Page 3 - ELG1701 Jan Issue 443

Page 2 ELworld news January 2017 January 2017 ELlanguage news Page 3

Getting a global perspective Spain sees fall in Overseas

UNITED STATES: Teachers’ NEW ZEALAND: About half as language learning firms seek
union New York State United The Gazette editoral team’s selection of ELT news from around the world many study visas were granted to
Teachers (NYSUT) has appealed Indian students in the last semes- BC credit
to the state to increase funding to ter of 2016 compared to the year
support English language learn- before, RNZ reports. This is due ANDREA PÉREZ in Valencia said that it has had
ers (ELLs). ELL enrolments to a tightening of rules for student writes a reduction of 58 per cent in the
have increased 22 per cent from visa approval, as many applicants last three years, La Información THREE OVERSEAS-OWNED
2008–9, the union reported, and don’t have the financial support ADULT ENROLMENT in newspaper reported. summer operations passed Brit-
while most of them are located SAN MARINO: Students in KOSOVO: Increasing rates of THAILAND: Police arrested a EGYPT: Students took to the or English proficiency to pursue language schools in Spain State language schools are ish Council inspections this
in urban districts, numbers are the Republic of San Marino English proficiency in ‘south man in December who has since streets of their campus at the higher education in New Zea- has gradually dropped as the language schools with qualified summer, increasing the total of
on the rise in rural and suburban – a micro-state with 32,000 eastern Europe’ (SEE, the Bal- confessed to the rape of a South elite American University in land. Tertiary education minister employment situation has teachers which are very cheap such organisations by over the
areas as well – 65 per cent of all residents surrounded by central kans) are a factor contributing African English teacher in a Cairo (AUC) to protest against a Steven Joyce said no institution improved in the country. Most of because they are subsidised by 10 per cent. All three previously
New York State school districts Italy – are protesting after being to the rise of that region as a paddy field in Kamphaeng Phet threatened fee hike – in English. should be at risk of going out the evidence for this comes from regional governments in the coun- traded as unaccredited schools,
reported having ELLs in their excluded from subsidised First ‘near-shoring’ destination for Province. The New York Times reported of business because of the new the EOIs – Escuelas Oficiales de try. The price of a year-long course which under EU rules are unable
student body. Certificate of English (FCE) outsourcing sources that is start- Ashisit Sahachart was found that, with the prospect of regulations. Idiomas – state language schools ranges between 150 and 300 euros Courtesy Panasonic UK to bring in students from out-
The union supports the Board preparation courses, according ing to rival India. hiding in builders’ accommo- increases of up to 40 per cent The international education in Spain. ‘We are like a social a year, and during the financial side the European Economic
of Regents’ regulations, a set to local press reports. According to The Daily Brief- dation in the eastern province and a ‘lack of clarity’ from industry in New Zealand has been thermometer on matters such as crisis a lot of unemployed people Area. The move to accredita-
of requirements that mandates Demand for these courses ing, fluency in English – and of Chonburi, over 400km away university authorities about rocked in the past few months by unemployment,’ said the director started to study foreign languages, tion may have more to do with
schools to provide the appropri- far exceeds the limited number German – among an increas- from the scene of the crime, fol- possible rises, chants by the a series of frauds. A tertiary educa- of the state language school in especially English. This massive immigration rules than Brexit,
ate level of support for ELLs. available for secondary school ing proportion of the workforce lowing a tip-off. students in a series of protests tion college closed earlier in 2016 Vigo, in Galicia, in the north of enrolment in the EOIs left some Translation: loud and clear as all inspection requests would
(The Board of Regents supervise students. The San Marino is driving the rise, as well as a The victim taught at a local in November were heard to be after two workers reported being Spain. ‘I think that the reduction school such as the one in Palma have to have been made months
the New York State Department Student Association reported convenient time zone, ‘closer secondary school, and her assail- almost all in English. Courses at told to falsify results for over 250 in demand may be caused by the de Mallorca with a waiting list of before the UK referendum.
