Interview with Craig Leith, Centre Director of EC Cape Town: “The best benefit of studying abroad is to be fully immersed in the language in the country in which it is spoken”

CRAIG LEITH, CENTRE DIRECTOR OF EC CAPE TOWN

 

Why should a student choose your school?

We are one of only 2 Cambridge University exam centres in South Africa. We offer a full range of Volunteer Programmes and Internship Placements. All our classrooms are fitted with interactive whiteboards and the maximum class size is 15 students. All our teachers are local South Africans, qualified and experienced. We offer English+Safari, English in the City and English for Work courses and a full, diverse range of social activities and outings.

 

In your opinion, which are the main benefits for a student to study abroad?

The most obvious benefit is to be fully immersed in the language in the country in which it is spoken, and being exposed to it for the full duration of their stay. This makes the language totally practical and conversational, and it comes alive for the student, as opposed to learning online or in a classroom in their home country. By being immersed in the culture of the place where they study, students are also exposed to the context of the language as it is spoken, read, heard and written. In addition, this cultural exposure is a means of personal growth and development for the individual student as they are taken out of their comfort zones and have to live in a new, different environment than the one on which they grew up.

 

How do you see the future of language tourism?

I am very positive that once COVID-19 is under control and students are allowed to travel freely again, we will see the industry recover dramatically. I think students will be more eager to and enthusiastic about travelling than ever before, due to the restrictions they have had to endure in 2020.

 

What types of courses do you think will be most in demand in the future? 

It’s difficult to say, because the types of students who travel vary so much, and therefore so do their needs. I don’t believe that one course would necessarily be more popular or in demand than another.