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.
