Digital language learning products will encounter strong demand in Latin America by 2018, according to a market research firm for global learning technology suppliers.

Ambient Insight revealed the five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for digital English language learning products in Latin America is 13.8 percent. By 2018, the revenues for the digital English language learning products in Latin America are projected to reach $260.9 million. The Ambient Insight findings can be found in the report The 2013-2018 Latin America Digital English Language Learning Market.

Ambient Insight's report consists of two sections: a demand-side analysis and supply-side analysis. For the demand-side analysis, the spending forecasts by 2018 are detailed for 15 Latin American countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

The largest buying Latin American country in the demand-side forecast is Brazil. Brazil's growth rate in the digital English language learning products is 15.5 percent with revenues set to double to $161.5 million by 2018, which is an increase from the $78.4 million in 2013.

Several reasons have been provided for Brazil's increasing interest in digital English language learning products including the government's involvement as the country is set to host two major sporting events -- the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

"Federal, state, and municipal government agencies are funding large-scale English language learning initiatives in preparation for the events," stated the Ambient Insight report 2013-2018 Brazil Digital English Language Learning Market: Regional Edition. "The English training is being provided to event personnel, employees in the tourism and hospitality industries, and public safety personnel. Most of the training is being provided in classrooms, but the government has selected 'official' online suppliers for these programs."

The consumer demand for mobile learning apps has also triggered the update in the English learning products.

Educational purposes have also driven interest in the digital English learning products between the Pre-K to grade 12 levels. According to Ambient Insight, Brazil has the largest education system in Latin America with more than 50 million primary and secondary students. In both public and private school systems, a foreign language is mandatory for grades six to nine, which are usually English or Spanish. The Brazilian government's Census of Basic Education revealed 47.4 percent of these schools offer English as the primary foreign language and the rest being Spanish.

"The government started buying digital content for the schools in 2014," the report added. "The government's immediate goal is to have all books and instructional content for high school students in digital formats by 2017. The government buys very large quantities of content and has more than enough buying power to drive prices lower."

Ambient Insight's Chief Research Officer Sam S. Adkins also echoed the reasons for Brazil's interest in digital English learning products for the rest of Latin America.

"Large-scale digitization initiatives in the schools, language-related educational policies, consumer demand for Mobile Learning products, corporate demand for so-called vocational English, and the proliferation of Mobile Learning VAS are all driving the revenues higher," he added.

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