Language Training Market in China

Executive Summary

Although still considered a developing country with a relatively low per capita income, China has made impressive progress towards a market-based economy. This transition is being achieved in concert with increasing acceptance by the Chinese government of foreign participation in certain sectors. Within the education sector segments such as language training, translation services and language technologies have been designated "non-core" and are generally subject to fewer government restrictions. Enterprises involved in these three non-core activities are the recipients of increasing amounts of foreign investment and the market is providing good opportunities for foreign suppliers of language training products and services.

Since joining the WTO in 2001, China has strengthened its legal framework and amended its Intellectual Property (IP) laws and regulations to comply with the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

China's increasing globalization has created a demand for multilingual employees, while providing its citizens (especially in urban areas) with the higher incomes needed to pay for language training. The most important driver for learning English in China is the improvement of career prospects.

The value of China's $2.7-billion¹ English language training market could reach $4.3 billion by 2010; the value of the voice processing segment of its language technologies market could reach $18.7 billion by 2008. In light of the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China's $2.3-billion translation technology market and $29-billion translation services market offer good prospects as well.

Language training, translation services and language technologies are regarded as separate industries in China and are thus subject to different industrial policies, laws and regulations.

Foreign companies setting up language training institutes in China have two main options:

• Partnering with a Chinese educational institution such as a university;
• Setting up a commercial entity, either a Joint Venture (JV) or Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE).