Visiting the English Riviera
While British ports might not be everyone's cup of tea when it comes to a luxury holiday, for thousands of visitors annually the British coast offers something more than just a vacation. With the advent of low-cost flights throughout Europe, the appeal of the so-called English Riviera has dwindled in the minds of British holidaymakers, but for foreign visitors - in particular students - the allure of the region is undisputed.
English language schools in coastal cities such as Bournemouth, Poole, Eastbourne and Brighton are a prime destination for international students who wish to improve their English by learning the language in reputed establishments that have been created specifically for this purpose. School holidays provide a boom time for course enrolments, however there are year-round study options available, which many students use to their full advantage. Despite the jokes and jibes about the unpredictable weather in the region, many students are keen to maximise their English studies by learning the language where it is spoken natively on a day-to-day basis.
Figures reveal that over 600,000 students come annually to the United Kingdom to learn English, with an estimated extra ?1.5bn brought to the economy as a result. While previously students have shown a preference to learn English at a language school London, recent reports indicate that a trend to diversify destinations is emerging. With the seaside appeal of cities such as Bournemouth, Poole, Eastbourne and Brighton, there is certainly another dimension added to the study process! Reasons for attending British institutes are varied, but often students are independent gap year students who have just finished university in their home country and are prepared to launch their professional careers, or alternately students are sponsored by their home country governments.
Other cities that have emerged as popular amongst students include Cambridge and Oxford. For students wishing to learn English London is still certainly a very tempting prospect. The capital has the added bonus of being an internationally recognised hub of culture, history and current affairs, although some students report that the costs of living in London were at times a prohibitive factor. Of this total number of students, slightly more than half pursue further study, often at a tertiary level, or take professional qualifications.