EF now teaching Mandarin too?

English teaching is big business in China, and everyone seems to be trying to cashing in on it — everyone from big global names such as Berlitz to local players with less than orthodox methods. Just look around you, students are literally devouring their English language textbooks (and dictionaries) — on the bus, in the fast-food restaurants and just about anywhere. One of the companies that has benefited greatly in the rising interest in English courses is English First, or EF which has been named as the Official Language Training Services Supplier of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

We were therefore surprised to find this Youtube clip of an advertisement for EF's Mandarin Chinese courses, and it is really well made, if we might add. One wonders if the company is trying to break out of English language instruction, as its main business. It would be a wise move, but it may mean they'll eventually have to dump their English First name in favour of the acronym EF (as they have done in this ad).