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Do They Make a Difference? The Impact of English Language Programs on Second Language Students in Canadian Universities
Abstract
Few studies have investigated the impact of English language programs on L2 students studying in Canadian universities. This article reports on questionnaire responses of 641 L2 students studying in 36 different English language programs in 26 Canadian universities. Programs were identified by their activity emphasis as either English as a Second Language (ESL) or English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Activity emphasizing speaking, social interaction, and general language development (e.g., in vocabulary, structure, idioms) was viewed as ESL; whereas, activity that emphasized academic reading, writing, and language development (e. g. preparing lab reports, writing research essays, note-taking from lectures) was considered EAP. Structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures were used to examine the network of relationships between language program emphasis and participants’ background characteristics in influencing academic and social engagement. A model of moderated mediation was confirmed. In other words, language program activities were found to account for variation in strategies which mediated academic and social engagement, however, the impact was moderated (lessened or strengthened) by three personal background factors: anxiety, stress, and motivation. This study refines our understanding of the positive impact of ESL and EAP programs on L2 university students’ academic and social engagement.
... To help students overcome these challenges, universities offer a range of support options, including English language, writing, and academic literacy courses, as well as writing centers, and tutoring programs, all designed to help students achieve the necessary language proficiency to succeed in their coursework and engage with disciplinary learning (Andrade, 2007;Baik & Greig, 2009;Corcoran et al., 2022;Fox et al., 2014;Goldsmith et al., 2022;Terraschke & Wahid, 2011). ...
... Post-admission ESL courses are among the most common support mechanisms, helping students enhance their overall English language proficiency and facilitating their integration into academic studies at the university (Baik & Greig, 2009;Cheng & Fox, 2008;Fox et al., 2014;Terraschke & Wahid, 2011). These courses are typically situated in language and academic support, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), or writing programs, or embedded within disciplinary programs, although other program models exist (e.g., Fenton-Smith & Humphries, 2018). ...
... Post-admission ESL courses vary considerably in terms of their focus, structure, teaching methods, and approach. Fox et al. (2014) classified them into general ESL and EAP courses. ...
English-speaking universities often provide post-admission support to international students who speak English as an additional language (EAL) through English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. These courses aim to improve EAL students' language skills and academic performance. Given the time and financial investment involved, evaluating their effectiveness is essential. This longitudinal study examined the impact of for-credit ESL courses on EAL students' academic achievement over ten semesters at a large Canadian university. The study compared the academic performance of 1,824 EAL students who took ESL courses with 1,617 peers who did not, as well as 1,430 domestic students. Results showed that ESL courses significantly improved EAL students' academic performance, enabling them to achieve results similar to domestic peers, regardless of field of study. Additionally, there was a positive association between performance in ESL courses and overall academic achievement. ESL courses also reduced the likelihood of receiving academic warnings. The benefits were most evident for students with higher initial English proficiency, suggesting that strong ESL support can help close the academic gap between EAL and domestic students. These findings highlight the importance of ESL courses in supporting EAL students and have implications for educational policy and practice.
... Remarking on the concept of the international class program, it is subsequent that students are required to have higher English proficiency higher than common regular students (Dearden, 2014). They also need to reach the broad range of higher skills requirements in all subjects as the curricula in this program are mixed with the adaptation of international curricula, which are commonly more complex (Conteh & Brock, 2011;Fox et al., 2014). On the other side, an international class program also facilitates students who speak bilingual and multilingual to have spaces to engage their multilingual needs. ...
... This program, therefore, lets students have a stabler and safer place accelerating their understanding of subjects by less worrying about the implausibility of using the English Language (Tagarelli et al., 2016). International classroom programs also give access to students' engagement through a systemically learning design that uses a multicultural and diverse environment, emphasizing a narrower academic focus or a broader communicative focus (Fox et al., 2014). Thus, it affects students' academic and social engagement (Fuad, 2018). ...
... Assessment is also one of the major areas after curriculum that is studied regularly among scholars in Indonesia (Meisani et al., 2020). However, several considerations are addressed in investigating assessment whether it is internal or external factors (Fox et al., 2014). IICB Studies on the assessment of students' English proficiency commonly emphasize its validity and reliability (Zein et al., 2020). ...
