Page 16 - ELG1805 May Issue 457

EU special .
SPECIAL FEATURE
Valencia’s English course plan leaves International students cast pursuing a degree to find and choose the best-
fit study programme,’ she added.
In 2016, 132,000 student migrants came to
UK and Irish language schools cold net wider during Brexit wait the UK to study for at least a year, according
to the International Passenger Survey (IPS).
Further data released by the IPS shows that
UK faces tougher competition, but numbers are up this 195,000 student visas were issued during the
Plans to boost Spanish teachers’ English with trips abroad could prove year, Federica Tedeschi writes same year. Meanwhile, 78 per cent of 3,400

ineffective and impractical, writes Melanie Butler U and overseas students planning European countries such as Germany or the EU students surveyed by QS Enrolment
Solutions expressed an interest in studying at a
to attend university in the UK are Netherlands. branch campus of a British university, possibly
ne thousand teachers from Valencia checking out alternative countries for The attractiveness of these two countries in an EU country other than their own.
are to be given a month-long all Estudy in case their plans are affected by lies in the number of undergraduate and However, it is early days to tell whether and
expenses paid English language Brexit, a leading analyst has said. masters degrees taught entirely in English, how Brexit will affect universities in the UK.
Ocourse in the UK or Ireland But the number of students considering UK coupled with lower or no tuition fees. Ms Neghina said: ‘The most likely scenario,
this summer, the Spanish region’s education universities is not declining, Carmen Neghina, Ms Neghina said that her platform attracts though, is that universities with a strong
department has said. head of intelligence at international education more prospective international students brand name and high rankings will not be as
Teachers will travel abroad for one full month, hub StudyPortals told the EL Gazette. looking for advice on studying abroad every impacted – however universities that are not
either July or August, and will be expected to Partido Popular Comunitat Valenciana In fact, new data released by the year, with an average growth rate of over 65 necessarily top of mind or outside the Russell
attend classes for 25 hours a week. Valencia, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service per cent. ‘We also know that we played a role Group might see their numbers affected more
which is introducing trilingual schooling, already shows that the number of non-EU and EU in guiding at least 370,000 students currently by Brexit.’
pays for teachers to attend English classes at students applying to UK universities and
their state language school. colleges this year has increased by 8 per 442,375 132,000
Councillor Vicent Marzà told the cent and 2 per cent respectively. This is the
local press the project was part of the final year that EU nationals are guaranteed total number of non-UK student migrants who
‘gradual implementation of the new law of Valencia is introducing to have their fees held at lower rates than came to the UK to study
mulitingualism’ in the autonomous region. trilingual schooling international students. students studying in the UK
It sounds like good news for British and Irish ‘The UK is still a strong international in 2016-17 for at least a year in 2016
language schools. However, language schools students from different countries. The 25 hour a week schedule, however, is study destination – it’s just receiving more (Source Higher Education Statistical Agency) (Source: International Passenger Survey)
in both countries seem reluctant to take part, Housing all the Spanish teachers together much longer than the normal summer school competition from other countries than ever,’
especially those who were involved in last year’s reduces the time they are exposed to native schedule. That means the Valencian teachers added Ms Neghina. She stressed there are
pilot programme. speakers or interact in English. cannot easily be slotted into regular classes and more students expressing an interest in 1.08 number of overseas students
‘They have a huge list of demands particularly To make matters worse, each group is will end up, at least ten hours a week in classes studying abroad each year on the StudyPortals at United States colleges and
over accommodation. All 25 teachers in each accompanied by a group leader to help them by composed entirely of their peers. website, and the absolute number of students million
group must be housed together and all of acting as a translator. It is not even clear, pedagogically, whether considering the UK is stable. universities, 2016-17
them must have single rooms with an en suite As one British school told us: ‘ We are more hours equals more learning. More time But the UK is showing a smaller rate of (Source: Institute for International Education)
