Page 21 - ELG1805 May Issue 457

SPECIAL FEATURETURE
SPECIAL FEA

It’s nice

up North

Friendly people, vibrant university towns and a good international mix of students
make the North of England a great place to study English, writes Melanie Butler

wenty years ago, there were just Also, Manchester comes in ahead of London, in Chester are very low, they are low in
two accredited language schools in Brighton and Bournemouth. The reason is Sheffield and moderate in both Newcastle and
Manchester and just one accredited simple: more and more qualified teachers are Liverpool.
Tuniversity. moving north because they are attracted by the The most surprising thing about the North,
Today there are nineteen English UK cheaper cost of living and the wide range of in fact, is that it is not better known among
members in the North of England’s largest city, employers, as much as students are. the schools and agents involved in putting
including all three universities. European students looking to avoid being together group courses for European teenagers.
The growth of EFL in its largest city is taught in classes hosting large numbers of After all, this region offers low prices,
mirrored across the region. So what makes the students who speak their same language friendly people and high safety levels.
North so special? would do well to head north. The EU does not There is a wide range of high-quality
For many students it is best known for the dominate in this region as it was first discovered courses offered by every kind of provider,
excellence of its football teams. English and by students from the Middle East and East Asia. from language schools and state colleges to
football courses are also a huge favourite, as And the range of locations available in the universities, as well as from the region’s famous
well as its universities. northern regions offer something for everybody. boarding schools.
But the real drivers are price, quality and There is a bouquet of vibrant student cities And these courses are available in almost
friendliness. such as Newcastle and Sheffield, for a start. every kind of location you can think of.
The cost of living is just much cheaper. Also on the list are historic cathedral towns like And the North has one added advantage:
Living in Manchester costs 12.5 per cent less York and Chester, with their local universities. it’s the one place in England where European
than in London, according to the numbeo. English language students can enjoy the famous students can be pretty sure that the student
com website. That figure rises to 16 per cent spa town of Harrogate, the picturesque seaside body will not be almost entirely made up of
in Leeds and an astonishing 24 per cent in resort of Scarborough and the extraordinary people who speak their language.
Liverpool. landscape of the Lake District – they really The famous Northern poet and comedian,
This price advantage is most clearly seen in have a wealth of choice. John Shuttleworth, once made a film
the cost of accommodation, which is 20 to 30 And, perhaps contrary to expectations, when examining the belief that the further north you
per cent cheaper. Add to that the open, friendly you look at the crime statistics all over the UK, go in England, the friendlier the people.
reputation of the people and it’s easy to see why you will see that the North is comparatively The name of the film says it all: ‘It’s nice up
local host families are a particular draw. safe. According to numbeo.com, crime levels North.’
Small wonder, then, that an increasing
number of upmarket language school chains
have opened in the North: EC, EF and Kaplan
in the North West, Irish-owned CES in the
North East and British Study Centres on both
sides of the Pennines, the range of hills and
mountains that run down the centre of the
region.
The emergence of the chains and the
increasing number of universities and further
education colleges opening their language
centres to EFL students have helped push up
the quality of courses.
Based on the British Council inspection
reports, accredited centres in the North of
England are, on average, better than those in
London and South East England, and come in
just below those in the East of England.
20 May 2018 editorial@elgazette.com 21