The British government published details today of tough new rules for foreign students, designed to prevent abuses of the immigration system. The measures, most of which go into effect next month, include “a requirement for students to demonstrate their English-language ability by passing an approved secure test.” Universities UK, the lobbying group for university chief executives, said in a statement that it “supports many of the proposed changes but expressed concern about the potentially significant impact on the provision of English-language programs by universities and other providers.” Britain is the second-most-popular destination in the world for foreign students, who pay higher tuition than do domestic students and students from other European Union countries, and who are estimated to pump billions of pounds annually into the national economy. The Universities UK chief executive warned in the group’s statement that “there is a real risk that restrictions on reputable education institutions will make the UK less attractive to international students.”
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6 Responses to British Universities Worry About New Rule on Foreign Students’ English Proficiency
greenhills73 - February 10, 2010 at 3:24 pm
I would be more concerned about English proficiency in faculty. I work in a service department that serves faculty and staff, and I struggle enormously to communicate with a surprisingly large percentage of faculty because their foreign accents are so heavy or their English so poor. I hate to even imagine being an American student in their classes and trying to understand them.
rbrunson56 - February 11, 2010 at 6:09 am
Kudos to the Brits for having the intestinal fortitude to insist on English – in Britain of all places. Wish the US would grow some ?? and insist on the same, for faculty, staff, and students.Private businesses in the States and elsewhere can conduct business in any language that suits their business purposes. For all government interaction, and most universities are government funded enterprises, English should be the accepted, and in fact only, language, for the US and UK.
jffoster - February 11, 2010 at 7:45 am
One note of information / reminder: No. 2 says “in Britain of all places.” Maybe he meant “in England, of all places”. There are two countries and one principality on the island of Great Britain, and while English is the predominant language, it is not the only one and not, relatively speaking, the native one. Some Scots still speak Scots Gaelic and speak Welsh do many Welshmen. And Welsh speaking schools and universities there are. Legal in Wales both Welsh and Saesoneg are. On, and by the by, the Channel Islands arent part of the British Isles but are part of the United Kingdom. Their language is French — the Hymne Nationale c’est “Vive la Reigne”. But I pretty much agree with the general point of (2) about the United States (with due nods to such areas as Puerto Rico), and with the provisos noted above, Great Britain.Hwyl!
gradace - February 11, 2010 at 9:48 am
The article mentions a key segment of international students — those who travel to an English-speaking country to master the language. The UK could be legislating away that market to other countries, such as the US, Canada and Australia (who would be happy to have those students BTW!).
denovo - February 11, 2010 at 11:46 am
GCSE level foreign language is a mediocre standard for proficiency (though higher than most Welsh speakers in their native language!). So this new measure won’t have much impact on university admissions. The sub-degree colleges on the other hand are likely to be badly hit…
wanker303 - February 11, 2010 at 12:08 pm
This all seems to be coming down to…dare I say it! Money! How on earth can you confer, or even offer, a degree from a respectable British (or American for that matter)university when the recipiant cannot speak English! It is asinine! A degree from Oxbridge, or the Ivy League, will become an academic joke.