Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 44 to 50.
Globalisation has affected most aspects of our lives. One area which has changed is education. More and more people move to different countries for their studies. At the same time, more people stay at home and study by distance learning. It is now easy to learn without attending a college or university, or attending less often. ‘Blended learning’ means studying partly in a traditional way in the classroom and partly online or via email.
Different countries have benefited from the globalisation of education in different ways. Students can get an internationally recognised degree at a much cheaper price than going abroad and so can improve their chances of getting a good job. At the same time, those in the countries providing world-class degrees also benefit. They have greater access to ideas and knowledge from all over the world and having international students enrich their universities. However, it is not good news for everyone in some developing countries. It is usually the elite who are prosperous enough to have access to international education. Many people in rural areas have not even had a primary education. Also, those areas usually do not have reliable internet connections and most people do not own a computer. It will take a bit more time for international opportunities to reach everyone in developing countries. Unfortunately, one concern people have about globalisation is that it can start to mean 'westernisation'. In other words, local knowledge can be lost and money seen as more important than culture.
Educational institutions have changed their focus due to globalisation. There are so many benefits of having overseas students that universities are competing for them, using strategies from the world of business. There is also more emphasis on the student experience. There is more focus on customer care, especially helping international students to settle in, improve their English and understand the academic culture of the host country.
