For Some, Learning English is Business（在线收听） |
After studying English as a foreign language for more than 10 years in her native Spain, attending summer courses in neighboring England and visiting New York, Washington, D.C. and other U.S. cities on vacation, Lorena Arroyo affirms she still hasn't mastered the language. Arroyo, 28, said she has done everything to improve her understanding and lose her accent, including paying friends $20 per hour to speak English with her.
The irony is that Arroyo works for an English media organization. She was hired more than two years ago as a web producer and moved to Miami to report on world news for the English media organization's Spanish-speaking readers. However, not being fluent in English has limited her job opportunities.
“They’re offering correspondent positions and they want candidates to be fluent in Spanish and English. I didn’t apply for them, even if I would have like to, because I’m not bilingual,” she admitted.
Arroyo is part of a class of immigrants who arrived in the United States expecting to beef up their English skills. Ivy League universities, state colleges and private institutions have opened their doors – with newly created English as a foreign language programs - to an influx of students from around the world.
Among them is Vallentin Villalbi, 31. He traveled to the U. S. from France last summer, after getting accepted into Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. Villalbi paid over $2,000 for a three-week intensive English course to acclamate before beginning work on his MBA degree.
“The cost to benefits ratio - that’s an MBA notion,” he explained, “is pretty good. I have a little brother. I’m pushing him to study English because when you’re working, doing business or technical industries, you have to be able to speak English.”
U.S. universities are more eager than ever to attract international students and professionals for academic reasons as well as for financial ones. Virtually every higher learning institution would like to increase this population of students who, in general, pay full tuition.
A report released on November 14 by the U.S. State Department and the Institute of International Education showed a 5 percent increase of international student enrollment in the 2010-2011 academic year. The number of students in Intensive English Programs also saw a sharp increase.
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| 原文地址：http://www.tingroom.com/guide/news/166237.html |