VOA标准英语2009-Number of Students Studying Abroad on Rise G

By Laurel Bowman
Washington
18 November 2009

A Washington-based educational institute says the number of university students who study abroad is on the rise. The Institute of International Education reports a 60 percent increase in the number of students studying outside their native country since the year 2000.

 
Carolyn French of the United States recently studied abroad in Spain, Argentina and Brazil (file photo)
 
Carolyn French says studying abroad changed her worldview - and for the better. She studied in Spain, Argentina and Brazil. She says learning foreign languages is essential.

"That is really important for me because having a masters degree in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies doesn't mean much without having the skills in Spanish and Portuguese¹ to be able to communicate with other scholars in Latin America," French said.

She is one of a growing number of Americans choosing to study abroad. The Institute of International Education said at a briefing that the number of Americans heading overseas to study rose by eight percent in 2008, and has increased four-fold in the past two decades. 

Judith McHale, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy² and Public Affairs, approves.

"We believe this type of growth is essential in helping³ our students understand, navigate⁴ and thrive in a global economy," McHale said.

The briefing revealed that the number of international students doing coursework in the U.S. also jumped in 2008 - by eight percent, fueled by a 21 percent rise in undergraduates from China. India leads the pack in sending students to the U.S.

International students coming to the U.S. mainly study business management, engineering, science and math - in that order. The Institute says the majority of those students support themselves with family or personal funds, and are now contributing more than $17 billion to the U.S. economy.

Peggy Blumenthal is from the Institute of International Education:

"We are not just educating them in their fields and specialties⁵ but in American values, American business styles and American culture so that when they go back home and become leaders in their societies they will have a much better understanding of America," said Blumenthal.

She says most American students who go abroad still head to Europe or Latin America to study the social sciences. Up by 20 percent are those going to China and India.

Wherever they study, Carolyn French says they're in for important lessons.

"We need to increasingly come to a realization⁶ that the United States is only one country within so many different cultures and so many different ways of looking at the world and we need to become more competitive in the global marketplace," French said.

The institute says that more than three million students are being educated outside their home countries today. By 2025, that number is expected to top eight million.

1 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

2 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

5 specialties   

n.专门，特性，特别；专业( specialty的名词复数 )；特性；特制品；盖印的契约

参考例句：

• Great Books are popular, not pedantic. They are not written by specialists about specialties for specialists. 名著绝不引经据典，艰深难懂，而是通俗易读。它们不是专家为专业人员撰写的专业书籍。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Brain drains may represent a substantial reduction in some labor force skills and specialties. 智力外流可能表示某种劳动力技能和特长大量减少。 来自辞典例句

6 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。