Evidence of English language proficiency and academic achievement of non-English-speaking background students

The increasing number of international students enrolled in Australian universities over the last decade has met with a corresponding concern that many non-English-speaking background (NESB) students experience considerable difficulty in their courses. Consequently, concerns about admission procedures have been raised regarding how English language proficiency (ELP) is determined for NESB students (both domestic and international). In addition to standardised ELP tests, some universities accept other forms of evidence, such as the completion of English-medium courses. This large-scale quantitative study analysed data on 5675 undergraduate and postgraduate students available from one university's database over a three-year period to ascertain if its ELP requirements were sufficient to ensure the academic progress of adequate numbers of these students. The best evidence for potential academic success was found to be standardised tests while students submitting other forms of ELP evidence tended to have more difficulties.     

Graduating as a ‘native speaker’: international students and English language proficiency in higher education

The current concern about low levels of English proficiency among international students who graduate from degree courses – that students’ English language skills are not being developed during their higher education experience – reflects negatively on the quality of Australian higher education and its graduates. More careful selection of students and increased use of English language testing are among the solutions put forward. These debates over English language proficiency tend to construct English language as a skill that can be applied in any context and ‘native‐speaker’‐levels of language ability as essential for employment. Within such a formulation international students can only ever be defined as in deficit. Drawing on socio‐cultural theories of language learning and academic literacy, alternative understandings of language proficiency in internationalized higher education are explored. Improved communication skills among graduates are likely to be achieved through a better understanding of issues beyond classroom instruction, such as barriers to social integration with native‐speakers, which reveal many international students unable to access adequate levels of language experience. Without wider perspectives on the debate over English language proficiency in higher education, the many benefits of having international students in higher education institutions are obscured by negative attitudes and unrealistic expectations.     

商务英语专业毕业生跳槽问题探究

文章从毕业生和用人企业两个方面探究了造成商务英语专业毕业生跳槽率居高不下现象的主要原因,涉及薪资福利、企业发展前景、个人发展机遇、职业定位、经验能力等方面,并从职业规划、教学改革以及就业指导等方面提出了缓解此现象的具体措施,为高校毕业生就业指导工作提供一些借鉴。     

Complaints and troubles talk about the English language skills of international students in Australian universities

International students have continued to be the focus of simplistic stereotyping in media discourse where they are frequently identified as one of the forces behind declining academic standards in Australian universities. Their English language skills, in particular, have continued to be the focus of debate both in the mainstream media and in higher education research and policy. It is argued in this paper, however, that such debates do not sufficiently acknowledge the moral and affective complexity of the so-called ‘English problem’ amongst international students in Australian universities. Drawing from an analysis of small group interviews with international students, domestic students and university staff, the beliefs and experiences of various parties about the English language skills of international students are examined. A key finding from this analysis is that the English language skills of international students, and their concomitant interactions with others, can be the object of both complaints and troubles talk. These complaints or troubles can be either ratified or resisted by those participants. The difficulties international students may experience in using English thus have complex moral and affective consequences. The way in which the so-called English problem in Australian universities is generally couched as one of objective, measurable deficiency on the part of international students arguably neglects the moral and affective complexity of the difficulties facing international students. This neglect leads, in turn, to an impoverished understanding of the English language capabilities of international students.     

The English Language Entry Requirements of Australian Universities for Students of Non‐English Speaking Background

The English language proficiency of international students entering university has increasingly become a matter of concern for many academics and has also received considerable media attention. For this reason, a survey was conducted to ascertain what Australian universities require in terms of English language proficiency for non‐English Speaking background (NESB) students, whether international, permanent residents or Australian citizens. This article presents the findings of the survey and discusses the 61 pieces of evidence accepted by the universities as fulfilling their English language requirements. The general comparability and validity of the proficiency qualifications are examined and the conclusion is drawn that many of the pieces of evidence accepted are inadequate measures of language proficiency for academic study.     

