Business English Education Developments in Chile

English as a lingua franca has more international presence fueled by the re-lentless forces of globalization. Demand for interdisciplinary talent who grasps business knowledge and has English language proficiency continues to grow across different countries. This paper studies the business English education in Chile by reviewing the business English education developments in Chile, delineating the status quota of Chilean business English education and analyzing the future trends. This paper has found that private language centers, foreign culture and education organizations, and higher education institutions work together to push forward business English development in Chile. It aims to have implications for the research into business English developments in Latin America and country-specific business English studies.


Introduction
Chile is a country in the western part of South America. It occupies a long, narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Chile was the first South American country to join the Organization for  (OECD, 2012). Chile is at the forefront of Latin American higher education, with all re-trance examination and the students' willingness to further study or set to work.
There are two terms for each academic year, with the first term starting from early March to mid-July and the second term from early August to late November (or early December). There is typically a break of two weeks between term, followed by a summer break which lasts about two and half a month.

Chile's Education System
Preschool education is primarily designed for children between the ages of 3 and 5. It is divided in nursery (0 -2), early childhood education (2 -4) and the transition period (4 -6). Pre-school is voluntary, however, constitutional reform in 2013 makes it possible that all children are required to enter primary school or basic education (Enseñanza básica) where they must remain for the following 8 years. It is mandatory for children to receive an eight-year primary education in Chile, and they generally begin primary school at the age of six. Secondary education consists of scientific-humanist (regular), technical-professional (vocational) and artistic education, all lasting four years. While these three kinds of schooling are same in the first two years, they are differentiated in the last two years according to the orientation of the school. As to the vocational schools, they are classified into industrial schools, commercial schools, technical schools, and polyvalent schools. After graduation, students choosing the vocational branch can go to work or continue further studies in universities or colleges. Compulsory education originally only covered the eight-year primary school, but a constitutional reform in 2003 made free and compulsory secondary education available for all Chileans up to 21 years of age. This ensured twelve years of compulsory schooling, which was an unprecedented milestone in Latin America at the time. For all the free basic education provided by public secondary schools, Chilean education is de facto extremely polarized due to the privatization of education. There is a dearth of educational resources like teaching facilities and When an institution is first established, it needs to seek permission to the Ministry of Education and CNED (Consejo Nacional de Educación) and go through the licensing process. CNED will monitor the new institution and take responsibility for its awards for a period, not less than 6 years and not longer than 11 years. Also, it is CNED that determines if the institution has developed in accordance with its stated objectives and can either become autonomous or has to close down (OECD, 2012).

Business English Education Developments in Chile
As one of the fastest-growing economies in the Latin America, Chile has overwhelming advantages in terms of its business environment. Chile's economy features its heavy reliance on foreign trade, and it takes the lead in putting forward "regional openness". In 2003, it was the first South American country to sign a free trade agreement with the United States. English serves as the language bridge in the international economic and cultural exchange, and this also applies to Chile. Demand for English Language Teaching (ELT) in Chile is strong, largely driven by the need for English-speaking professionals, academics, and technicians to staff its increasingly internationalized industries. In this context, learning English is a naturally stylish activity that benefits both the individual and the country (Rohter, 2004). In the 1990s, a liberal economic policy, coupled with a stable political environment, led to rapid economic development and a growing number of Chileans engaged in international business activities. English plays an increasingly prominent role in business activities. Consequently, a number of versatile people with a combination of business management knowledge and English skills are fervently embraced by multinational companies.
Currently, Chile is still one of the most attractive nations for investors and business people. Over the past decades, Chilean government and banks have taken  (Beadle, 2001).
English proficiency is considered as an essential skill for employment prospects. A study in 2004 revealed that students directly associated English language proficiency with improved opportunities, which got strong support from parents and teachers (93% and 88%, respectively) (Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Educativo, 2004). Thus, Chilean universities offer English language training programs. Due to the advancement of private education in Chile, the English level of college students varies, with students from private high schools generally having a higher level of English than those from public schools. Upon entry university, students of all majors are required to take an English level test. The English level is measured on the scale from one to six based on the English test scores, with level one being the lowest, and level six being the highest (Wang, 2013). Many European immigrants were settled in South America, and thus many residents of South America are now the descendants of European immigrants. Hamel (2013) argues that multiple foreign languages options in Latin America, English included, are related to the local ethnic composition. In the 20th century, English replaced French as the dominant language in multilingual education in Latin America. This policy is a move toward a fuller integration with the global economy.
Since the 1980 reform, the Chilean business community has been an active participant of education, providing specialized training for the workforce (Carlson, 2002). In 2005, with joint efforts of the Ministry of Education, the Consultative Business Council was established to make education better underpin the national economy and in line with globalization. Within the framework of "Education and business: Agenda for growth II", the Council has taken several educational measures, including the push for improved English for specific purposes. For instance, CORFO (Corporación para el Fomento de la Producción), a business services company, acts as a medium between professionals with English skills and foreign recruitment companies. On its official website, applicants' English proficiency level is divided into four levels so that employers can better select candidates. The British Council survey results revealed that about 30 percent of companies offered English training opportunities for their employees. A majority of employers considered English language skills very important for management staff, while 48% regarded English language proficiency is an essential skill for staff (British Council, 2015).

