Jon Aizlewood

Bending to austerity measures, the Spanish Ministry of Education this month announced it would slash scholarships for language students studying summer immersion courses abroad. Funding will be cut from €22 million in 2012 to just €450,000 to fund studying French in France, and a yet-to-be disclosed sum to study language within Spain.

Brazilians are always looking for something extra, so the agents are putting together programmes that combine languages and other things... I think it’s part of our culture. We are always looking for something exclusive or different to try.

Net migration fell in the UK by a third in the 12 months to June 2012, driven by a sharp drop in the number of overseas students coming to the country, new figures reveal. New Home Office data also reveals that overall, 20% fewer study permits were issued in the year to December 2012, with South Asian countries worst affected.

Regent’s College London, one of Britain's largest private higher education institutions, is to acquire American InterContinental University London—a move it says will make it the largest campus-based provider of American degrees in Europe. It confirmed that it had bought AIUL as a loss-making asset.

In Australia, a new report by IEAC, chaired by Michael Chaney, has suggested easing streamlined visa processing for all "low immigration risk providers" and reviewing the controversial GTE test. The government announced a new Ministerial Committee to ensure the advice will be used to build a "new blueprint for sustainable international education".

Signalling Brazil’s ELT business boom, one of the country's biggest publishers Abril Educação has bought English-language chain Wise Up for 877 million reais (US$444.9 million). Wise Up is present in more than 70 cities in Brazil and around the world, and a sponsor of the 2014 World Cup.

The British Government has confirmed it will continue to view international students as permanent migrants, despite claims by universities, business and politicians that the policy is damaging education exports. Responding to a report from the BIS Select Committee, it said it would continue to comply with the UN's internationally recognised definition of net migration but improve its emigration counting.

Educators in Thailand are calling for longer visa stays for foreign lecturers and students, as the country gears up for the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. Currently, this group must renew visas every three months, but universities say reform is needed to ease Thailand's entrance into AEC.

Canadian language schools are facing uncertainty over new proposals to tighten up the student visa system. One concern is a requirement that provinces decide which educators can and cannot accept foreign students, which could leave some language schools overlooked. Work-study "co-op" programmes – an important segment of the market – could also be abolished.

Kaplan International Colleges is opening a junior English language school in Edinburgh this summer, as it expands its juniors offering across the UK. Junior language learning is said to be booming in Europe and the US, despite a fall in adult business due to the recession.