English live-streaming is a new opportunity for education companies in China

In 2022, a struggling Chinese education company called New Oriental did something unexpected: its teachers started selling vegetables and farm products on Douyin, in English. Within weeks, the channel had millions of followers and was generating tens of millions of yuan in sales per stream. What started as a survival move turned into one of the most talked-about case studies in Chinese live commerce. The lesson for Western education companies is bigger than it looks.

Why English Live-Streaming Works in China

Chinese consumers are drawn to English-language content for several reasons. It signals international quality. It appeals to parents who want their children to be exposed to English naturally. And it is still different enough from the typical Chinese live-stream that it stands out in the feed.

For education companies specifically, English live-streaming is a direct product demonstration. You are not just talking about teaching quality, you are showing it in real time. A teacher explaining a grammar rule, reading from a book, or discussing a business concept in fluent English is proof of the product. That builds trust faster than any ad.

Demand for English skills in China has not disappeared. It has shifted. Parents still want their children to be fluent. Adults in international business roles need English for work. The market is large, competitive, and open to foreign brands that can show genuine expertise.

How to Start English Live-Streaming as a Small Education Company

You do not need a studio or a large team. Here is a practical starting point:

• Pick one teacher or presenter who is fluent in English, personable on camera, and comfortable with basic Mandarin interjections
• Choose a weekly time slot and stick to it. Consistency is more important than perfection at the start
• Keep streams to 45 to 90 minutes. Shorter streams rarely build enough momentum; longer ones lose viewers without a very strong format
• Mix teaching content with Q&A and light interaction. Ask viewers to type their answers in the comments. That drives the algorithm
• Offer one clear product or call to action per stream: a free trial class, a discount on a course, a downloadable resource

Platform choice matters. Douyin is best for discovery and new audiences. WeChat Channels (Shipinhao) is better for converting your existing follower base. Many education brands run on both. See our Douyin marketing page for a practical walkthrough of setting up a business live-streaming account.

Xiaohongshu: Before and After the Live Stream

Live-streaming on Douyin brings the audience. Xiaohongshu builds the trust that makes them convert. Chinese parents and adult learners who are considering an English course will often check Xiaohongshu for reviews and opinions before committing.

What works on RED for education brands: student progress posts (“my English after 3 months”), teacher profile posts, behind-the-scenes content, and honest reviews from real learners. These posts should feel personal and specific, not polished and corporate. A student writing “I finally got a B on my IELTS writing after failing twice, here is what changed” will outperform a promotional post every time.

You can seed Xiaohongshu content by inviting current students to post and repost their content on your official account. Or work with education KOCs, micro-influencers who focus on learning, self-improvement, or study-abroad topics. Budget: 3,000 to 6,000 USD per month for a starter KOC campaign on RED. Our Xiaohongshu marketing page explains how to pick the right creators.

A Story: How a French Language School Found 800 New Students Through Douyin

Claire teaches business English in Lyon. She had been running online classes for Chinese professionals since 2020, mostly through Zoom and referrals. By early 2023, growth had stalled at around 40 active students. She was spending 10 hours a week on marketing and seeing almost no return.

A friend suggested Douyin live-streaming. Claire was skeptical. She barely spoke Mandarin and had no live-stream experience. But she had one big asset: she was good on camera, funny in English, and very clear when teaching. In April 2023, she started streaming twice a week for 60 minutes each session. The format was simple: she picked one business English mistake that Chinese professionals make and spent the whole stream fixing it, with examples, exercises, and viewer Q&A.

The first three streams had fewer than 100 viewers. By stream eight, she had 1,200 concurrent viewers. A clip from stream eleven, where she explained the difference between “I look forward to meet you” and “I look forward to meeting you,” went semi-viral. It reached 180,000 plays in 48 hours.

Claire partnered with a China agency to set up a proper Douyin business account, a WeChat Official Account for follow-up, and a simple payment system through WeChat Pay. She created a three-month Business English course priced at 2,800 yuan (around 380 EUR). Within six months of starting, she had 840 paying students. Monthly revenue from the China channel alone: around 28,000 EUR.

She did not change her teaching. She changed where she taught and who could see her.

Pricing Guide for Education Live-Streaming in China

• Douyin business account setup and first 4 live streams (with a local team): 3,000 to 5,000 USD
• Short video production (clips from streams, 5 to 10 cuts): 500 to 1,200 USD per batch
• Xiaohongshu KOC campaign (education focus): 3,000 to 6,000 USD per month
• WeChat Official Account setup and management: 1,500 to 2,500 USD setup, 500 to 800 USD per month ongoing
• Paid Douyin ad promotion for live stream clips: 500 to 2,000 USD per campaign

What Chinese Sources Say About Online Education

People’s Daily reported that China’s online education market continues to grow in the adult professional learning segment, even as school-age tutoring faces tighter regulation. English for business and international communication remains one of the top categories.

Xinhua News Agency covered the New Oriental live-streaming story extensively, noting that bilingual education content has a wide audience across age groups in China, particularly when it combines entertainment with practical skills.

How CTA Helps SMEs and Startups in Education

• Douyin campaigns: We set up live-streaming operations, produce short video clips, and run paid promotion
• Xiaohongshu (RED) influencer and KOC marketing: We find education-focused creators who can grow your credibility fast
• WeChat Official Account setup and management: We build your follow-up channel so live-stream viewers become paying students
• Baidu SEO and PPC for international brands: We run search ads targeting adults searching for English courses in China
• Chinese website design and localisation: We create enrollment pages that work for Chinese users
• Full China digital strategy for small budgets: We build a plan you can start with 5,000 to 10,000 USD and grow from there

Curious about what English live-streaming could do for your education brand in China? See what we offer on our services page. A short call with our team can give you a realistic picture of what to expect.

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Pedro Wang is the founder of Chinese Tourists Agency, based in Shanghai. A former CITS and Ctrip manager, he helps hotels, destinations and tourism SMEs reach Chinese travelers through Douyin, Xiaohongshu and WeChat.