Page 7 - ELG1710 Oct Issue 451

NEWS .
NEWS

UK likely to ease nurses’ Ielts anguish Chinese doubts over value of MELANIA PLAYS
LEGAL TRUMP
overseas degrees CARD OVER

By Irena Barker SCHOOL AD
Strict language rules that have By Irena Barker
prevented some English native By Irena Barker
speaker nurses registering to Chinese students whose families An attempt to use Melania
work in the UK could soon be have spent fortunes so they can University of Essex Trump’s journey to US First Lady
relaxed, it has emerged. study for degrees abroad are to illustrate the benefits of learning
The Nursing and Midwifery increasingly disappointed by their English has landed a private
Council (NMC) is considering job prospects back in China, it has language school in legal hot water.
whether to allow all foreign emerged. The American Institute of Zagreb,
nurses with English qualifications The trend has led to the in the Croatian capital, was forced
other than the Ielts test – such nickname for Chinese students to issue an apology after it ran an
as the Occupational Test of returning home – ‘sea turtles’ – advert on five billboards, featuring
English – to work in Britain. being changed to ‘seaweed’. Mrs Trump giving a speech in front
It is also looking at whether Reports that graduates returning of a billowing US flag. The caption
to allow nurses with a recent Ielts can be a challenge to their homeland have been taking read: ‘Just imagine how far you can
qualification that was taught even for native speakers jobs handing out product samples go with a little bit of English.’
in English to bypass the Ielts or doing other menial work have But Mrs Trump’s lawyers, hired
requirement. prompted a debate in China about to protect her public image,
Those who have worked for The NMC told the Gazette four skills of the Academic Ielts petition calling for the minimum the value of degrees abroad. demanded that they be removed
at least two years in a country that, if agreed, the changes test. Ielts score for nurses to be Fifteen years ago only a third of government’s People’s Daily before. Director of the Australia immediately, under pain of legal
where English is the native could be made as early as next Campaigners say it is an reduced has gathered 15,350 Chinese graduates studying abroad newspaper recently said returning China Alumni Association in action. Ivis Buric, a spokeswoman
language could also be given a month, although no date has unreasonably high level to signatures so far. returned to their native country to students may be ‘incompatible to Beijing, Ben Newman told the for the American Institute of
pass. been set. However, there are no achieve to work as a nurse. Campaigners have also handed work, but this is now at 80 per cent, domestic society’. Sydney Morning Herald: Zagreb, said the advert was not
Currently only EU nurses are immediate plans to reduce the Relaxing the rule would help 250 personal statements from meaning there is more competition The issue has prompted some ‘It is no longer as ‘gold collar’ as intended to mock Mrs Trump – a
able to avoid Ielts test in these requirement for other overseas address a shortage of 40,000 overseas nurses and employers for jobs. Around 432,500 students soul-searching in Australia where it used to be. Students coming back former model from neighbouring
ways. nurses to score a level 7 in all NHS nurses, they have said. A to the NMC on the issue. returned to China after graduating international education is the third are facing a lot of problems.’ Slovenia – in any way.
from overseas universities in 2016, largest export market and worth Australian National University’s ‘We are very sorry that the
up 36.26 per cent from 2012, a $21.8 billion a year. (ANU) China liaison director, billboards were misunderstood
RECORD numbers of Ielts tests American parent company ETS. IELTS. Figures rose from 40,000 recent report from the Centre for The Auditor General for the Amanda Barry added: ‘The whole as something
IELTS were taken last year, new figures ETS does not release candidate in 1995 to 1 million in the space China and Globalisation found. state of New South Wales said Australian university sector needs intended to
The survey found that returnees
STORMS show. The test was taken 3 figures for its academic English of 12 years before doubling to make only slightly more per month the state’s universities are at risk to look at our brand in China ... For mock the US
million times in 2016, marking a
two million in 2013. Much of
Chinese students and their families,
first lady,’ Ms
if the number of overseas students
exam, TOEFL, Ielts’ major
TO 3 MILLION 50 per cent increase in the past competitor. the recent growth in Ielts has after graduation, on average, than falls, because almost a quarter of it is a big investment, and we need Buric added. ‘It
