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Agent usage was up among the students who took part in our Feedback survey of South Africa this year. Satisfaction levels were high and the percentage of African students in schools had decreased.
South Africa Feedback at a glance
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Total number of students: 71 (female 21, male 40, unknown 10)
Average age in years: 26.6
Average length of programme in weeks: 15.1
Average number of students in class: 6.7
Average number of hours of language tuition per week: 22.1
% of students who found out about their course through an agent: 34
% of students who booked through an agent or adviser: 44
% of students who had been on another language programme: 28
% of students who would recommend their school: 96
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| Respondents by world region of origin |
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Top nationalities |
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1. Africa 34%
2. W Europe 18%
3. Latin America 17%
4. Asia 15.5%
5. Middle East 5.5%
6. C & E Europe 4%
No reply 6% |
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1. Congolese 18%
2. Korean 11%
3. German 8%
4. Gabonese 7%
5. Chinese 4%
5. Brazilian 4%
5. Turkish 4%
5. Mozambican 4%
5. Peruvian 4%
5. Sudanese 4%
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| In my class there are... |
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How easy is it to practise your language skills with native speakers? |
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1. The right amount of students (72%)
2. Too many students from one other country (10%)
3. Too many students who speak my language (8%)
Too many students (6%)
No reply 4%
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1. Quite easy (54%)
2. Quite hard (29%)
3. Very easy (13%)
4. Very hard (1%)
No reply 3% |
| How did you find your programme? |
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Did you book your course through an agent or an educational adviser?
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1. Recommended by a friend/relative (38%)
2. Recommended by an agent (34%)
3. I found it on the Internet (27%)
No reply 1%
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Yes (44%)
No (48%)
Unknown (8%)
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Student reasons for school selection included:
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“It was cheap, had a good reputation and South Africa is a very attractive place to be”
“I wanted to visit an unusual country”
“It is a small school where people are interested in you as a person”
“Small groups, cheap price and near the ocean” |
| Before looking for your course, did you know where you wanted to study? |
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Country
Yes (70%)
No (20%)
Unknown (10%)
City/town
Yes (61%)
No (30%)
Unknown (9%)
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School
Yes (41%)
No (49%)
Unknown (10%)
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Student nationality
The most significant finding of this year’s Feedback survey of language students in South Africa was a rapid increase in the number of students from the Congo learning English in this country. Congolese students came out on top of all student nationalities and made up 18 per cent of the student body. Last year, the top nationality for South African language schools was Gabonese (see LTM, July 2009, pages 32-33) slipping into fourth place this year. Interestingly, Germans were the only European nationality to feature in the top ten, compared with four in 2009. A total of 22 different nationalities took part in our survey, although the largest group by far (34 per cent) were from the African world region – down from 43 per cent last year.
Student motivation
With 45 per cent of student respondents being in the 20-to-25 years age bracket, and over 50 per cent classing themselves to be university students, it is not surprising to note that 61 per cent said that they were learning English for either their studies back home, future studies in another country or future studies in South Africa. Thirty-five per cent of respondents said that they currently used English for work purposes while a further 49 per cent said that they were using their English for current university studies or both studies and work purposes. The serious intentions of students studying English in South Africa is further established by the relatively long average length of stay of 15.1 weeks compared with 14.8 weeks previously.
Student enrolment
Agent usage was higher among this year’s survey respondents compared with last year, with 44 per cent booking their course though an agent compared with just 23 per cent last year. Students were also more likely to have found their course through an agent this year (34 per cent compared with 15 per cent). Otherwise, the recommendations of friends and family was the most often used method of finding a school (used by 38 per cent of students) followed by the Internet which was used by 27 per cent of students. The largest group of students (34 per cent) were staying in host family accommodation while in South Africa, and a further 23 per cent were in residential accommodation.
Standard of the schools
Students in South Africa were generally very satisfied with their schools, and 96 per cent said that they would recommend their school to others. Sixty-three per cent of respondents rated their teachers as excellent, while a further 25 per cent said that they were good. Accommodation scored less well but 58 per cent rated their accommodation to be either excellent or good. Average class sizes were quite small at 6.7 students, which perhaps contributed to students’ satisfaction levels with just six per cent reporting that there were too many students in their class.
Living in South Africa
With an average cost of weekly tuition fees and accommodation being US$309, South Africa was found to be more expensive than their own countries by 41 per cent of students. When it came to students naming their favourite aspects of South Africa, the countryside came out on top, followed by the language, people and culture. Students especially appreciated the friendliness of local people and 66 per cent of them found it to be either very easy or quite easy to practise their English with the locals.
Thank you to the following schools for participating in our survey: Bay Language Institute, Port Elizabeth; EC, Cape Town; ELS, Cape Town; Good Hope Studies, Cape Town; International House, Cape Town; Jeffreys Bay Language School, Jeffreys Bay; Kurus English, Cape Town; Shane Global, Cape Town; South African School of English, Cape Town; Wits Language School, Johannesburg. |
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