Complete the text by putting the sentences (a-g) in the correct place.
a) In the 1970s and 80s people could become rich very fast if they owned a language school.
b) Students had thought the best way to learn English was to go to a school in England.
c) If you don’t let your students have some choice then your school will eventually fail.
d) They have to think as a business.
e) They don’t just want a holiday in England, they want good English teaching.
f) After all, they learnt English too and know the problems.
g) What happened and what can be done?
LANGUAGE AS BUSINESS
Where have the students gone?
For English speakers, English Language Teaching has been a very successful business. For the last 35 years students from all over the world have rushed to England to learn English. 0__a__. As well as London, towns and cities, like Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton and Bournemouth, made huge profits from mostly teenage and twenty-somethings coming to England to study English.
Today more than 30% of the schools that were teaching English twenty years ago have gone bankrupt and schools now have to learn good business skills to try and survive.
1_____
Firstly, the market changed. In the 70s and 80s most students came from countries with money such as Italy, Spain, Switzerland etc. Today most students came from central and eastern Europe, Asia etc. They are not necessarily poorer but they are looking for value for money. 2_____. Many schools didn’t take notice of this change.
Secondly, students wanted a different type of English. Fewer students want cheap summer courses or just English for conversation. They want Business English. They also want to choose different things to study with English. 3_____.
Basically speaking, schools thought students would keep coming and spending their money. They didn’t. Schools now have to negotiate their futures with the students. Students don’t want the set meal, they want to choose from the menu.
Finally, people don’t see the need to go to England to learn English. 4______. Now, because language schools in the home countries have got much better, students don’t feel the need to go to the UK. Students also now realise that maybe they can learn better with their own bilingual teachers from their country than with native speakers of English. 5_____.
It’s not all bad news for schools in England. English language teaching will not become extinct. However, schools now have to learn to change. 6_____. They have to provide what the customer wants and they have to remember that their competitors are not only in England. They are everywhere.
/ 6
5 Listen to the dialogue and tick the things they decide to do to advertise the Raymond Jacquet Classique range.
