Chinese children between the ages of 5 and 7 years now learn English at centers run by the U.S. based cartoon movie maker Walt Disney Company. According to the China Daily, a large number of children attend these classes where they learn English by imitating the American accent of characters such as Mickey Mouse and Snow White. In China, people want their children to learn English as it is a key criteria for workers looking for white-collar jobs.
With China's swift economic development, there has been much incentive to learn English, especially in the big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. However English proficiency in China has remained poor even with compulsory English education in schools as most lessons are taught in Mandarin. Those who are keen to learn English flock to the English training centers which make up a multi-million industry.