The BBC has picked up broadcasting and publishing partners in Turkey, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan and Italy for its educational show Learning English with Ozmo. The show features puppets, the Ozmo animated characters, and a clay-animated rock group. The series is a multimedia pack, including games, cassettes and CDs and books aimed at guiding home-learners and children’s study groups ages five to nine through the basics of the English language.

It is already being broadcast in Turkey on ATV and in Italy on Stream. Malaysia, Korea, France and Taiwan will be airing Ozmo in Q1 2000.

The BBC-owned initiative is a joint project between English Language Teaching, Ealing Animation of BBC and the Reading and Language Information Centre. The BBC is also negotiating with broadcasters in territories including Mexico, China, Japan, Greece and Poland. SD