of Education.) However, in tes- ‘grotesque’ situations, with cultural similarities, lower ants said they knew her by sight. the AUC are English medium, English language tests. Other col- decrease in the number of unem- 5,000 people in 2011. Electronics giant Panasonic has produced a megaphone that can translate Just under 5 per cent of schools
timony before the Assembly crowds of students lining up and travel costs and a high number She had earlier picked out from with fees currently at around leges were questioned after over ployed. Many people enrolled As the EOIs filled up, private Japanese phrases into English – as well as Chinese and Korean. The inspected by the British Council
Education Committee, the vice pushing ‘like crazy’ in order to of qualified IT professionals’. an identity parade an accomplice 170,000 Egyptian pounds 30 per cent of their Indian student in English language classes to schools began to enrol the over- megahonyaku brand megaphone is currently on trial with train operators and are owned wholly or partially by
president of the NYSUT said get a place in the sought-after Kosovo in particular seems to who admitted acting as ‘the (£7,000) a year, set to rise to visa application were refused. improve their CVs, but making flow, and there are signs of a police in Tokyo in response to an increase in foreign visitors and in preparation language travel agents, according
that most schools are unable to programme. The association be benefiting from a tendency lookout’ for Shachart, who was £E230,000 (£9,500). But will this have an effect work and study compatible is similar decline in this sector too. for an even bigger influx expected for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with all the crowd to Council reports. On average,
meet the requirements because advocated for a more rigorous for European and US companies tracked down after a nationwide This follows a recent currency on the ELT industry in New difficult,’ stated the director. According to ACEIA – the Asso- control issues that come with it. agent-owned schools are awarded
of budget constraints. selection process and for more to choose SEE as a base for out- ten-day manhunt. devaluation, after which the uni- Zealand? Association Chairman The schools in this area of ciation of Language Schools of The megahonyaku has around 300 pre-set phrases in its memory – for example, 1.75 areas of strength, less than
The NYSUT called for the available places next year. sourcing rather than India. According to Thai Visa News, versity altered the proportion of Ewen Mackenzie-Bowie told the the country have lost 20 per Andalusia – the market is still ‘the train has been delayed,’ ‘watch your step’ and ‘please move to the right.’ The half the average for the accred-
creation of a separate aid cat- According to public service ‘Security considerations’ and in the victim was walking to the fees payable in Egyptian pounds Gazette the current drop in visa cent of their students in the last growing for courses leading to a megaphones – Panasonic hopes to manufacture 18,000 of them by 2018 – will be ited sector as a whole, though
egory to be included in the broadcaster RTV San Marino, many cases the political stability of local bus station at night when and US dollars. (See November approvals won’t have any impact two years. ‘Years ago, with the certificate, despite the slowdown hired by customers such as train operators and police forces. When a user two – Magnifico Travel and
2017–18 budget – of at least the Department of Education the EU and the euro (used as a cur- she met two local men travelling 2016 Gazette for Egypt’s sudden on ELT numbers as India is not a crisis, there was a boom and in the private sector. speaks one of the 300-odd phrases into the megaphone, it produces a recorded Anglo, previously International
$200 million – targeted at dis- responded by pledging to allo- rency in Kosovo, although it’s not on motorbikes and accepted a tuition fee rises.) big market for the industry. everyone started learning Chi- The market for courses end- translation of the phrase in first English, then Mandarin Chinese and Korean. Quest – are in the top 20 per cent,
tricts with large and growing cate resources to assist students officially part of the eurozone), are lift. The two men had reportedly nese, German, English. But now ing with a B1-level test grew by based on inspection reports. A
ELL student enrolments. excluded from the course. also factors. been drinking heavily. people have been finding work 1,700 per cent in 2013. By 2014 further six agent-owned schools
and leave languages a little,’ this growth has slowed to 54 per are accredited by ABLS, a third
the local government Educa- grew by 988 per cent in 2013 but India cash crisis Refugee help of the total in this scheme.
