Online courses changing the ways children learn
Print Edition
Peng Xiaoyi has never met his English teacher. While the 5-year-old sits in front of a computer at home in Beijing, his teacher is thousands of kilometers away in the United States
Peng, who is in his second year of kindergarten in northwest Beijing, takes online English classes after school, taught by teachers based in the US and Canada.
“The American teachers are fun,” he said. “I like them a lot.”
Even after just a handful of classes, he has become more confident in speaking English and developed a habit of preparing and reviewing the lessons, according to his mother, Li Juan.
“It is good for him to take American-style classes,” said Li, a civil servant. “This is a new experience for him and he doesn’t even have to leave China.”
Thanks to the development of the Internet across China, online education has become increasingly popular in the country of 1.3 billion people.
VIPKID, the platform that runs Peng’s classes, has over 200,000 registered students in China and more than 24,000 teachers in the North American region.
Mi Wenjuan, VIPKID’s founder, hopes to change the way Chinese children learn English and offers them opportunities to experience native English teaching styles, which are very different to how English is taught in Chinese schools.
“One of the major challenges we face is parents accepting the concept of online learning,” she said. “We have to continuously offer high-level teaching and technical support.”
Data from the China Internet Network Information Center showed that 144 million Chinese had undertaken online education as of June this year, 4.8 percent higher than at the end of 2016.
“Compared with traditional after school classes, online courses are convenient and efficient,” said Li. “They are also less expensive because no venues are needed.”
A survey by HSBC this year showed that 76 percent of Chinese parents would consider online university courses for their children.
“As consumption levels rise and the second-child policy takes effect, China is likely to become one of the world’s most dynamic online education markets in the future,” said Mi.
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