This report, prepared for the British Council, was commissioned in order to understand the health of the English Language Teaching (ELT) ecosystem in Europe, and investigated the actions required to protect and nurture it in the years to 2025.
Through desk research and horizon scanning, three major challenges were identified for the sector; technology, demography and geography. Using a mixed methods approach – studying secondary sources to gain an insight into market and demographic data, as well as a series of in-depth interviews with stakeholders and experts – we identified the particular nature of these challenges, and what they might mean for the future of English language teaching across the continent.
Further complicating matters is the spectre of Brexit, and the potential impacts that this will have on the desire, and perceived usefulness of English moving forth – a task complicated by the uncertainty which surrounds this political issue.