Page 24 - ELG1911 Nov Issue 467

El•Gazette 467.qxp_El•Gazette 467 23/10/2019 13:10 Page 24

TRENDS: NEW SCHOOLS .

Brexit bumps

but no bust

By Melanie Butler

Excel English in Muswell Hill, one of London’s top-ranking schools and
a member of the prestigious TEN association, has closed its doors after
over 30 years. Also in London, One English in Covent Garden has also
gone, and a closure in the South East of the city is on the cards.
Signs of a new Brexit bust? London took some of the biggest hits in
the academic year 2015-2016, when there was a flurry of school closures
(see graph).
However, looking at the list of newly-accredited centres, you will spot
two new London schools, and others in the traditional destinations of
Oxford, Brighton, Bristol and newly-fashionable Cardiff. Number of English UK member centres by sector
Across the North, centres in Manchester, Huddersfield, Fleetwood
and Ormskirk have all passed inspection. Less-traditional locations also
make the list, with a residential school in Newbury, a University in Newly accredited schools
Chichester and private language schools in two exclusive locations in
Surrey: Godalming and Weybridge.
In fact, Brexit is likely to bring a flurry of centres choosing be Echo Language School, Brighton Edgehill University, Ormskirk
inspected, as the small local language schools and summer programmes Express English College, Manchester Hunter Language School, Bristol
which now cater exclusively to EU citizens will need to seek Language Vision, London Newbury Hall, Berkshire
accreditation. Oxford Business College, Oxford Rossall School, Fleetwood
Meanwhile there is some good news for the members of TEN, with TEG English, Cardif UK2learn, Godalming
the not-for-profit group ELC Bristol taking ownership of English in Queens English Language School, Kingston-upon-Thames
Chester.

A second helping of language

Melanie Butler looks at life after the world has learned English

he market for English language may Language centres (IALC), found that 46 per than 3 per cent of these second foreign
still be growing. But according to cent were studying English. But demand for language learners were of school age, while 56
Bonard researcher Patrik Pavlavic, the other languages was growing, led by German per cent of the sample were aged between 18
Tpace of growth is slowing. One reason, at 19 percent and Spanish at 15 per cent. Less and 35.
he argues on page 18, is the growth of quality
language provision in domestic school systems.
In mature markets, the provision of English EUROSTAT
in school is all but universal. A 2016 report by
the EU found that 94 per cent of all school
students aged 16 to 18 were studying English.
That doesn’t mean that all the provision is
both good and effective, however. It’s worth
noting that Europeans score higher than
almost any other group in international ELT
exams, with many Northern Europeans
outscoring native speakers.
What happens when the market for one
language becomes saturated? The answer, at
least in Europe, is that students learn a
second. As the graph on this page shows,
across the EU (excluding the UK) nearly 60
per cent of upper secondary students were
studying a second foreign language, mainly
German, French and Spanish.
But it is not just Europeans. A 2018 study
of students from 136 countries, undertaken by
Bonard and the International Association of
24 November 2019