There are plenty of reasons for the foreign language classes Manchester residents attend each week.
In many cases it’s about learning another country’s native language for convenience, to make sure you can place simple orders at bars and restaurants while on holiday.
But for overseas students who attend the language classes Manchester’s tuition providers offer, it’s a step towards a new career – and that can help some to stay in the UK after graduation.
With English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes, overseas students struggling to understand their studies can give themselves a better chance of scoring well in tests and examinations, as well as preparing for job interviews if they choose to stay in the UK after university ends.
Communities Minister Andrew Stunell (a Stockport MP) announced £10 million of funding earlier this month for schemes to improve the English of non-native speakers of the language, noting the benefits of doing so in comments made at the time.
“This fund will help to release people from the prison of not being conversant in English, give them access to the jobs market, build their self-esteem and help build relations within communities,” he said.