Australia is becoming an increasingly popular
destination for learning English. For those who like adventure,
a chance to travel, or experience of the outdoor life, Australia
is an exciting and safe study destination. If your interest is in
developing your English for business or further studies, there is
also a wide choice of good quality colleges and programs which will
suit your needs and Australian people extend a warm welcome to overseas
students.
Many students who come to Australia to study make a point of saying
that the Australians they meet are friendly and helpful, interested
in them and their culture. Most English colleges arrange accommodation
for their students with Australian families near the college to
give them a taste of ‘Aussie life’. This way they get
to know people of all ages, and become part of an Australian family
for the duration of their stay. Some of the friendships formed with
homestay families last for many years after students have returned
home.
Students sometimes think that Australia is a very long way from
home. However, modern travel means that it is only a flight away,
and once there you will find that your money goes a long way. The
cost of living is quite inexpensive, and if you choose to travel,
you will have the chance to see some of Australia’s great attractions:
the Barrier Reef in Queensland, Ayer’s Rock in the outback
of the Northern Territory, the natural wilderness of Tasmania, the
snow-topped mountains of Victoria and New South Wales, the white
sandy beaches where dolphins play in Western Australia, and the
lush wine-producing regions of South Australia.
Australians love the outdoor life, and everywhere you go you will
see Australians enjoying their sport, picnics, visits to the beach
and camping holidays. This vast country has every possible climate
- one to suit everyone. The southern cities, particularly Perth,
Adelaide and Melbourne, have a temperate climate, with hot summers
and cool winters whereas Tasmania, which is further south, has snow-capped
mountains in winter. Sydney is semi-tropical, and the cities of
Queensland tropical and always warm whilst the Northern Territory
and northern Western Australian outback regions are hot and dry.
You can ski in winter, swim and surf all year round, go boating
or fishing, play tennis and golf, and enjoy many other sports.
Each region has its own unique wildlife, and you will have the
opportunity to see kangaroos, koalas, playpus, echidnas, and many
other strange creatures in the wild and in special national parks
where these animals are protected.
The English language industry, or ELICOS (English Language Intensive
Courses for Overseas Students), as it is commonly known, has developed
in Australia over a period of about twenty years, and is now one
of the best known in the world. English language centres in Australia
which offer courses to overseas students vary enormously. There
are now more than 150 to choose from, ranging from the small privately
run college with small group tuition, to the secondary school preparing
students for high school studies, to large university or vocational
education centres which will offer English in its own right or as
a transition to any number of other tertiary or further training
programs.
Australia also has a very high quality university and vocational
education system, and students often come to Australia with plans
for a full study program, with English language as the stepping
stone to other courses. You could choose to do a General English
course, or specialise by doing a course in English for business,
graphic arts, the hospitality industry, academic studies, or post-graduate
studies. Or if you are interested in doing one of the internationally
recognised English language examinations, many centres offer special
courses in preparation for the Cambridge University examinations,
IELTS or TOEFL. Your English college will help you to enrol for
these examinations, or if you are unsure of your future study plans,
advise you on further study options after your English course is
complete.
As a safeguard for students coming to Australia, there is a national
accreditation process which all new ELICOS colleges undergo. The
National ELICOS Accreditation Scheme (NEAS), which set up in 1990,
requires all centres to comply with a set of standards, and this
is a guarantee that students will be taught by qualified English
teachers, programs will be accredited and class sized kept small.
When fully accredited by NEAS, colleges are able to show its special
logo on their promotional materials as a symbol of their good standards.
Your English language study program in Australia does not have
to be all work, however. Visiting and living in a new country is
also exciting and fun. For those new to Australia, you will be introduced
to Australian customs, and have the opportunity to meet others through
arranged social activities. You will find that Australians come
from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and so most
cities can offer a vast range of international foods and restaurants
to try. Also, excursions to see the attractions of the city in which
you are studying are often part of your English program, and these
help you to get to know your city.
Australia has a great deal to offer overseas students. Whether
you choose to study English in Australia for its own sake, for the
opportunity to travel across a new and fascinating country, or as
part of your vocational and academic program, your stay will be
a unique experience which you will never forget.
Author: Glenys Merrifield, National Coordinator,
National ELICOS Accreditation Scheme (NEAS)
This article first appeared in TransWorld Education