cent. Courses leading a B2 test
tion Department explained to The two newly accred-
La Voz de Galicia newspaper. by 2015 this had dropped to only ited agent-owned schools,
JAPAN: Tadaoka, a small town ENGLAND: Prime Minister The schools in areas such as 20 per cent, reported ACEIA. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS in India, many THERE ARE now almost 700,000 refugees and asy- Go-languages, owned by the
in the Osaka Prefecture, is turn- Theresa May wanted to ‘dep- La Rioja, Asturias, Andalusia, Despite the gradual drop, Eng- with no Indian bank accounts, are running out of lum-seekers in Uganda fleeing other African countries Italian agency MLA, and Euro-
ing to English to put itself on the rioritise’ the children of illegal Extremadura or Comunidad lish is still the most popular cash. ‘Demonetisation’, the sudden withdrawal in conflict. Most need to learn English, so initiatives partners, owned by Walter Beyer
map, The Japan Times newspa- immigrants – push them to the Valenciana stated that the num- language chosen by students in of high-denomination 500-rupee and 1,000-rupee such as the Refugee Law Project’s English for Adults of Badd Wuennenberg, Ger-
per reported. The town hopes that bottom of lists of children eligi- ber of adult learning is also both the private and state lan- notes in November, forced people with lots of cash (EFA) classes in Kampala are growing. English and many, enrol almost entirely from
teaching English to its young peo- ble for school places in England dropping. One of the schools guage schools nationally. n to ‘declare’ it while exchanging it for new notes at Swahili are Uganda’s official languages, and refugees their local markets, while Alpa-
ple will help to attract foreigners to – according to documents leaked banks in an effort to remove trillions circulating in need English to fight for their rights, deal with Ugan- dia, owned by the Swiss course
the place. Tadaoka students have to the BBC. ‘black money’ from the economy. dan officials and make a living. organisers of the same name,
been featured in a video speaking The letters from the sum- The Hindu newspaper found international students The Refugee Law Project notes there is con- enrol largely from the EEA. n
and singing in English to introduce mer 2015 when May was home New challenge at Panchgoa’s Amity University unable to spend the siderable motivation among its EFA students, but
its attractions. The town council secretary, show that she even thousands of rupees many have in old notes, as the trauma, family commitments and time spent pur-
provides free English conversa- planned to withdraw offers for Reserve Bank of India struggles to print enough new suing their asylum cases lead to a high drop-out
tions classes in cooperation with school places to children whose notes and deliver these to banks and ATMs. Sayed rate, along with physical exhaustion. Many EFA Ecuador
ECC, an Osaka-based operator parents were found to be in the Andrea Pérez interviews Javier Jabid, a student from Afghanistan, said, ‘I have been students live over 10 miles from their classes, with
of foreign language schools, the UK illegally. Former education borrowing from friends and buying things on credit.’ n no choice but to walk all the way. n
newspaper reported. secretary Nicky Morgan wrote García, the first Erasmus+ student deal for EF
to then prime minister David
Cameron expressing her ‘grave who is both deaf and blind
concerns’ at the proposals, which Board helps students
also included ‘immigration EDUCATION FIRST (EF) will
checks’ in schools. The plans ow did you reach the in Braille everything that appears carry out English language tests
were eventually dropped from B2 level of English on the computer screen – and I across the state-school sector in
also read it aloud so my teacher
SPAIN: Adult enrolment in lan- the Immigration Bill. Hrequired for Erasmus+? could correct my pronunciation. get their ACT together Ecuador as a part of an agreement
guage schools has gradually The Gazette understands that I studied English in the last year signed between the Ministry of
dropped as the employment situ- some new versions of manage- of secondary school and the two What is your daily routine Education and the multinational
ation has improved in the country. ment information systems used years of my Baccalaureate, but studying at Regents University? company in November, El Com-
Most data for this comes from by schools in England began only written English. A year and The first month I had to adapt to CLAUDIA CIVININI in, among other things, the inabil- impact on their access to higher ercio reported.
