The pie charts compare the proportions of students using various types of methods to sign up for English courses in three different nations in 2009 and 2010.
Overall, while the internet became the most popular method in Australia, pre-booking with an agent became the most common choice in the USA and Canada by the end of the period. In the USA, students showed a relatively balanced preference for all methods throughout the timeframe. However, Canadian students prioritized “Arrival” at the beginning, but “Pre-booked with agent” represented the largest proportion by 2010.
Focusing on Australia in 2009, “Pre-booked with agent” topped the list at 27%, and “Arrival” was around one quarter. Internet and “Other” mirrored comparable figures, with the former making up 24% and the latter 23%. By 2010, pre-booking with an agent ranked the lowest at 11%, while the “Arrival” method increased mildly to 30%. The Internet had the highest share of usage, accounting for 39%, whereas “Other” types decreased slightly to 20%.
A different trajectory is observed in the USA. The categories of Arrival, Other, Pre-booked with agent, and Internet were all in the range of 24% to 26% at the beginning of the span. In 2010, the agent method stood out as the dominant way to book, comprising 28%, while Internet and Other types dipped negligibly to 25% and 23% respectively. “Arrival” remained relatively unchanged at 24%.
In contrast, Canada showed a different pattern. Arrival accounted for 45% in 2009, the highest percentage, before decreasing to 26% by the final year. Similarly, Internet usage started at 27% and dropped to 25% by 2010. By contrast, the pre-booked with agent method increased from 22% to 35%. Likewise, “Other” was the lowest initially at 6%, before increasing three times to 18% in 2010.