A closer examination of the survey’s specifics, however, reveals that outside factors like the Global Economic Crisis, however, may have had a significant impact on these figures. For example, the total number of full-time students did increase by 10% over that period, while the number of English language students fell by fully 50%. These shifts offsets each other nicely because full time students represent 66% of all international students and English immersion students account for considerably less than 10%. Given the importance of higher education in general but the large number of competing English immersion opportunities available worldwide (and its less essential nature), these findings are typical of recessionary years.

Countries of origin reports also support this finding. Many of Ireland’s largest exchange partners are from English-speaking countries and include the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and Canada. Although other, non-native English speaking nationals also made the top ten – notably China, France, Germany, Spain, and Malaysia – the majority of those countries are member of the European Union (who can study for free in Ireland without a student visa). These findings would seem to imply that the language requirement laid out in the Ireland student visa process acts as a significant deterrent for would-be exchange students. At the same time, the numbers show a sharp fall in language immersion students from Japan and South Korea who, residing outside the EU and studying largely to improve language skills, indicating the elastic demand for such services in a recession. Nevertheless, as the world economy recovers, the slight dip means Ireland can rest assured that its unique place in higher education is secure.

At the same time, another article shows that Malta’s English schools – which attracted fully 73,000 students in 2010 – remains vulnerable to competition. Indeed, changes in scholarship funding in Spain that now favor the US, the UK and Ireland to study English meant that the number of Spanish students studying in Malta in 2011 fell by over 60%. This price sensitivity among Spanish nationals, who only the year before had shown the strongest growth, further underscore the implications of increased competition and the recent recession. Indeed, the rising cost of living in Malta has effectively closed the gap between Malta and the UK meaning that Malta will have to work still harder to attract students from Europe and elsewhere.

The reasons for this are complicated. Country of origin reports indicate that the growth spike experienced from 2001 to 2002 was largely the result of a single, unsustainable surge in students from China. In the span of a single year enrollment rose from 25,182 to 53,340 – thanks in large part to favorable changes in New Zealand student visa regulations – but since then Chinese student enrollment declined. In 2007, for example, it fell below its 2001 level to 24,776.

Less important are the reasons for this trend and more important are their implications. Since this decline began, the New Zealand Ministry of Education has actively worked to limit its overreliance on a single country (and even Asia in general). In 2001, its top three exchange partners (China, Japan and South Korea) made up 66 percent of all enrollments – a number that peaked in 2003 at 73 percent. Thanks to ongoing efforts to diversify its recruitment portfolio, New Zealand’s efforts to attract students from Europe, North America, and Latin America have paid off. European attendance rates have risen 83 percent from 2001 to 2007 while North American enrollments have risen by 168 percent at the same time.

By contrast, in 2007 students from China, Japan and South Korea made up only 60 percent of international student enrollment. Thus, with its diversified partnerships and strong growth outside traditional strongholds, it can be safely said that the rise in international student enrollments in New Zealand is here to stay.

Taken together, then, Ireland leads the pack with the survey’s highest score – 8.33 out of 10 – and strongly outperforms Switzerland (8.07) and Norway (8.05),the second and third place finishers. Perhaps more surprising still, Ireland’s neighbor and longtime rival, the United Kingdom, ranked 29th – solidly in the second tier of surveyed nations.
This result is clear indicator of Ireland’s rising position in the world. Long considered a European backwater, as recently as the 1990s the country was better known for its mass emigrations than its quality of life. Of late, however, membership in the European Union and the resulting loosening of trade restrictions has transformed the island nation. Where once thousands of its citizens left every year in search abroad, favorable exchange programs with other EU member state has seen a significant uptick in Ireland student visa applicants.

In fact, the survey reveals what many international students in Ireland already known. Attracted by its favorable climate, low cost of living, and friendly people, it has established itself as a major player in both English language and higher education.

Recent changes to its immigration policy, however, mean that New Zealand is more accessible than ever. Indeed, a series of flexible visa arrangements mean that, in New Zealand, you have the best of both worlds. Citizens from many countries – namely Canada, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and the United Kingdom – are eligible for New Zealand’s Working Holiday program and entitled to study without a formal student visa for up to six months out of twelve. Similarly, students from most other countries are free to enroll in short-term English language program (three months in length or less) on a visitor visa. Student who are seeking a degree (or have otherwise longer term plans) can take advantage of the New Zealand student visa and even work part-time during the academic year.

Between work and school, however, be sure to leave plenty of time to enjoy the best of what New Zealand has to offer. It truly is one of the greatest travel destinations in the world. From the North Island’s volcanoes to the South Island’s fjords – and with world-class cities and beaches in between – it has something to offer visitors of all stripes.

This varied landscape, along with its four distinct seasons, means that there are incredible sports and adventure activities to engage in no matter the season. The country is overflowing with recreation activities that range from the sedate (like gold and horseback riding) to the extreme (like rock climbing and hang gliding).

Finally, its people are world-renowned in their own right for their warm spirits and friendly dispositions. They, truly, are the stars of the show and will doubtless make your visit a memorable one!

If you are looking to study English in New Zealand, check out the ESL Directory to find the program that’s right for you.

