Lots of people have a hard time putting their feelings into words and identifying what emotions they are feeling. Not any more đ The Feeling Wheel we bring you today will help you narrow down exactly what word best expresses your current emotional state. READ MORE
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Has language learning in the UK been affected by the strong Pound? The leading European agents speak out…
The Study Travel Magazine, one of the best known and most read publications in the education and travel industry, published in its December issue several responses from the leading education agents in East and Southeast Europe on the subject of the strength of the British Pound and its impact on language education opportunities around the globe.
Commenting on how the rise of the British Pound has affected peopleâs choice of destination for language learning, Maja Merdovic, Education Program Manager at Prodirekt, said that âit has created significant problems for language travel in price sensitive marketsâ. Students from the Balkan region are somewhat adjusting their preferences, opting for more affordable opportunities to attend language courses and summer camps. In addition, the rising school fees in the UK only exacerbated the whole situation. Consequently, Prodirekt and its Verbalists Language Network âexperienced an increase in bookings to Malta, an alternative English learning destination to the UK,â added Maja Merdovic.
This slight shift in destination choice to more accessible areas is also partly due the UKâs lengthy, complex and costly procedure for obtaining an entry visa, which is not needed for Malta.
Agents from regions close by the Balkans, such as Turkey and Russia, noticed a similar trend in their studentsâ interests, with growing number of students considering Malta in 2015.
Please click here to see the full article in Industry Issues: Agents Speak Out
US records overseas student growth
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The total number of international students on F-1 (academic) or M-1 (vocational) visas as of July 2015 was 1,054,505, SEVP said in the Sevis by the Numbers report. The figure represented a 6.9 per cent decrease from the February 2015 total, but was a nine per cent rise compared with the same period in 2014.
There was also a 22 per cent increase to 244,766 international student participants in the J-1 visa exchange program in the last quarter, which covers areas such as summer work travel and short-term secondary school study.
China, the largest source country, provided 301,532 students as of July, around 30,000 more than at the same period last year. India was the only major Asian source market to register growth over the first quarter of 2015, with a 2.5 per cent rise to 149,987, and had the highest year-on-year increase at 31.9 per cent. Korea, Saudi Arabia and Canada completed the top five source markets.
California was again the largest host state with 178,740 international students, followed by New York (120,161) and Texas (78,354). The three states combined accounted for 36 per cent of the countryâs international students in the last quarter. With 11,891 international students, the University of Southern California was the largest host campus.
The full Sevis by the Numbers report is available here.
Spanish on the global scene – SIELE, the new Spanish proficiency exam launched
Called the Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española, or SIELE, the test is modeled on English exams such as the TOEFL and IELTS, and debuts in 2016. According to an estimate provided by officials at the Cervantes Institute, 300,000 people will take the test in its first year, with that number rising to 750,000 by 2021. READ MORE
These are the sexiest accents on a first date
From East to West, North to South, and whether we understand them or not, accents can really make us weak in the knees. The latest worldwide survey analysed 11,000 single people around the world and found that British accents are the most attractive on a first date. READ MORE
Verbalists’ La mia Roma Italian language travel guide (VIDEO)
La mia ROMA Italian language travel
As legend has it, Rome, Italy, was founded by the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, in 700 B.C. The former Caput Mundi, or Capital of the World, sits beneath Palatine Hill, where the ruins of its original incarnation are open for exploration.
No Rome tour is complete without stopping by the remains of the Temple of Saturn and Arch of Septimus, both located in the Roman Forum. Get in touch with your inner gladiator and stop by the Colosseum, a relic of Roman bloodsports and perhaps the most recognizable element of the city.
Toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain to ensure youâll return to Rome one day; donât toss in two coins unless youâre ready to fall in love with a Roman. Continue your Rome sightseeing in St. Peterâs Square, home of St. Peterâs Basilica. The worldâs largest church, designed by Michelangelo, is both a remarkable structure and a tribute to faith. You can look down from the famous dome to the Holy Square, which is usually filled with the faithful looking to obtain a blessing from the Pope. After this, itâs just a few steps to restaurants filled with Italian food. Forget coming back to Rome â youâll never want to leave.
Whatâs your favorite memory of Rome?
Click here to visit our La mia Roma Italian language travel guide page for more information or to plan your next vacation!
Word of the Year 2014 â heart-shaped emoji
The Heart â„ Emoji (for love) is top word, Pope Francis topped by Ebola as top name, âHands Up, No Shootâ is top phrase
For the first time ever the most used word of the year is actually not a word â it’s a graphic symbol. The heart-shaped emoji topped an annual survey by the Global Language Monitor, having appeared billions of times a day around the world. READ MORE