Country guide for EFL teachers
Foreign languages in demand by UK businesses
Nearly two-thirds of businesses in the UK want to recruit staff with foreign language skills. French is still the most highly prized language, but Spanish and Mandarin speakers are more in demand than in the past.
Katja Hall, CBI deputy director-general, said that, given the EU was the UK’s largest export market, it was no surprise to see European languages so highly valued. “But with China and Latin America seeing solid growth, ambitious firms want the language skills that can smooth the path into new markets,” she said.
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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e2318352-f897-11e3-815f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz35Zj1M5Fm
Migrants "able to buy" language test pass certificates
The Home Office is investigating claims that migrants who cannot speak English have been able to buy documents saying they have passed a language test.
The Daily Mail said secret filming at one test centre in London showed that certificates were sold for £500 each. Home Office staff searched a Learn Pass Succeed (LPS) school in Upton Park, east London on Saturday.
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said the government took any allegation of fraud extremely seriously. "We will take the strongest possible action against anyone who is found to have abused the rules," he said. He said this included the possibility of criminal prosecutions for fraud.
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English teacher murdered in Bali
A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a British teacher on the Indonesian island of Bali, according to local reports.
Anne-Marie Drozdz, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, was found in the villa where she was staying in Ubud on Thursday afternoon. The Jakarta Post said a Bali man had been arrested. The newspaper said initial inquiries by Bali police showed the murder might have been linked to a robbery.
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Greece: Financial crisis brings greater demand for English learning
As financial crisis increases its negative effect on the Greek economy, the need for English is constantly growing, both due to the competitive professional envionment and the fact that thousands of Greeks are emigrating, either to look for a job or to study abroad, being the UK one of the most popular destinations.
Another reason for this higher demand, is the great importance that certificates have adquired in the ELT market. Many employers will only hire people with a solid knowledge of the English language and having a certificate will give you an advantage over other applicants.
For more information, please check the following website: http://mag.digitalpc.co.uk/Olive/ODE/ELGAZETTE/
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English teacher shot to death in Yemen
Our most sincere condolences to the family of the English teacher who was shot to death in Yemen when he was coming back from the institute where he was teaching English, by two men on a motorbike.
For more information and details, please visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/world/middleeast/american-teacher-shot-dead-in-yemen.html