The newspaper for English language and international education

Warning

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 337

Search the EL Gazette

The WTF effect: troublesome acronyms in international education

26-06-2017 Hits:114 News Melanie Butler

The World Taekwondo Federation caused much amusement over the weekend after announcing it was to change its name because of the ‘negative connotations’ of its acronym. It will now be...

September 2013

Under construction

As of 21 August 2013, EL Gazette's website has now been extensively redesigned, with lots of new features. These include a new job advertisements page and a glossary of international English language-teaching related jargon.

This site will carry a small selection of our recent news stories, interviews and features on education policy. Additionally, you can still view pdfs with all the content of recent back issues of the print edition at EL Gazette digital. (You will need to register for it, but it's free, there's a short tutorial on how to register and how to use its search function here.)

We are aware that there are still a few glitches with the new-style website that still need ironing out, such as the text in some of the sidebars, and we are working to update the content and links in some of the 'resources' pages.

July 2013

Thanks a billion, London!

GLOBAL REACH: Wimbledon School of English is one of many schools that attract students from all over the world to London. Photo courtesy Isobel Clarke & Sandro Saviolo, Wimbledon School of English.

By Melanie Butler

English language students contribute over a billion pounds a year to London’s economy, based on the latest industry statistics from 2011, making language teaching worth 40 per cent more than the capital’s film production industry. Yet where the film industry gets tax breaks from the government, and a recent £2 million grant from the mayor, English language students are seen by the tabloid media as lazy job-stealing immigrants, even though language students from outside the EU do not have the right to work during their stay.

On average an English language student will remain in the country less than six weeks, stay as a paying guest with one of London’s 11,000 host families and spend £3,000 in the city. Teenagers make up the largest group of students, with

June 2013

French row over more English medium classes in HE

By Rafaela Peteanu

France’s higher education minister Geneviève Fioraso presented a draft of her new Education and Research Law (known in France as the ESR) to the country’s Council of Ministers in March. Among other provisions, the proposed law permits teaching in universities in languages other than French, which has led to petitions against the ‘marginalisation and destruction of the French language’.

June 2013

Saudi Arabia moves to eject illegal workers

By Jefferson Youth

The Saudi government has been moving forward with its ‘saudisation’ plans and is inspecting schools, colleges and small businesses to root out people working without correct visas. It aims to rid the country of illegal workers, opening up positions for the 12.5 per cent of Saudis who are unemployed.

According to a Saudi Passports Office official, as reported by al-Hayat newspaper in April, ‘more than 200,000 foreigners have been deported from the country over the past few months’. This has sent shock waves through the expatriate community as many workers, particularly expats’ wives working as teachers or assistants, are used to officials turning a blind eye. Fear of fines or deportation has led to many schools closing, with employees staying at home.