Over the last weekend of July, education leaders from around the world gathered at the EdTech Asia Summit in Ho Chi Minh to explore the future of learning in the 21st century. 51Talk (China Online Education Group), China’s leading online English education platform and the first from China listed on the NYSE (NYSE: COE), was invited to take part alongside industry names including Pearson, Amazon, and YouTube.
As one of the few Chinese online education companies present, 51Talk used the summit to highlight its leadership role and to show how online learning in China is increasingly influential on the global stage. James Stewart, 51Talk’s marketing director, spoke on the importance of personalized learning and how it can raise education quality for millions of students across China.
“One of the biggest challenges facing online education is showing the market that online learning is as effective as offline learning,” James said. He emphasized that with internet connectivity largely in place, the next priority is to identify how to properly leverage technology to enhance truly personalized learning experiences.
51Talk’s founder and CEO, Jack Huang, has similarly noted that while China’s education sector still has room to grow technologically, the company has adopted technology as a core competitive advantage. To support this, 51Talk has invested substantially in research and development, particularly in big data and analytics.
These investments allow the company to better assess student proficiency and to match each learner with appropriately leveled coursework and teachers. “With the help of big data analytics, 51Talk is able to match the right students and teachers together, and pair them with the proper coursework, which will ultimately enhance each student’s learning performance and progress,” James explained.
One chronic issue for China’s offline education system has been unequal access to high-quality resources. Early global attempts to address this gap, such as MOOCs (massive open online courses), often relied on prerecorded lectures and therefore lacked real-time interaction and tailored feedback. 51Talk’s live model, by contrast, delivers one-on-one interactive lessons with overseas teachers, enabling immediate correction of pronunciation, answers to questions, and personalized feedback during the session.
Because of this live, interactive approach, 51Talk has begun extending its services beyond major urban centers to third- and fourth-tier cities in China, expanding access to quality English instruction. The company expects to reach tens of millions of students as it continues to scale.
Are you a new teacher at 51Talk? Tips from experienced teachers
Experienced 51Talk teachers recommend practical strategies for success when starting an online teaching role:
- Treat it as a real job: Set consistent hours, make your availability clear to students, and maintain reliability. Students and their families highly value dependability and predictable scheduling.
- Balance work and personal life: Schedule time for family and self-care so you can remain energized and effective as a teacher.
- Build rapport with students: Find common interests—art, music, movies, travel, or favorite foods—to connect and keep learners engaged. Smile and use laughter to make lessons enjoyable.
- Create a dedicated workspace: Even a small, organized corner with labeled props and supplies helps you teach more professionally and smoothly.
- Learn the system thoroughly: Read all onboarding materials, ask your trainer or coach for clarification, and make a checklist of what you need to know. Many questions have already been answered in support resources, so research before asking to save time.
- Use feedback and support: Ask support questions when needed and incorporate student feedback to improve lessons over time.
These practical tips reflect the shared experience of teachers who successfully deliver live, engaging online lessons.
AI, partnerships, and the future of online teaching
Regarding the role of artificial intelligence in education, James Stewart believes AI will complement rather than replace teachers. “Artificial intelligence stands to become a powerful tool in the repertoire of each online teacher, and will yield learning benefits unobtainable in an offline setting,” he said.
51Talk recently announced a strategic partnership with SenseTime, an AI company known for visual recognition technologies. SenseTime’s significant Series B funding round—reported at $410 million—underscores the scale of interest in AI innovation. The partnership aims to integrate advanced visual recognition and other AI tools into online education, enhancing assessment, engagement, and personalization.
Augmented by data-driven technologies and artificial intelligence, online teaching is poised to change how learners around the world access and benefit from education. 51Talk believes its investments in technology, data analytics, and global teaching talent position the company to lead the next stage of education’s evolution.
About 51Talk
51Talk, or China Online Education Group (NYSE: COE), is a leading online education platform in China with a focus on English instruction. The company’s mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable by offering live, one-on-one interactive lessons with overseas foreign teachers. Using a shared-economy approach to assemble a large pool of qualified foreign teachers, 51Talk employs student and teacher feedback plus data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience across China.