EF's dream scholarship, which is valued at one million yuan, is a series of online English training lessons. Upon receiving the scholarship, students will be able to join online oral English classes at any time and chat with native English teachers as they please.
Vice CEO of the Education First Group Chen-Li granted students these scholarships on Tuesday in Beijing. She explained why EF decided to provide these students with this innovative language training program, rather than direct financial assistance.
"We could just as well provide them with cash, and they could well spend it on anything that they feel easier. To work on, it takes a serious consideration if we offer them access to the course itself and also offer them an opportunity to really implement rather than dream, keep dreaming."
Chen Li believes that knowledge is the best charity and added that the dream scholarship would bring direct benefit to students from families with financial difficulties.
Qian Ruoqing, a sophomore student with Beijing Normal University, is one of the 100 students to receive the scholarship. Qian Ruoqing said she would grasp any opportunity she could to improve her English. In her mind, learning with EF teachers online makes her feel more comfortable.
"I would be a bit shy in a real classroom, and sometimes I feel nervous when asked to stand up by teachers to answer a question. It would be much easier for me to accept such an online teaching format."
In fact, Beijing Normal University is the second university to embrace EF's "dream scholarship" program, after the Shanghai-based East China Normal University since the private education company formally began the program in March last year.
For CRI, I'm Xu Fei.
