Among China's multitude of English courses, Li Yang's "Crazy English" is one of a kind where students shout their English sentences on a rooftop instead of writing them.

China has supplanted Japan as the world's second-largest economy, but in English First's English Proficiency Index released in April, it ranked 29th.

Li founded Crazy English in 1994 by Li. Known in Chinese as Fengkuang Yingyu, it drew many students to mass classes, where he teaches in English through screaming. Today more than 20 million people are enrolled.

The course is not just about mass rallies, however. It also includes DVDs, CDs, stadium shows and books.

Li said he was very timid in his childhood. He struggled in his entrance examination at Lanzhou University for a mechanical engineering course. Shortly before his mandatory English exam in 1987, he discovered that it would be easier to learn English through screaming. He finished second in that exam.

The Daily Telegraph reported that in Crazy English's course guidebook, Crazy stands for single-minded pursuit of dreams, total devotion to work, and passionate commitment to reach goals.

Yang travels around China holding English classes in mass rallies. He was recruited by the government to help Chinese learn basics of English before Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympic games.