The English training market in China is as large as 500 billion yuan (72 billion U.S. dollars). (Photo: VCG) 

When it comes to teaching English in China, foreign instructors are largely preferred over their English-speaking Chinese colleagues. But of all the countries where English teachers come from, it's one in Asia that's gaining the upper hand in this lucrative business. In fact, one-third of the workers from this country in China will be English teachers.

For Chen Yuxuan, learning English is always an exciting prospect.

She started with greetings and some chitchat, followed by reading and speaking training. A 25-minute “English only” class is filled with light topics and substantial content.

“I like the class. It's interesting. The topic really fits me. The teacher doesn't force me to do anything. She really likes me,” said Yuxuan.

The nine-year-old's English fluency practically goes without saying. Yuxuan was the Beijing champion of China's English Talent Competition – Star of Outlook. Her Filipino tutor, Marjie Ann, is with 51 Talk, an online English education company.

“I'm really enjoying it because we always get to meet different people, from toddlers even to grandparents. The best of it is not only do you teach them, you also get to learn a lot of things from them as well,” said Marjie.

According to a report from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China has a large English consumer group of 300 million people. There are 50,000 English training institutions. The English training market in China is as large as 500 billion yuan (72 billion U.S. dollars). And Philippine Star reports tens of thousands of Filipinos are currently employed as online English tutors by Chinese educational institutes.

The nine-year-old's English fluency practically goes without saying. Yuxuan was the Beijing champion of China's English Talent Competition – Star of Outlook. Her Filipino tutor, Marjie Ann, is with 51 Talk, an online English education company.

“I'm really enjoying it because we always get to meet different people, from toddlers even to grandparents. The best of it is not only do you teach them, you also get to learn a lot of things from them as well,” said Marjie.

According to a report from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China has a large English consumer group of 300 million people. There are 50,000 English training institutions. The English training market in China is as large as 500 billion yuan (72 billion U.S. dollars). And Philippine Star reports tens of thousands of Filipinos are currently employed as online English tutors by Chinese educational institutes.