Disney English
Encyclopedia
Disney English is the Disney educational program for teaching English as a second language to children using the Disney characters and stories. The first Disney-operated learning center opened in Shanghai, China in October 2008. The curriculum is developed in the U.S. and taught by native speaking English trainers. The program is designed to help extend Disney's brand in China through childhood marketing.
As of May 2011, there are currently 23 Disney English Learning Centers in China.
The flagship school kicked off their first term on September 19, 2008.
Advisors to the program include Dr Jun Liu, head of the English Department at the University of Arizona; and Dr. Renee Cherow-O'leary, Professor, English Education, Teacher's College, Columbia University.
The program costs 3,000 - 12,000 yuan annually. Classes are taught by a native English speaker, who is assisted by a Chinese-speaking person, and take up 1.5 to two hours each week.
Each Disney English learning center has between 5 to 10 classrooms themed to different Disney properties all of which including their interactive "Magic Theater" which combines hardware, audio and propietary learning content.
The first center, located on Maoming Road in Shanghai, China, was opened in September 2008 and has seven unique classrooms: Snow White
, The Lion King
, Cars
, Peter Pan
, Tinker Bell
, Winnie The Pooh, and Toy Story
.
China now hosts a total of 30 Disney English centers, Beijing
has six, Shanghai
has 14, Ningbo
has 3, Nanjing
and Tianjin
have 2, and Suzhou
, Hangzhou
, and Chengdu
each have one.
which is a division of Disney Consumer Products
. Andrew Sugerman is the senior vice president, general manager for Disney English.
As of May 2011, there are currently 23 Disney English Learning Centers in China.
Program
Classes are for students ages 2 to 12 and taught by native speaking English teachers and local bilingual teaching assistants. All Disney English foreign trainers are TEFL-C (Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Children) qualified. The innovative program incorporates singing, interactive games, role-play and other fun activities toward engaging children with the language. Classes average only 12 and each child receives individual attention. The program includes relevant vocabulary, sentence patterns and common topics in daily Chinese conversation.The flagship school kicked off their first term on September 19, 2008.
Advisors to the program include Dr Jun Liu, head of the English Department at the University of Arizona; and Dr. Renee Cherow-O'leary, Professor, English Education, Teacher's College, Columbia University.
The program costs 3,000 - 12,000 yuan annually. Classes are taught by a native English speaker, who is assisted by a Chinese-speaking person, and take up 1.5 to two hours each week.
Learning Centers
Each Disney English learning center has between 5 to 10 classrooms themed to different Disney properties all of which including their interactive "Magic Theater" which combines hardware, audio and propietary learning content.
The first center, located on Maoming Road in Shanghai, China, was opened in September 2008 and has seven unique classrooms: Snow White
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated film based on Snow White, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. It was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, as well as the first animated feature film produced in America, the first produced in full...
, The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
, Cars
Cars (film)
Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
, Peter Pan
Peter Pan (1953 film)
Peter Pan is a 1953 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J. M. Barrie. It is the fourteenth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and was originally released on February 5, 1953 by RKO Pictures...
, Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell (film)
Tinker Bell is a 2008 computer animated film based on the Disney Fairies franchise produced by DisneyToon Studios. It revolves around Tinker Bell, a fairy character created by J. M. Barrie in his play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, and featured in the 1953 Disney animated film, Peter...
, Winnie The Pooh, and Toy Story
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
.
China now hosts a total of 30 Disney English centers, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
has six, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
has 14, Ningbo
Ningbo
Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...
has 3, Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
and Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
have 2, and Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, and Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
each have one.
Company structure
Disney English is a business unit of Disney Publishing WorldwideDisney Publishing Worldwide
Disney Publishing Worldwide is the publishing group controlled by The Walt Disney Company. Its imprints include Disney Editions, Hyperion Books for Children and Disney Press. Through this group, Disney gets the royalties for any kind of licensed publication. The current President is R...
which is a division of Disney Consumer Products
Disney Consumer Products
Disney Consumer Products is a division of The Walt Disney Company that engages in merchandizing of the Disney brand and Disney properties, Lines of business under DCP include Disney Fashion & Home, Disney Food, Health and Beauty, Disney Toys & Social Expressions, Disney Publishing Worldwide and...
. Andrew Sugerman is the senior vice president, general manager for Disney English.