Disney English

Disney English (迪士尼英语) was the Disney educational program for teaching English as a Second Language (E.S.L.) to children using the Disney characters and stories. The first Disney-operated learning center opened in Shanghai, China in October 2008. The curriculum was developed in the U.S. and taught by native speaking English trainers. The program was designed to help extend Disney's brand in China through childhood marketing.
On June 22, 2020, Disney English announced the permanent closure of all 26 training centers.
==Program==
Classes were for students ages 2 to 12 and taught by native-speaking English teachers and local bilingual teaching assistants. All Disney English foreign trainers were TEFL-C (Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Children) qualified. The innovative program incorporated singing, interactive games, role-play, and other fun activities toward engaging children with the language. Classes averaged only 12 and each child received individual attention. The program included teaching Chinese children the names of all of the Disney characters, 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 included 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 cost 3,000 - 12,000 yuan annually. Classes were taught by a native English speaker, who was assisted by a Chinese-speaking person, and took 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 proprietary 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 hosted a total of 30 Disney English centers, Beijing had eight, Shanghai had 14, Ningbo has 3, Nanjing and Tianjin have 2, and Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Chengdu each have one.
==Company structure==
Disney English was a business unit of Disney Publishing Worldwide, which is a division of Disney Consumer Products. Andrew Sugerman was the senior vice president, general manager for Disney English.
==Counterfeit schools==
With the launch of the Disney owned program, several unauthorized schools using the Disney name or characters have been closed.
==See also==
* Disney Publishing Worldwide
* The Walt Disney Company
==Notes and references==
* Chinese Learn English the Disney Way, Wall Street Journal, retrieved 2009-04-20
* Learning English the Disney way in Shanghai, Shanghai Daily, retrieved 2009-03-11
* Disney sees big market for schools venture in China, guardian.co.uk, retrieved 2009-03-11
===External links===
* Official Site
* Disney A to Z: Official Encyclopedia supplement (page 13)
Category:Walt Disney Company subsidiaries
Category:Former Disney subsidiaries and assets