我国高校就业竞争力提升战略研究

在对209所高校就业竞争力进行实证分析的基础上,得出如下结论：重点大学就业能力高于普通高校及高职院;就业能力较强的高校毕业生找工作主动性更强;母校的声誉影响其毕业生的就业能力;就业能力强的高校学生工作与专业对口性强。     

Validating English Language Proficiency Assessment Uses for English Learners: Academic Language Proficiency and Content Assessment Performance

States use standards‐based English language proficiency (ELP) assessments to inform relatively high‐stakes decisions for English learner (EL) students. Results from these assessments are one of the primary criteria used to determine EL students’ level of ELP and readiness for reclassification. The results are also used to evaluate the effectiveness of and funding allocation to district or school programs that serve EL students. In an effort to provide empirical validity evidence for such important uses of ELP assessments, this study focused on examining the constructs of ELP assessments as a fundamental validity issue. Particularly, the study examined the types of language proficiency measured in three sample states’ ELP assessments and the relationship between each type of language proficiency and content assessment performance. The results revealed notable variation in the presence of academic and social language in the three ELP assessments. A series of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses also revealed varied relationships among social language proficiency, academic language proficiency, and content assessment performance. The findings highlight the importance of examining the constructs of ELP assessments for making appropriate interpretations and decisions based on the assessment scores for EL students. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.     

English spoken here? To what extent are transnational EFL students motivated to speak English outside the classroom?

This article examines the claim that a fully immersive English language learning experience can be ensured by universities engaged in transnational education through offshore campuses. Taking as a case study one South East Asian offshore campus of a Western university, the inquiry was designed to discover the extent to which students did, in reality, utilise their English language skills on campus outside the classroom. Drawing on the responses of 260 students, the findings suggest that, far from ‘full immersion’, students tend to revert to their own language in most interactions, unless in the presence of a teacher. The article goes on to suggest a number of reasons for this and discusses the factors underlying both the students’ reluctance and the failure of the institution’s strategy.     

Building capacity through action research curricula reviews

In Australia, graduates of Master of Public Health (MPH) programmes are expected to achieve a set of core competencies, including a subset that is specifically related to Indigenous health. This paper reports on the methods utilised in a project which was designed using action research to strengthen Indigenous public health curricula within MPH programmes at Australian universities. This aim is achieved through the use of three interlinked ‘action–reflection’ cycles, involving individual Indigenous public health academics who, through their membership in a scholarly network, have undertaken a series of curriculum reviews, which have in turn influenced organisational change in universities. The project results demonstrated how action research can successfully strengthen Indigenous public health curricula.     

Developing academic literacy through a decentralised model of English language provision

ABSTRACT

Students entering English-medium universities frequently struggle to cope with the language demands of their degree programmes, despite having met the English language entry conditions stipulated by their receiving institutions. This can have significant repercussions for the teaching-learning process, for the student experience and for universities’ reputations. Most universities, therefore, have in place some form of in-sessional English language support to develop students’ language proficiency. Such provision tends to be centralised and to offer English for general academic purposes rather than language development that responds in a more nuanced way to the particular literacy needs of students’ disciplines. In this article we report on an alternative, decentralised model of language support, implemented in a School of Nursing and Midwifery, and which seeks to develop students’ competency in the language skills required for their Nursing studies and professional practice. Results to date have been encouraging and provide further evidence that such tailored provision offers a potentially fruitful language development strategy.     

International experience,universities support and graduate employability – perceptions of Chinese international students studying in UK universities

Recent policy developments in English Higher Education have resulted in employability placed in the spotlight, whereby the success of universities will be measured based on graduate employment. This represents the latest focus placed on employability in the sector, as universities are increasingly expected to provide employment-ready graduates to meet the demands of a global economy. In response universities have invested considerable energy into initiatives and services to enhance the employability outcomes of graduates. However, institutions have largely been UK-centric on their focus, with limited attention paid to the employability needs of international students. In this paper, we report the outcomes of a study centred on the largest group of non-EU domiciled international students in the UK, those from Mainland China. Drawing on survey data we examine Mainland Chinese students’ attitudes to their employability and the support they engage with through their UK University. We pay specific attention to the opportunities presented through the ‘international’ nature of the HE experience, and consider how these are utilised by both the students, and their institutions, to develop their future employability. We conclude by proposing recommendations for universities and institutions to enhance the support offered to this often overlooked, but significant group of students.     

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND TEST PERFORMANCE: AN EVALUATION OF BILINGUAL STUDENTS WITH THE WOODCOCK‐JOHNSON III TESTS OF COGNITIVE ABILITIES

In this article, we report the findings of an exploratory empirical study that investigated the relationship between English Language Proficiency (ELP) on performance on the Woodcock‐Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities‐Third Edition (WJ III) when administered in English to bilingual students of varying levels of ELP. Sixty‐one second‐grade students, identified as Limited English Proficient, were recruited from a suburban public school district and were given the WJ III in addition to their annual state standardized assessment of ELP. The findings of this study provide evidence to support a linear, inverse relationship between ELP and performance on tests that require higher levels of English language development and mainstream cultural knowledge. The implications of the findings of the present study suggest that practitioners must consider an examinee's level of developmental language proficiency and cultural knowledge acquisition as continuous variables when determining the impact of such factors on test performance and evaluation regarding whether scores obtained from tests administered in English are indeed valid for interpretation.     