Business English Education Policies in Chile
Chile is a pioneer of neoliberal economic reform in Latin America, which has also deeply influenced the reform and development of education (Yuan, 2008). Chilean government's foreign language reforms have promoted the development of business English. Since the 1990s, Chilean higher education had developed rapidly, and college had been in align with global development. In order to promote the modernization and improve the quality of higher education, the Chilean Ministry of Education included internationalization as one of the four main strategies of the higher education policy framework in 1997. Since then, the number of international students in Chile had been growing over the last two decades. Some schools implemented high-quality, multidisciplinary educational programs and short-term study visits such as intercultural educational programs to meet the diverse needs of foreign students (Carlos, 2005). Apart from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the international Cooperation of the (Agencía de Cooperación Internacional de Chile, or AGCI) is responsible for identifying priority international cooperation programs that are in line with Chile's national development orientation and providing financial support for these programs. For example, international students studying in Chile or Chilean students studying abroad can be granted scholarship, as well as technical and vocational training (Feng, 2016). Previously, English language education in Chile was exclusive to the elite who were educated in private schools. Therefore, in order to make English education more accessible and education equitable, the Ministry of Education carried out foreign language education reforms in 1998. The reform syllabus specifies that 40 percent of the English curriculum is to be devoted to developing reading comprehension and listening comprehension, and 20 percent to speaking and writing, which is to better partake in global economic governance and share the convenience of information networks (Mckay, 2003). Given that Chile had already signed free trade agreements with Canada, the United States, the European Union and South Korea, the Ministry of Education launched the English Opens Doors Program in 2003 as part of an agreement with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The program was planned to be initiated in the fifth grade of elementary school and students were expected to reach B1 level under the Common European Framework for Languages after graduation. However, English language instruction in higher education had been covered. The program was initially to be launched until 2012, but the timeframe had been extended. This English policy aims to improve national economic competitiveness and promote equitable access to English learning in public schools (Matear, 2008). In other Latin American countries, mandatory English language learning would inevitably lead to resistance for fear that it would undermine national sovereignty and cultural identity. Hence, the Ministry of Education has also attempted to localize English language instruction by creating its own English curriculum and materials like Go for Chile. Although the program was designed for young students, the Chilean government also hoped to include adults and encouraged companies to provide employees with English courses and tax exemptions.

Business English Programs in Chile
Business English programs in Chile are mainly offered in higher education institutions, private language centers and British and American culture and educa-  The courses are designed for business people between the ages of 20 and 50 who desire to improve their English skills and must reach Level 4. The business English courses such as English immersion and group learning are contingent on students' needs whose aim is to cultivate students' business communication skills.
Bridge English Center provides business English training to companies as well.

Business English Development Trends in Chile
After a systematic review of the status quo and characteristics of business English development in Chile, this paper will briefly analyze its future trends. Currently, private language centers, foreign culture and education organizations, In the future, business English in Chile will place special focus on fostering interdisciplinary business professionals to cater to the economic development. As the number of English language teaching personnel grows, business English teachers will be separated to provide intellectual support for the business English development. When business English teachers are in place, discipline construction is around the corner.

Conclusion
Chile has seen growth and diversity in business English development, experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of English learners who share the benefits it brings. The governmental education reforms put an emphasis on improving English levels. The "English Open Doors Program" has to some degree promoted equity in education and enriched English-related disciplines and programs in Chile, but there are more than growing pains. It has been recognized that Chilean business English development is taking shape, yet needs to be improved. The inadequacy of business English instructors and the lack of professional training will remain the main obstacles to the development of business English, which can be attributed to several factors. Chile is characterized by inequity in access to education due to income gaps, hence students who excel in English language skills tend to grow up in families with privileged backgrounds and receive English instruction in private schools since childhood. The unique geographical location has brought with it several segregated communities in Chile, which has also hindered English language education. At this moment,

Conflicts of Interest
The author declares no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.