Mickey Mouse English

It's a magical combination: Disney knows about fun and Chinese parents know about Disney. Enter Disney English , a chain of English language schools started in China by Walt Disney, the US media group. The schools are open to children aged one to 11 and use a curriculum that uses Disney characters.

In the "Six weeks with Ariel " module, children use a "magic wand" to change the mermaid Ariel's hairstyle on an interactive whiteboard, while learning the words for blonde, brunette, curly and straight. Because teachers perform lessons as much as teach them, they're called "cast members".

"All the content is related to a Disney property in some way," Andrew Sugurman, head of Disney English in China, told the Financial Times. Walt Disney says that it is already making money from the business and says China is the fastest growing private English education sector in the world, with a yearly value of about $2 billion.