been as a test for immigration
to be delivering on the promise.’
university income comes from their
four years. In terms of test takers,
China-educated graduates. Nearly
was meant to
The Ielts exam has seen
In one measure to support
TESTS however, Ielts still lags behind exponential growth since it purposes. This is particularly the 45 per cent of graduates said they fees. its graduates, ANU has trialled be something
thought their study abroad would
the TOEIC Test of Reading and
was taken over in 1989 by a
positive,
Monash University earned $652
case into the UK where changes
to
Listening. The test, widely used consortium made of the British to the rules mean that migrants be ‘irrelevant’ to their prospects million from overseas students last sending its Chinese students to show her as a
by employers in Asia, boasts 7 Council, Cambridge English applying from overseas require an of promotion. And the Chinese year, up 23 per cent from the year China for work experience. role model.’
million test takers, according to Language Assessment and IDP Ielts test.
newsinbrief Israel splashes cash on English teacher training
AN ENGLISH THE US GOVERNMENT THE BRITISH COUNCIL ITALIAN TEENAGERS BACHELOR’S DEGREES By Claudia Civinini
TEACHER TRAINING IS TO AWARD IS SET TO OPEN WILL BE EXPECTED TAUGHT IN ENGLISH although English is widely spoken
programme in North $20 million in grants its first teaching centre to achieve an A2 level are booming across The Israeli education ministry and required by universities as a
Korea has been to support educators in China, with classes in English and A1 in Europe, a study by the has launched a free postgraduate prerequisite for admission.
suspended by the British working with English due to start on October another language by the European Association programme to train future English Professor Krakover also stressed
Council following the learners. They will 20. It will be based in the end of middle school for International language teachers, the Jerusalem the importance of the government’s
country’s recent nuclear support professional city of Nanjing, where (aged 13). Under new Education (EAIE) and Post reports. The Israel Project HUJI Election Debate move to train English teachers as a
test. The programme – development activities the British Council has rules, pupils will have to StudyPortals has found. The government has allocated sign that ‘the education ministry
which has been running to improve English opened two Ielts centres complete a written task Since 2009, there has
for 17 years - was halted language teaching, and and collaborated on which will assess their been a fifty-fold increase 12 million (about £2.5M) Israeli recognizes the problem of the poor
three days after the related activities. ‘Our other UK-China projects. competence in English in the number of such shekels to the programme, and level of English’. The ministry is
British government English learner students ‘The teaching centre and another foreign courses. Switzerland and invited colleges to apply for also set to launch a programme
issued a travel warning represent an incredible will contribute to language. Completion The Netherlands have funding. dubbed ‘Give me five’, website
for the North. asset for our country, bringing our countries of another English the highest percentage Designed to prepare teachers haaretz.com reports. With the aim
Tensions have reached yet they also face closer together’, said language test, one of of EMI courses, while to teach English in the Israeli of improving students’ English
boiling point in recent unique challenges,’ said Carma Elliot, the British three tests that students Turkey stands out school system, the two-year course Naftali Bennett, Israel’s language proficiency, it will increase
months, with American José A.Viana, assistant Council’s country will complete in April, for having more EMI will require applicants to have the English language tuition hours
president Donald Trump deputy secretary from director in China. is a prerequisite to be bacherlor’s than masters. completed a bachelor’s degree and education ministry for secondary students, offer 7th-
promising to ‘totally the Office of English allowed to take the [See more on page 4 of pass an interview in English. start the programme told the an English teacher in the Israeli graders conversation classes and
destroy’ the country. Language Acquisition. exam. the supplement.]
Shaul Krakover, president of Jerusalem Post the course will atmosphere.’ Hebrew and Arabic hire more teachers, including
one of the colleges hoping to teach students how to ‘become are the official languages of Israel, teaching assistants.
6 October 2017 editorial@elgazette.com 7