英语新闻｜海外留学可能重获青睐

Last year, Liu Zitong shelved her plan to study abroad due to COVID-19 and other safety concerns, and instead prepared for the national postgraduate entrance exam to enroll in a Chinese university.

2022年，出于对新冠疫情与其他安全问题的顾虑，刘梓童（音译）搁置了自己出国留学的计划，转而准备参加全国研究生入学考试以进入国内大学读研。

However, after the 22-year-old senior undergraduate student performed poorly in the exam, she decided to sign up for tutoring courses at Beijing-based overseas education consultancy EIC Education.

然而，这位22岁的大四学生考研时发挥不佳，刘梓童决定在北京的启德留学集团报读辅导课程。

"I have always longed to study abroad to experience a different lifestyle and broaden my horizons. English was my preferred subject in school, so it is easy for me to pass the language threshold for overseas study," she said.

她说：“我一直渴望出国留学，去体验不同的生活方式，开阔自己的视野。英语是我在学校的首选科目，所以对我来说，跨过出国留学的语言门槛很容易。”

Liu is looking at options in Singapore and Hong Kong because her parents are worried about her safety in other countries and regions where Chinese students have been discriminated against.

刘梓童正在考虑去新加坡或香港留学，因为父母担心她在其他中国学生受歧视的国家和地区会遇到安全问题。

Like Liu, many Chinese students, who found it unsafe to go to study abroad in the past three years, are reconsidering their decision.

与刘梓童一样，在过去三年中，许多中国学生发现出国留学不安全，他们正在重新考虑自己的决定。

The number of Chinese students studying abroad this year is likely to reach or even exceed the level before COVID-19 hit in 2019, with a strong recovery already seen in the sector after travel restrictions were lifted, according to several overseas education consultancies.

据几家海外教育咨询机构表示，今年中国学生出国留学的人数有可能达到甚至超过2019年新冠疫情出现之前的水平，在取消旅行限制之后，出国留学行业已经出现了强劲的复苏。

Liu Wei, vice-president of New Channel International Education Group, said the number of online, in-person and phone call inquiries for overseas study increased by 45 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023.

新航道国际教育集团副总裁刘威表示，2023年第一季度，线上、面谈和电话咨询海外留学的数量同比增长45%。

"The overseas study market is highly likely to return to its pre-pandemic levels this year and the number of students pursuing their studies abroad will increase steadily in the future," he said.

他说：“今年海外留学市场极有可能恢复到新冠疫情前的水平，未来出国留学的学生数量将稳步增长。”

This is mainly due to the fact that the demand for international education has not decreased. The tough competition in getting into good schools and finding decent jobs in China has also prompted students to look for high-quality education opportunities abroad, he said.

这个现象主要是由于人们对国际教育的需求并没有减少。刘威说，在中国进入好学校和找到体面工作的竞争很激烈，这也促使学生到国外寻找高质量的教育机会。

The pandemic had dealt a major blow to enrollment in foreign universities, so now it is a good time for Chinese students to study abroad, he added.

他补充说，新冠疫情对国外大学的招生造成了重大打击，因此，现在是中国学生出国留学的好时机。

Wang Ting, deputy general manager of EIC Education Beijing Branch, said their number of applications for overseas study grew by 46 percent in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same period last year.

启德教育北京分公司副总经理王婷表示，2023年第一季度，启德收到的留学申请数量与去年同期相比增长了46%。

Applications for Australia and New Zealand grew by 129 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, for the United Kingdom 44 percent and for Canada 95 percent, she said.

她说，澳大利亚和新西兰的申请在第一季度同比增长了129%，英国增长了44%，加拿大增长了95%。

While the United States is still the most popular overseas destination among Chinese students, given the quality of its higher education, the growth rate is decreasing due to incidents of discrimination, visa restrictions and safety concerns, Wang said.

王婷表示，考虑到美国高等教育的质量，美国仍然是最受中国学生欢迎的海外留学目的地，但由于美国的歧视事件、签证限制和安全问题，其增长率正在下降。

With more countries implementing favorable policies to attract international candidates, Chinese students have diversified their interests in overseas study destinations.

随着越来越多的国家实施吸引国际学生的优惠政策，中国学生对留学目的地的兴趣也变得更加多元化。

Zhang Chaowei, a third-year undergraduate student at Beijing Foreign Studies University, was thrilled when China optimized its epidemic control measures, making it easier for him to study abroad.

当中国优化调整疫情管控措施时，北京外国语大学大三学生张超伟（音译）感到很兴奋，因为这让他出国留学变得更容易了。

As an avid fan of Manchester United soccer club, he said he wants to go to the UK for his postgraduate studies, but admits that Hong Kong and Singapore are also good options. "The pressure of getting into a good university in China is too high, so studying overseas is always a good option," he said.

作为曼联足球俱乐部的狂热粉丝，张超伟说自己想去英国读研究生，但他也觉得香港和新加坡是不错的选择。他说：“在中国考上好大学的压力太大，所以出国留学总是一个不错的选择。”

Living in a foreign country is different than traveling for a short period, as one gets to have a better experience of the country's culture, Zhang added.

张超伟补充道，不同于短期旅行，在国外生活能让人更好地体验该国的文化。

Bai Yuqian, 20, wants to study finance at a US university. Her ideal schools are Columbia University, the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania.

20岁的白玉倩（音译）想去美国学习金融。她的理想学校是哥伦比亚大学、芝加哥大学和宾夕法尼亚大学。

"I just want to go see the world. By studying in the US, I can get more internship opportunities at financial companies and also practice my English," she said.

白玉倩说：“我只是想去看看世界。通过在美国学习，我可以获得更多在金融公司实习的机会，也可以锻炼我的英语。”

As her parents are worried about her safety in the US, she is not ruling out schools in the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong.

由于白玉倩的父母担心她在美国的安全，所以她不也在考虑去英国、新加坡或香港求学。

"Even if I go abroad to study, I will return to China for work after graduation to be closer to my parents and use what I have learned to contribute to my country's development," she said.

白玉倩说：“即使我出国留学，毕业后我也会回国工作，离父母更近一些，用我所学为祖国的发展做贡献。”

Postgraduate

英/ˌpəʊstˈɡrædʒuət/  美/ˌpoʊstˈɡrædʒuət/

adj. 研究生的

Undergraduate

英/ˌʌndəˈɡrædʒuət/  美/ˌʌndərˈɡrædʒuət/

adj.大学本科生的

Internship

英/ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp/  美/ˈɪntɜːrnʃɪp/  

n.实习生