Katie Duncan

A unique service has opened in Barcelona offering students Spanish classes by day and a local “host” to show them around the city in the evenings. Barcelona Host also has a unique 24/7 service allowing students to send questions via Whatsapp or email at any time of the day or night and receive a prompt reply.

Speaking at The Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations of Malta's annual general meeting, the Minister for Tourism said the EFL industry potentially contributed €145 million to the national economy last year. This year FELTOM will also start a rebranding campaign to coincide with its 25th anniversary.

In a marketing move that will bring more agents to its fairs, IALC and ICEF’s ANZA have joined forces to create a cost-effective double workshop package for agents to be held in Australia and New Zealand this April. The coordinated timing and location of the two workshops means that IALC institutions as well as exhibitors can easily attend both.

Study Brisbane is going the extra mile to welcome international students to the city, as 100 volunteer Airport Ambassadors will greet up to 15,000 foreign students arriving between now and the end of March. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said he wants "all international students to feel at home".

The Institute of International Education (IIE) has announced the winners of the 2014 Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education. The awards showcase the most groundbreaking models for internationalising universities, study abroad, and international partnership programmes.

The British Council has signed a Declaration of Intent (DOI) to work with the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) to improve the country's English as a First Additional Language (EFAL) programming and delivery. The signing of the DOI follows last week’s Education World Forum.

EC Malta recently welcomed Italian actor, model and the 2011 winner of Italian TV show Big Brother to its student cohort. The English language school chain is using its celebrity student to publicise its ELT offer among its target student demographic.