Disney has broken into almost every corner in the world with various products and merchandise and one of the latest endeavors the giant company has delved into may still be unknown to some people in other parts of the planet. Walt Disney Co. has English language learning schools in Shanghai, China and young children are benefiting from this project.

The company says that the program is primarily about teaching English language skills to children and not to extend its brand in the most populous nation in the world. However, the company’s flagship school in Shanghai is filled with Disney references thanks to the massive Mickey Mouse sculpture in the school’s foyer and to the diction lessons offered which star Lilo and Stitch.

Children as young as two years old can have joined the English language program of the school and their attention are held by memorable names and settings form Disney films; and the Disney Magic Theater which is the main teaching tool in the school with combined functions of a television, computer and chalkboard.

The language learning industry in China is booming and as what Premier Wen Jiabao said in his speech last January, more than three hundred million Chinese are studying the English language. Disney is extending its brand in China through its English schools and it has produced two films in the country which are due for release soon. The company has recently asked permission to build a Shanghai Disneyland that could open in 2014.

Teaching English to Chinese children is one of the ways Disney uses to expand its reach. The company plans to have four Shanghai English language centers by June from the current two and it plans to launch in Beijing within a year. The executives of the company say that if their endeavors in China are successful, they will most likely create English schools in other countries around the world. However, they stress that their goal is authentic English language learning, not a marketing push. They are set to teach Chinese kids the English language.

The students in Disney’s language schools are introduced to as few as four words a week and the language is presented through Disney TV shows, books, and movies. Students get Disney merchandise such as Mickey Mouse book bags, pens, hats, CDs, bilingual books, and flashcards which are otherwise unavailable in China. Aside form the activities in the English school, the children’s supplemental learning materials can be used at home with their parents. Parents can check their children’s progress online with the children’s teacher since they are not allowed to enter the classrooms. Disney English is a hit with people from China’s growing middle class and it may spread out to other members of society soon.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 8:00 am and is filed under Language Schools, Learn Languages, Young Learners. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.