State Language Schools, but pri- appearing at the time the pro- half ago when I knew I was going everything, memorising the routes, writes ity to meet academic standards. education and future employ- Rachel Baker, an academic
vate schools also found signs of a posals were under discussion. to do the Erasmus in London, I introducing myself to the profes- In order to devise strategies that ment. ‘This change is about advisor at EF, explained that
similar decline. Despite the slow- These included fields for pupils’ started to study English again. sors. I was easily overwhelmed THE AMERICAN College Testing could effectively support ELLs improving access and equity for the test will be taken between
down, the market is still growing passport numbers for the first I was looking for a private EFL at the beginning, but now I am (ACT) exam board has announced without ‘violating test constructs students whose proficiency in December and March by 500,000
for certificate courses, and Eng- time. The autumn 2016 schools teacher in a language school but confident. I even did a 20-minute it will provide support to English or providing an unfair advan- English might prevent them from students via the internet. It will
lish is still the most popular census for the National Pupil every time they heard that I was presentation in class! I am always language learners (ELLs) taking its tage’, the ACT gathered a team of truly demonstrating the skills and last around 40 minutes and meas-
language chosen by the students Database for England included deaf and blind they always had in class with my laptop and my college admission test, also named experts which included bilingual knowledge they have learned,’ ure only the reading and listening
in the country’s language schools. new questions on ‘nationality’ excuses, because they thought it Braille line. My assistant Teresa, ACT, starting from the 2017–18 policy administrators, researchers said the ACT chief commercial skills of students. The agreement,
Read more on opposite page. and ‘country of birth’. was impossible to teach someone who is with me in London, writes school year. The ACT was taken by and civil rights advocates. officer Suzana Delanghe. which brings no cost to the state,
like me. Thanks to my assistant in everything that’s said in class and 64 per cent of high school gradu- Among the new adjustments, Earlier this year, another col- aims to be a key government tool
Spain, Lorena, we found a teacher afterwards I read it in Braille with ates in 2016, about two million ELLs will be allowed additional lege admission test, the SAT, came for future English language policy
Correction who is also a psychologist and she a small time lag. I complete my students, according to figures on time for the test and given the use under scrutiny after a new version formulation and for improving
welcomed the challenge.
the exam board’s website.
studies with articles and books.
the quality of teaching nationally,
of a word-to-word bilingual dic-
was released in March, Reuters
In the November issue we incorrectly stated that the How did she teach you? What are your future plans? Adjustments to the exam will tionary without word definitions. news agency reports. Test ques- according to Andes news agency.
new Anglo school in Bournemouth ‘has nothing to do We knew that I didn’t have to First, to finish my double degree be offered to all those students Test instructions will be given in tions were described as ‘wordy’, Ecuador took its first steps to
with the Bournemouth fixture Anglo-Continental or do the oral test, but I was going in business and law and after that, that fall into the definition of ELL students’ native languages, and tes- especially in the maths section, and improve its English language
Anglocontinental, whose trading name was bought by to live in London so I really well, maybe I can study another as set out by the federal Every takers will have the opportunity to one professor from the University level in November when the
Cavendish School following the closure of the year- needed to speak English. Our pri- degree – and I would like to do Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). opt for a non-distracting environ- of California Davis said that ‘the Ministry of Education launched a
round operation in 2015.’ ority always was to improve my another Erasmus exchange in a Criteria include being aged under ment such as a separate room. problem is going to mostly affect new school curriculum. The gov-
It should have read the ‘Bournemouth fixture Anglo- speaking level. My teacher wrote different country. Maybe Italy? I 21, coming from an environ- According to preliminary data, English-language learners.’ ernment target is for teachers to
Continental, or Anglo-European, whose trading name everything on the computer in like to challenge myself. n ment where English is not the the ACT found that the academic The Gazette contacted Col- reach a B2 level of English, with
was acquired by Cavendish School following the clo- English as a normal conversation. dominant language and having achievements of ELLs may go lege Board, which administers students attaining B1 by the time
sure of the year-round operation in 2015’. At the same time I read it in my See www.elgazette.com for a difficulties in understanding the unreported under normal test the SAT, but did not hear back they leave high school (see EL
We apologise for any confusion caused. Braille line – a device that reads longer version of this interview English language that may result conditions, and this could have an by the time we went to press. n Gazette November 2016). n