This study aimed to investigate factors (gender, economic background, and gaming habits) contributing to students’ English proficiency in an international class program of a private junior high school in Malang, Indonesia. Twenty-four 8th graders were involved in this study. The data were collected through an English proficiency test and an online questionnaire. The analysis of multiple regression was taken from the questionnaire and students’ English proficiency test scores. The three aspects identified in the questionnaire were students’ gender, economic background based on their parents’ economic background, and gaming habits. The result showed no significant correlation between students’ economic background and gaming habits toward their proficiency test scores. However, gender indicates a significant correlation with the score of students’ English proficiency tests, where female students tend to have higher scores than male students. Keywords: students’ English proficiency, International Class program, gender
... As EAP programs have expanded to meet the global demand for English medium postsecondary study in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Canada, so too has a burgeoning field of research that aims to better understand an expanding international educational sector that has been notoriously difficult to document. In Canada, for instance, recent EAP research has enhanced an understanding of Canadian EAP assessment practices (e.g., Abrar-ul-Hassan, 2021;Huang, 2018;Johnson & Tweedie, 2021), pedagogical approaches (e.g., Galante, 2020;Marr, 2021;Van Viegen & Zappa-Hollman, 2020), writing instruction (Maatouk & Payant, 2020;Uludag et al., 2021), (perceived) efficacy of EAP instruction (Fox et al., 2014;Tweedie & Kim, 2015), and teacher education and professionalism (Farrell & Ives, 2015;MacDonald, 2016;Valeo & Faez, 2013). However, despite this recent uptick in domestic EAP research, there is still little available data on EAP programs across Canada (Douglas & Landry, 2021;Van Viegen & Russell, 2019). ...
... Within such educational models, where international students are akin to valued consumers, and EAP programs are delivering knowledge in the form of language or content and language integrated instruction, EAP practitioners are often positioned as disposable, interchangeable, or non-essential student support, leading to potentially precarious employment conditions (Breshears, 2018). From a pragmatic standpoint, however, such instruction is undoubtedly beneficial for many students who use EAL as they develop the academic literacies necessary to succeed at Canadian post-secondary institutions (Corcoran & Russell, 2021;Fox et al., 2014). As such, EAP instructors play an integral part in language support that affords EAL students access to post-secondary education that may benefit their academic and professional outcomes. ...
... With respect to programs, our findings point to a range of institutional contexts (university vs. college vs. ELI programs) where EAP happens, as well as a wide range of program names (e.g., English as a Second Language; English for Academic Purposes), affiliations (Departments of Education, Applied Linguistics, Continuing Education; International Education; Independent); sizes (serving anywhere from under 100 to over 1000 students); and types (general vs. specific EAP; pre-sessional vs. bridging). The (Douglas & Landry, 2021;Fox et al., 2014;MacDonald, 2016). Given the small number of studies into EAP programs, the vast majority of which are case studies (e.g., Van Viegen & Russell, 2019), there exists a clear need for greater research at the national and regional levels, including in British Columbia. ...
The growing trend of internationalization at Canadian institutions of higher education has led to increased need to support plurilingual students using English as an additional language (EAL). This support, often embedded in English for academic purposes (EAP) programs, is offered in a wide range of contexts across Canadian institutions of higher education. However, relatively little is known about this sector or those who work within it. In this article, we seek to delineate the Canadian EAP landscape by providing findings from the first phase of a mixed methods investigation into EAP programs and practitioners across Canada. We surveyed EAP programs and practitioners across three types of Canadian institutions involved in the provision of EAP support (n = 481). Findings point to a diversity of program models and practitioner profiles across Canadian regions and institutions, as well as significant differences in practitioners' professional satisfaction based on role and institution type. Further findings point to substantial concern among EAP practitioners regarding job security, collaboration with other institutional stakeholders, and professional development opportunities. Adopting a critical pragmatic lens, we discuss findings, raising questions for consideration for EAP administrators, instructors, and post-secondary institutional policy makers, and conclude with a call for greater research into Canadian EAP programs and practitioners.
... Doing so would help reconceptualise such EAP centres as fundamental socialisation structures supporting international student retention and very possibly, institutional internationalisation strategies. (Basturkmen, 2012;Fox et al, 2014;Hyland & Shaw, 2016). These language centres are primarily responsible for developing the English language skills of a significant number of international students because linguistic competence affects academic success (Phakiti et al, 2013;Hyland, 2018). ...
