Category: English Central Blog

The University of Windsor recently announced a new program that makes counselling available to students in up to 30 languages. The idea was that international students came in for counselling only for very serious problems and that offering support in their own language would encourage them to come in earlier or with “smaller” problems.

Read more on CBC.

We read an article yesterday suggesting that Canada needed to spend more on marketing to international students if it wanted to continue increasing its numbers. The article mentioned that Canada only spends $5 million in marketing while New Zealand spends $40 million (if memory serves). At the time, we thought that New Zealand has a pretty small slice of the pie as it is and they might have to work (or spend) harder.

However, something else that Canada likes to do to attract international students is to waive work and even immigration enticements under the noses of potential students. “Spend tens (or a hundred or so) of thousands of dollars on tuition in Canada and you can become a citizen after.” Something along those lines, although it also seems that each province and even some individual educational institutions come up with their own deals.

And so we report that Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia recently announced that they had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University that will allow students to study and work in BC. In this paticular deal, student would study for two years in the Indian university, then transfer to TRU for two more years of study. Upon completing their studies, students would receive a three year work permit.

Read the TRU press release.

 

Recently the launch of Innova Press was announced. The Press will have offices in London and Reading, while it is a joint venture by three powerful Chinese companies. The largest foreign languages publisher in China has partered with the largest non-state language training provider China as well as a successful online learning provider to create this new press. Innova will create ELT and CLT (that is Chinese Language Teaching) materials for the global market.

Richard Peacock, formerly the man in charge at Garnet Education, is the president of the press and had the following to say:

We are indeed privileged to be working with such influential and cutting-edge partners. As I believe the Chinese saying goes, all things are difficult before they are easy, and the coming year or two will involve a lot of hard work and many challenges. But with the support and good will of our partners, we are confident that we will achieve our goal of becoming a leading and truly innovative international publisher.

Innova, as the name would suggest, is committed to innovating language learning materials. We can expect titles to become available in 2018 and you  can bet that English Central will bring them to you.

In the meantime, if you have an answer to the question “Why does the world need a new ELT Publisher?,” send an email to terry@innovapress.co.uk.

Sadly, it is of no surprise to anyone teaching in a IEP anywhere in the US, but international student numbers have been declining over the past year. Some blame is pointed at Trump, some at the currently difficulty obtaining visas and then there are a few other factors involved too.

For an incredibly detailed article on what is hapenning with international students in the US right now, read this article in Inside Higher Ed.

There is more than one Trump who takes themselves too seriously.

A private language school in Croatia recently ran ads on five billboards. The billboards featured a large photo of melania Trump standing in front of an American flag with the caption “Just imagine how far you can go with a little bit of English.” The first lady took this as a slight and the school was threatened to take the billboards down or face legal action. The school seemed quite surprised and said their intention had been to present her as a role model.

Read account in the EL Gazette.

Chinese students who study abroad used to get the nickname “seaturtle” once they returned home. These days, their new nickname is “seaweed”.

According to an article in the EL Gazette, there are increasing doubs among the Chinese of the value of studying abroad. Chinese students who have studied abroad are finding that their job prospects are not improved once they return home.

Read more in the EL Gazette.

It may not come as a surprise, but with the millions of dollars spent by colleges, universities and private schools to recruit international students, unethical and unlawful student recruitment agents have experienced a bit of a windfall. Agents are largely unregulated and easilt manage to overcharge and defraud the students on whose behalf they are meant to be working.

Read more in the Vancouver Sun.

Airport pickups, pizza parties, orientation apps, pre-arrival webinars, peer mentoring… universities are introducing more and more supports to help international students feel welcome and succeed.

Read more in University Affairs

The CBC recently reported that many international students in Canada avoid seeking mental health support because of fears that it will lead to their being deported.

As many international students studying in Canada hope to immigrate to Canada after their studies, there is a common fear that seekign help for depression and other mental health issues will leave a black mark on their files that will lead to their immigration applications being rejected when the time comes.

Read more on CBC.

Two English instructors at Langara College in Vancouver have gone public with their concern that they are being pressured to pass international students who deserve to fail their classes. While the College provost denies there is any such pressure, the instructors are just two lending their voice to the growing number of post-secondary educators pointing to the problems created by the exploding number of international students at Canadian colleges and universitites.

As well as institutional pressure, there is also the pressure from students who sometimes try to move their instructors to improve their grades through tears or begging… or complaining to the department head. Instructors are also concerned about the effect of failing students on “rate your preofessor websites” and their ability to fill classes going forward.

These instructors have also voiced the concern that the quality of education for domestic students is going down because of the international students’ common inability to properly participate in the class because of linguistic deficiency.

Read the article in the Vancouver Sun.