Dive Brief:

• Pearson English's new deal with the largest language learning social network in the world could disrupt the TEFL education market.
• The education company's deal with Busuu will make its Global Scale of English Test (gSET), an affordable and globally recognized online test for learning English as a foreign language, accessible to the network's 40 million users.
• The strategic partnership won't see Pearson gaining any equity in Bussu, and will be exclusive for four months, at which point Pearson can elect to use a different partner.

Dive Insight:

Not only is this deal disruptive to instructors who teach English as a foreign language, but it's a huge opportunity for Busuu. The majority of foreign language learning is in English — we're talking $50 billion of a market worth $60 billion — and a huge chunk of Bussu users are in emerging markets that want to know English.

While this deal currently impacts adult learning the most, it could ultimately have an impact on ESL/EFL classrooms in K-12 and foreign exchange programs in higher ed. Pearson is the world's largest education company, after all. That said, while we're not saying that this deal could fully automate ESL/EFL, the platform and the deal's progress are definitely something teachers and administrators should remain aware of.