Academics: From primary school to college and beyond, Canada’s education system ranks among the finest in the world. More to the point, its finely calibrated accreditation organizations (such as the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada) ensure that a Canadian degree really is as valuable as the equivalent certification in the US or UK. Also, because Canada is a uniquely bilingual nation – its national languages are both English and French – it provides an unique language immersion experience. Nowhere else in the English-speaking world do the two languages cohabitate to freely, and because of this many of its colleges and universities offer English as a Second Language or French as a Second language programs.

Cost: Excellence does not mean excess, however. School fees – and the cost of living in general – in Canada are among the lowest in the English-speaking world. The average cost of a tuition in Canada is fully a third lower than it is in the United States. Meanwhile, the overall cost of living in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is 30% lower than London’s cost of living. Those kind of savings add up!

Work: Canada Student Visa holders are allowed to work on campus during their studies and many provinces encourage off-campus work as well. The Canadian office of Citizenship and Immigration also generously allows international students who have graduated from a college or university in Canada to work in Canada for up to one year after they receive their degree. That means your studies may well be the first step in the path to success in Canada!

If you are looking to study English in Canada, check out the ESL Directory to find the program that’s right for you.

• EFL, also known as English as a Foreign Language, is a generic term used to describe the use of English in a non-English-speaking region. For example, English language classes taught in Seoul (the Korean-speaking capital of South Korea) are considered EFL. Because EFL students study in countries that do not use English as a primary language, language immersion possibilities are limited.
• ESL, or English as a Second Language, is by contrast used to describe English instruction that takes place in a primarily English-speaking country. This includes the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as in countries where English is spoken widely. Students who travel to the United States for a language immersion program are taking place in an ESL program. Because the country of study actively employs the target language these programs allows students ample opportunities to improve their language skills outside the classroom
• However, because ESL implies English is a student’s second language – which is not always the case and can have important ramifications on language acquisition – the terms ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) and EAL (English as an Additional Language) have spread as a response to the term ESL. For example, a student from Eastern Europe may speak several languages fluently before beginning their English education. Because both are more widely – and accurately – applicable to students of all backgrounds, the use of these terms is expected to grow.

Australia is a perfect fit for many international students thanks to its natural beauty and the world-famous warmth of its people. The “Land Down Under” has more than just kangaroos and koalas to offer – it also provides a safe environment in which you can study English with a diverse culture. On top of that, its numerous Australia student visa options allow students to enroll in programs that work for them. Its visitor visa program, for example, allows up to 12 weeks of study without the expense a formal student visa and its work and travel visa allows even more – meaning that visitors have the time and the opportunity to explore the country’s many exciting locales as part of their immersion process.

Moreover, given the country’s low cost of living, it affords students the opportunity to pursue a high quality education at an affordable price. Australian language schools and universities provide a range of English learning programs to meet the needs of students looking to studying English abroad. From short term exam preparatory programs to full-length degree programs, Australia’s language schools and universities have the program for you.

Additionally, with either a work and travel or student visa, students have the opportunity to work part time, further promoting the immersion experience while helping to defray the already low costs. So what are you waiting for?

If you are looking to study English in Australia, check out the ESL Directory to find the program that’s right for you!

If Mexico’s central banking authority (these countries were chosen purely for the sake of argument) decides that they don’t want to allow the value of their currency to rise and fall with market conditions on the world exchange rate market, they may take steps to ensure that the value of their currency is artificially stabilized versus some other country’s. In so fixing the value of the Peso to the Pound, what has in effect happened is that goods produced in Mexico will be less expensive than goods produced in England.

In pegging or fixing the exchange rate between the Peso and the Pound, what the Mexican central bank has in effect tried to do is stabilize trade relations between their countries and also stabilize the value of their currency. In so doing, however the Pound rises and falls, the Peso will do so in at the same rate. This is most often done in smaller nations whose markets are tied to larger ones.

The biggest problem with this arrangement, from the British view, would be that goods from Mexico would permanently become less expensive than goods produced at home in real terms. As such, items that are manufactured in the United Kingdom would be, all other things being equal, consumed at a lower rate than those produced in Mexico by the British markets. This can lead to a trade imbalance, which can have consequences for both countries.

Specialized forms of checks include the electronic check, the cashier’s check, and the money order. Money orders and cashier’s checks are also called official items, in that they are guaranteed by the bank or company that produced them. The bank where a cashier’s check is made in effect promises that the check is valid, because they have already been paid for the item. The same is true for money orders. Electronic checks are created when a vendor has been given permission by the owner of an account, either through a contract or verbal agreement, to take funds from their account.

The three numbers at the bottom of any check are the routing number, which in effect gives the electronic address of the writer’s bank, the account number, which gives the maker’s account number at that bank, and the check number, which is the number of checks that the account owner has written up to this point. However, just because someone has written you a check does not mean that there is enough money in their account to pay the check. If someone gives you a check, you should always take it to the bank it is drawn on if you feel it may not be good. The bank that appears on the check will be able to tell instantly if there are enough funds available for the check to be paid, as the check comes from one of their accounts. If you deposit a “bad check”, one that was written without enough money to cover the purchase, into your bank account, you may be subject to fees.