bathroom,’ one Irish school owner told the expected to cover all the group leaders’ costs. in class also means even less time available for increase in interest in comparison to that of
Gazette. practising what they have learnt. Some groups
‘They absolutely refuse to stay with host have special demands. Accademia puzzled by university’s English advert
families. They want hotels and they might take It sounds like good ‘One agent demanded ten hours a week of
student residences. There is no way we can news for British Clil teacher training as part of the programme,’
find that kind of accommodation in the peak and Irish language one Irish school told us, ‘ but Clil trainers are eaching in English at the court which says Italian universities cannot Institute of Milan, declined to comment on
summer season and certainly not at the prices schools. However, thin on the ground and cost two or three times Polytechnic Institute of Milan does offer a degree solely in English. the advert, but re-iterated his comment on the
they want to pay,’ she added. language schools in as much as classroom teachers.’ not affect the right to education, This option would relegate the Italian court ruling from February this year:
The problem should not come as a surprise Of course, the Valencian government may ‘Tit increases the chance of finding language to a marginal position in academia as ‘Planning courses in Italian and in English
to the Valencians. After all, most summer both countries seem have budgeted for these kind of extra costs but a job, instead’ reads a full-page advert that the well as restricting access to higher education concurrently would be expensive and would
schools are located in tourist centres, not unlike reluctant to take they seem to have put the whole programme in Advisory Board of the institution published for those students who don’t speak English, also clash with the idea of integration.
Valencia. The cost of a single en suite room in part the hands of local language travel agents. in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in the court said. ‘We have the responsibility to offer students
a student residence in the Spanish city is €420 On average, agents across Europe are asking April. But the Polytechnic has been fighting to high-quality education and this can only
a week, rather more than the €272 they cost An English-speaking adult might be necessary for 25- 30 per cent commission on the list The advert, with its English headline ‘Made offer more courses taught in English alone, happen on an international scale. Such an
in Brighton. But at the end of April, the EL for groups of children but these students are price fees for such programmes, regardless of in Italy – Graduates to stand out in the world’ and the row has rumbled on for six years. opportunity is particularly valuable to those
Gazette could not find a single student room adults.’ the budget for fees. The budget per student in follows a ruling from Italy’s high administrative Ferruccio Resta, dean of the Polytechnic who cannot afford to study abroad.’
to let for the month of July in either of the two Nor do the classroom requirements help the Italian Pon programme is just over €1,000 Meanwhile the president of the Accademia
cities. matters. The specified class size, 15, is not a a week, so the schools may receive as little as della Crusca [the official Italian language
In addition, research shows that the benefits problem except for state colleges, the one group €120 in course fees. NuclearNiranjan academy] Claudio Marazzini, was puzzled by
of these kinds of trips are largely related to of providers who might well have their own Language schools may swallow a small loss the advert:
communicating with native speakers and fellow student residence available. on low season courses. The average language ‘Is it even necessary to buy a full page advert
school in the UK and Ireland makes almost all on a newspaper to declare the importance
Fundació Comunitat Valenciana - Regió Europea these kind of programmes,’ another school English language,’ he told the Gazette.
of speaking English? The idea of promoting
its profit from short summer courses, another
reason they aren’t interested in Valencian
internationalisation is something we could all
share; nobody has ever suggested to cancel
teachers.
‘There is simply no way to make money from
‘The concept of having to get rid of the
Italian language to properly learn English is
owner told us. ‘ So there is no way we are going
misleading, in my opinion. And the advert
to run them in high season.’
does not really say much about this,’ he added.
The solution, he points out, is simple:
Marazzini has suggested looking at the new
‘Give the teachers a budget and get them to
Ximo Puig, president of the autonomous book their own courses and home stay families. language policy of France – which aims to
boost the national language – which is likely
They’d learn more and the authorities would
region of Valencia save a fortune.’ to be adopted at European level.
16 May 2018 editorial@elgazette.com 17