Companies brace for challenge

Though there has been a steady growth in the number of English training centers in China, it has triggered intense competition within the industry as companies compete with each other to garner more customers and market share, sources said.

According to the Ministry of Education, about 300 million people in China took English learning courses in 2013. During the same period, the number of English training centers stood at 50,000 with a combined market value of 30 billion yuan ($4.88 billion).

According to the Shenzhen-based CIC Industry Research Center, the English training industry in China is dominated by training institutes or units set up by universities, foreign organizations and well-known domestic companies.