初中英语教材思维优势分析与实践

英语课程承担着培养学生基本英语素养和发展学生思维能力的任务,即学生通过英语课程掌握基本的英语语言知识,发展基本的英语听、说、读、写技能,初步形成用英语与他人交流的能力,进一步促进思维能力的发展。现行中学英语新教材呈现一纲多本,多样化的特点。它们从不同程度上折射了课标的课程理念并凸显了教材的情感、文化、策略和思维等方面的优势。而一线教师对教材隐含的思维因素还尚未有过多的关注。文章就以初中英语仁爱版教材为例,探讨初中英语教材的思维优势及在教学中应如何发挥这些思维优势。     

挑战性任务教学对大学生外语学习自我效能感的积极作用

高校英语教育目前大都难以突破传统课堂教学模式的框架,而社会不断提高对大学生英语实用能力要求,"教与学"的矛盾尤为突出。在现有的教育资源和环境下,突破传统课堂教学模式,利用挑战性任务教学法,对培养持久的学习动机、将外语学习、性格培养和职业规划统一在外语教学之中有着积极的作用。     

English Learner Curricular Streams in Four Middle Schools: Triage in the Trenches

Little is known about the curricular experiences schools provide English learner students (ELs) to meet the dual goals of attaining English language proficiency (ELP) and grade-level achievement. I introduce the concept of Curricular Streams to provide a more nuanced comparative analysis of four urban middle schools, focusing on: (a) the extent to which they provided English language development (ELD) instruction and access to the core and full curriculum; and (b) the relative emphasis on ELP versus core academic content, remediation versus acceleration, and isolation versus integration of ELs with non-EL peers. I situate the Curricular Streams within the schools’ broader cultures and practices. The results reveal local definitions of EL status and wide variation in EL Curricular Streams: One school emphasized ELP and remediation over access to the core. Another integrated ELs more quickly into mainstream courses, yet its remediation emphasis limited access to the core. The third provided more access, but isolated ELs. The fourth provided more access to the core, accelerated ELD, and eschewed interventions. The evidence suggests that schools are groping for solutions and it raises questions about the efficacy of EL state policy that relies on local control for interpretation. I provide implications for research, policy, and practice and hypotheses about the characteristics of Curricular Streams and school cultures that might increase ELs’ opportunity to learn and achieve the dual goals.     

Do NESB University Students with Poor English Skills Make Rapid Linguistic Gains in Mainstream Studies?

This paper reports the testing and retesting two years later of 147 first‐year medical students for English language proficiency (ELP). A group of 66 with low initial proficiency, all of non‐English‐speaking background (NESB), improved from an average language age of 14.3 years to 15.2 years over the period. A comparison group of 81, randomly drawn from those who were of adequate ELP, 48% of whom were NESB, were close to the test ceiling on both occasions with an age equivalence of 33 years. Generalisation to other courses and samples may be limited but this study did not indicate great linguistic gains associated with mainstream studies for those whose English was poor at the beginning of their course.     

浅谈商务英语专业学生的商务思维培养

为了适应经济发展对国际商务人才的需求,国内很多高校均设立了商务英语专业或英语专业商务方向,旨在培养兼具英语和商务技能的复合型人才。但是,学生就业后短期内普遍不能适应新岗位和新环境。为解决这一问题,需要在教学中着重培养学生的商务思维,侧重商务知识的传授,使学生从思想上重视商务技能的获得。     

青海高校大学生职业生涯教育现状及对策

近几年,大学生＂就业难＂成了社会的热点问题。在就业形势日益严峻的今天,大学生应该充分认识职业生涯规划的重要性,提早合理规划自己的职业生涯,根据职业规划目标,全面掌握扎实的专业知识,培养自身各方面能力,提升自身综合素质,为就业做好充分准备。本文论述了我国现阶段大学生职业生涯教育的重要性,针对青海高校职业生涯教育现状,提出了相应的解决对策。     

大学生职场语言表述技巧研究

无论工作还是生活,我们都需要使用语言来进行沟通。语言是人们传递思维、表达感情、交流思想的工具,语言是艺术,也是力量。语言表达能够体现人的综合能力,需要技巧。对于涉世未深、无丰富职场经验的大学生来说,培养良好的职场语言表述能力尤为必要。同一场景下,不同的语言表述会关系到求职的成败,甚至会改变一个人的职场人生。在分析语言功...