Parents see English in children's future

In big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, students begin language studies at an average 5 years old

Chinese parents are urging their children to learn English at an early age, particularly those in big cities, a survey has found.

Believing that children from 3 to 5 years old are better at picking up languages, 88 percent of parents chose to send their children to study English before they were 5, according to a report released on Friday.