Page 17 - ELG1911 Nov Issue 467

El•Gazette 467.qxp_El•Gazette 467 23/10/2019 13:10 Page 17

SPECIAL FEATURE

Follow the Signposts which the industry needs to consider; it is also the methods they are
using. As we report on page 21, a recent study from Spain shows that
the introduction of CLIL is transforming the linguistic outcomes in
Melanie Butler examines the way forward Spanish schools.

For the global English language industry Train for CLIL

s the ELT industry at a crossroads? If you define ELT as the English The growth in CLIL is likely to lead to an increase in demand for CLIL
language travel industry, then market analyst Patrik Pavlacic argues teacher-training provision – a sector currently dominated by schools in
Ithat it is on page 18. the UK and Ireland. Once again, the trick is finding the right school,
But English language training is not restricted to language travel. with the right training course, and on page 20 we show you how.
Many students attend local English language schools, a sector which is But how do native-speaker EFL trainers really help foreign school
is growing in some regions, as we report on page 23. teachers? As Rachel Halsall, head trainer at IH Newcastle, says on page
Most students, however, are at state-run schools in their home 28, “CLIL trainees are specialists in their subject … we add the language
countries, although as the news story on this page reveals, the number knowledge and communicative ideas.”
attending international boarding schools or state schools overseas is rising. CLIL will not stay in state schools. Indeed, the move towards learning
Pavlacic sees the development of domestic school systems as one factor English through general education offers a greater threat to private
in the declining growth rate for English language travel, and at least language schools everywhere, and perhaps a greater opportunity.
within Europe, the coverage of English in state schools has now reached
saturation point, as we report on page 24. Move to education
But for every threat there is an opportunity, and Pavlacic’s piece
signposts an increase in the increasing number of young learners Learning English through academic subjects is something British
traveling to learn English year-round. Boarding Schools have been doing for decades, but unlike their
counterparts in CLIL school systems, they measure their success through
Focus on younger learners progress in the subject area, not just in language outcomes, as we
discover on page 22.
The number of UK schools offering year-round courses for young learners Some language schools are already taking a leaf out of the boarding
is growing but, as we report on page 25, it is worth paying special school book and offering academic courses, particularly in the summer.
attention to the inspection reports. In China, one chain even offers a programme where native speaker
For the best young-learner specialists in the UK, check out the ranking teachers review the Chinese curriculum in English.
on page 25. You’ll find this ranking dominated by smaller, family-run And as we find on page 25, the age at which children start learning is
language schools, the kind of school which is represented by associations dropping – down to pre-school and below. And language schools across Asia
like Quality English, as Jonathan Swindell explains on page 26. are following suit. Even the British Council is offering pre-school English.
But it is not just the numbers of children learning English at school How low can you go?

UK state school ban stays

Melanie Butler
INC O R P OR AT ING B O UR NE MOU T H B U S I NE S S S C HOOL IN T E R N AT ION A L
The UK government is set to continue its ban on British state schools
enrolling foreign students, putting the country at a competitive
disadvantage in the growing market for school integration programmes.
Following stories in the UK press that a consortium of England’s state
grammar schools were preparing to admit Chinese students for six
months, the EL Gazette contacted the Home Office, as the ministry
responsible for immigration is known.
Asked if the programme would be legal, the Home Office was unable
to answer directly. They consulted the department of education and sent
us the following response:
“As a matter of long-standing policy, state-funded schools are not able
to recruit or sponsor international students to come to the UK to study.” English Language, Business English
The Home Office went on to specify that children from outside the and English for Special Purposes
European Economic Area could only attend state schools as part of a for adult students in the beautiful
student exchange programme. beach resort of Bournemouth
Further research revealed that the grammar schools were only offering
short-term exchange programmes, running for a matter of weeks, not General English Language for Adult Students
months, as first reported. Business English (25+)
Other provider markets have seen numbers rise in this lucrative sector. Business Simulation Programme (16+)
The United States had 59,000 fee-paying students enrolled in high English for Aviation
English for Special Purposes
schools in 2016, according to a report in Inside HigherEd. This is a 12
Tailor made training
per cent rise in just three years. Figures for Australia reached 24,000 this
year.
In January, 2019 the Independent Schools Council reported 29,000
foreign enrolments in non-state schools, though that number doubles if
TM
international students with parents who are resident in the UK are also
counted. State schools are currently allowed to enrol the unaccompanied
children of EU citizens, but no figures seem to be available. WWW. M L S - C O L L E G E .C O.U K

editorial@elgazette.com 17