction Technology can overcome some of
downsides related to practicing oral skills and interacting with others

 In-company training still quite low, except in larger companies

 In the short-term, limited opportunities for external organisations
to help with in-company training due to budget cuts
 But in the medium/longer term, opportunities lie in a focus on:
– Business English, combined English & business training, exchange/visit
programmes to organisations in the UK and continuing to promote MBA
courses with UK universities

135
Summary & Implications – China - cont
 Teaching materials and teacher training in the public sector
schools/universities sector leaves a lot to be desired
 Some key opportunities for UK organisations in terms of:
– Better textbooks – more accurate English, with better feel for UK/US culture
– More downloadable exercises from the internet geared to different language
skills:
– listening, writing, reading, speaking
– and to different age groups/abilities
– Teacher training on student psychology
– Provision of more opportunities for teachers to practice their English skills
with native speakers and learn more about the culture

136
Summary & Implications – China - cont
 But:
– Other than in private schools, District Education Committee is often
dominant decision maker on what is used (text books and E-courseware)
– Teachers have limited information on external providers and do not have
time to proactively search for this information

 Therefore UK providers need to:

– Liaise closely with District Education Committees – eg in terms of help
with compiling textbooks, E-courseware
– Focus on downloadable resources for teachers
– Raise profile of UK providers and what they can do – regular E-newsletter
to schools?

137