For Some, Learning English is Business

 　　After studying English as a foreign language for more than 10 years in her native Spain, attending summer courses in neighboring England and visiting New York, Washington, D.C. and other U.S. cities on vacation, Lorena Arroyo¹ affirms she still hasn't mastered the language.

　　Arroyo, 28, said she has done everything to improve her understanding and lose her accent, including paying friends $20 per hour to speak English with her.

　　The irony² is that Arroyo works for an English media organization.  She was hired more than two years ago as a web producer and moved to Miami to report on world news for the English media organization's Spanish-speaking readers. However, not being fluent in English has limited her job opportunities.

　　“They’re offering correspondent positions and they want candidates to be fluent in Spanish and English. I didn’t apply for them, even if I would have like to, because I’m not bilingual,” she admitted.

　　Arroyo is part of a class of immigrants who arrived in the United States expecting to beef up their English skills. Ivy³ League universities, state colleges and private institutions have opened their doors – with newly created English as a foreign language programs - to an influx⁴ of students from around the world.

　　Among them is Vallentin Villalbi, 31. He traveled to the U. S. from France last summer, after getting accepted into Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. Villalbi paid over $2,000 for a three-week intensive English course to acclamate before beginning work on his MBA degree.

　　“The cost to benefits ratio - that’s an MBA notion,” he explained, “is pretty good. I have a little brother. I’m pushing him to study English because when you’re working, doing business or technical industries, you have to be able to speak English.”

　　U.S. universities are more eager than ever to attract international students and professionals for academic reasons as well as for financial ones. Virtually every higher learning institution would like to increase this population of students who, in general, pay full tuition.

　　A report released on November 14 by the U.S. State Department and the Institute of International Education showed a 5 percent increase of international student enrollment⁵ in the 2010-2011 academic year.  The number of students in Intensive English Programs also saw a sharp increase.

 

1 arroyo   

n.干涸的河床，小河

参考例句：

• She continued along the path until she came to the arroyo.她沿着小路一直走到小河边。
• They had a picnic by the arroyo.他们在干枯的河床边野餐过。

2 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

3 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

4 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

5 enrollment   

n.注册或登记的人数；登记

参考例句：

• You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
• I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。