Walt Disney has set a goal of teaching 150,000 Chinese children the English language by 2015.  In 2008 the company started 11 language schools in mainland China and has announced the company will expand the program to 148 schools within five years.

Disney’s first mainland Chinese theme park is tentatively scheduled to open in Shanghai, where 11 of the current 14 Disney English centers are,  in 2014.

“We wouldn’t enter this business just to use it as a marketing tool to get Disney in front of people,” said Russell Hampton, president of Disney Publishing Worldwide in a July 6,2010 AFP article. “But there’s no doubt that a side benefit is broader exposure to Chinese consumers and to build familiarity with the rich heritage of Disney story-telling.”

What do you think of “Disney English?”

for more information go to:  http://www.disneyenglish.com/en

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