Alibaba helps rural kids learn English

Project backed by e-commerce giant gives children access to higher-quality education

Children in dozens of villages in Northwest China are able to learn authentic English from expatriate teachers just like their counterparts in big cities in the country, thanks to a distance education project launched by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

The project, jointly launched at the end of March by Alibaba's Taobao Education and Rural Taobao, is designed to help children in the less developed rural areas get access to the same high-quality educational resources available in urban areas.