English
Language Study and the Link with Further Education
The study of English Language in the UK
has rapidly developed over recent years to the extent where now
it can be studied at Universities as well as at specialised Language
Schools. John Duncan discusses the progression of this subject and
the opportunities available in the 1990s for international students
to participate in this line of study.
Until the late ‘60s there were relatively few students coming
to study English in the UK. Those who came were seen as adventurous,
with time on their hands. There were only a handful of schools which
students could choose to study at, and getting information about
those schools was quite difficult because the ‘educational
agent’ as we know him today was virtually non-existent. The
British Council was more or less the only source of information.
During the late ‘60s and throughout the ‘70s there was
a steady rise in both the number of students and the number of schools
teaching English as the English language became established as the
major language for world trade and commerce. The greatest number
of students came from Switzerland and Japan during the academic
year and then from Italy and Spain during the summer holidays. There
were Iranians, then Arabs: Iraqis and Saudis.
As more and more students came, the ‘market’ became more
sophisticated. Different types of course became available, such
as English for Business, and students were offered a whole range
of examinations as well as the traditional Cambridge First Certificate.
Information about school and the various courses offered was also
more readily available as schools began to actively market themselves
overseas. The number of ‘agents’ rose dramatically, and
they in turn fuelled the demand.
During the ‘80s the market continued to develop rapidly. Whereas
in the early days England was the only place to study English, the
schools in England suddenly found themselves in competition, not
only with Scotland and Ireland, but also within the USA, Australia,
Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and virtually anywhere English
was spoken, no matter what accent!
These days, there are more than 1300 language schools in the UK,
many more in the United States and literally hundreds in Australia,
Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, offering a complete spectrum
of courses including such variations as English plus Aviation, English
plus Horseriding and even English for retirement in Barbados! Governments
have long since become aware of the importance of the language market
and have shown their support through grants. For example, in Australia,
new schools setting up have been able to recoup virtually all their
marketing costs.
The overseas student, however, is not confined to studying in language
schools. Most universities in the UK now have between 7% and 15%
overseas students. Some of these come on exchange programmes such
as the ERASMUS Scheme, but many others are studying privately, paying
full fees, fees on which many universities depend.
Just as language schools in the UK are in competition with language
schools overseas, universities are themselves in competition, particularly
with those in the States and Australia. The Americans were quickest
to adapt to the new market by offering 4 year undergraduate programmes
with a built in one-year foundation which enabled them to accept
students who were not ready to undertake a full undergraduate programme,
either academically or linguistically.
Most individual full fee paying overseas students come from countries
where English is not the first language, mainly in Asia, countries
such as Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan. The governments of Turkey,
Libya, Iran and Saudi Arabia also sponsor significant numbers of
students to study in overseas universities, often at a postgraduate
and doctoral level.
Unlike language schools, which can accept virtually anyone, no
matter what their educational background, Universities have to be
much more selective as a student who isn’t up to it either
academically or linguistically not only wastes a lot of time, but
also money, because that student will have taken the place that
could have been offered to someone else. Those responsible for marketing
universities have to become totally au fait with overseas qualifications.
They also need to be able to assess a student’s linguistic
ability.
TOEFL was the exam used by American universities and initially
adopted by the UK. However, in the UK it has proven inadequate.
TOEFL is a multiple-choice test with no speaking component. Students
are able to cram for TOEFL, and obtain a high score, but when they
have started at university they have found themselves totally unable
to cope linguistically. This disadvantage was not so significant
in the States, where there was always the integral foundation year
in the 4 year undergraduate programme.
In joint co-operation between the UK and Australia, the IELTS examination
was introduced in the late ‘80s. It is diagnostic and designed
specifically to test a student’s ability to cope linguistically
in an academic environment. To enter university, the normal requirement
is 6.5 on IELTS, or 5.5 if a students wants to enter a foundation
year. If a student does not have these scores, even if he/she is
ready academically, he should delay his course commencement as he
needs to improve his English.
He/she can either study more in his own country or he can come
to England. Most universities, run pre-sessional courses during
the summer holidays prior to the academic year beginning at the
end of September. In this time, a student can realistically hope
to improve his IELTS score by 0.5 to 1 point.
If the students level is more than 1 point below the requirement
he/she will need to attend a longer language course in a specialised
establishment such as the English Language School. The question
is, which of the 1000+ language schools should he choose to study
in?
Without doubt he should choose one of the 250 or so which are recognised
by the British Council. The others have no form of control or guarantee
of minimum standards. It would be advisable to choose an established
school with a wide range of nationalities, where students have to
speak to each other in English, not their own language, a school
which offers Study Skills programmes which specifically prepare
students for academic study. Other considerations which are also
important are accommodation possibilities and location.
Take, for example, The English Language Centre in Bristol, established
in 1969. Bristol is a major university city 90 minutes west of London,
with more than 35,000 British students. The school runs full time
courses around 100 adult students from some 25 different countries.
Study Skills options are available and a significant percentage
of their students go on to further education in their language course.
They prepare students for examinations, including the IELTS test,
and their students have a high rate of success.
With the help and advice of the centre’s own academic counsellor,
many will then go on to take academic courses in British universities,
benefiting particularly from those which also offer ‘language
support’ such as that available at the University of Bristol.
This is a perfect example of how a student may benefit from both
specific language tuition and general language support through the
co-operation of two educational institutions whose aim it is to
give the individual a rewarding academic experience.
Author: John Duncan, English Language Centre in conjunction
with The University of Bristol
This article first appeared in Educational Courses in Britain
