This Day, That Year

Item from Sept 11, 1996, in China Daily: Li Yang, the originator of the “Li YangCrazy English” Institute, shows a group of high school students in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, how to speak English in a loud voice, an important concept in his popular “Crazy English” program.

English-language education has been booming in the past few decades, riding on China’s opening-up and rapid development.

In most urban primary schools across the country, English classes start in the third grade or lower. College students are required to pass English exams before they graduate.

With a growing middle class, more Chinese parents are also sending their children to study abroad. About 459,800 students received an overseas education last year, more than 10 times the number a decade ago, according to the Ministry of Education.

The US, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada are among the major destinations for Chinese students heading overseas. Non-English-speaking countries such as Germany, France and Spain are also receiving a growing number of students, according to the China Education Association for International Exchange, a nonprofit group conducting international educational exchanges and cooperation.

In the 2013-14 academic year, more than 274,400 Chinese students attended schools in the US, a 16.5 percent rise from the previous year, accounting for about one-third of all international students in the US, according to the nonprofit organization Institute of International Education.