... Unsurprisingly, such responsibility was initially entrusted to English language teaching (ELT) professionals; over time, some of these professionals have specialised to become EAP teachers working mainly at tertiary level and sometimes collaborating with academics in other disciplines to develop the communicative competence of international students (although EAP courses can be offered to both home and international students in some ESL contexts). What is surprising, however, are the recent alliances entered into by universities in the UK and elsewhere with private providers whereby in-house EAP programmes have been outsourced, often for financial reasons (Fulcher, 2009;Fox et al, 2014). Private providers situated outside the academic community are often linked to casual contracts, reduced research opportunities and less qualified staff. ...
... Private providers situated outside the academic community are often linked to casual contracts, reduced research opportunities and less qualified staff. This raises questions about the standards of such EAP courses (Shepherd, 2007), but more so, such alliances risk deprofessionalising EAP practitioners (Ansell, 2008;Fox et al, 2014;Hyland, 2018). My host institution recently outsourced its EAP Foundation Programme to a private provider after 12 years of successful in-house provision in a bid to secure higher student numbers. ...
In an increasingly internationalised higher education (HE) context, this thesis challenges the traditional concept of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) centres as merely language support units for international students. International students have increasingly become important stakeholders in higher education institutes (HEIs) especially those wishing to promote a global profile and increase international student recruitment. In response, many institutions now have EAP or English language units to support international students with language problems. Such an intervention, however, denies the complexity of transitioning into higher education for these students and trivialises the modern role of EAP. Moreover, partnerships between private providers of EAP programmes and universities pose a threat to in-house English language centres and risk deprofessionalising university EAP staff. This raises questions about the real value of today’s EAP centres, the purposes they serve and how best to remain organic in their support of international students. Current EAP research has neither sufficiently focused on the experiences of former EAP students nor considered its wider impact on their socialisation, which would highlight its changing purpose in a dynamic HE environment. To close this gap, this thesis investigates the socialisation experiences of 13 international students to understand their post-EAP experiences and how their EAP education affected their socialisation. Data were collected through interviews with students, subject lecturers, and EAP tutors and analysed using socialisation theories. A complex picture of students’ socialisation experiences emerges indicating that EAP tuition is more than just a linguistic intervention for these students. Despite some inconsistencies between students’ EAP education and academic degree experiences, the former was perceived as a valuable pedagogical intervention that eased students’ academic transitions. Undertaking an EAP course allowed students to anticipate university expectations, be familiar with assessment tasks and campus settings. The study also revealed the importance of physical and virtual spaces to students’ socialisation experiences. However, to remain effective, in-house EAP provision must adopt an iterative approach to evaluating practice and engage in ongoing dialogues with both subject lecturers and former students. Such dialogues need to be facilitated by an institutional top-down approach to students’ socialisation. Doing so would help reconceptualise such EAP centres as fundamental socialisation structures supporting international student retention and very possibly, institutional internationalisation strategies.
... Most universities in English-dominant countries have been competing to attract multilingual learners for some time, inspired by the dual need for brain power and income generation (Lee, Maldonado-Maldonado, & Rhodes, 2006). In the Canadian context, this has resulted in rising international student populations (Anderson, 2015) and the expansion of increasingly sophisticated academic language programs (Fox, Cheng, & Zumbo, 2014). Despite this, external research into the effectiveness and appropriateness of these programs from the perspectives of the students enrolled remains scarce (Keefe & Shi, 2017). ...
... In perhaps an overly expansive characterization, programs have been characterized as either English as a second language (ESL) or English for academic purposes (EAP). For example, Fox et al. (2014) distinguished language programs across Canada based on curriculum objectives and classroom activities. For their study, "ESL" programs were identified as those that emphasized "speaking, social interaction, and general language development," while "EAP" programs emphasized "academic reading, writing, and language development" (p. ...
... This can lead to unfortunate outcomes for some multilingual learners who may not have the linguistic and cultural background needed to comprehend instructional content and academic expectations at the speed it is delivered. Several studies have also discovered a positive overall perception among students who participated in sheltered ESL or EAP language programs (e.g., Edwards et al., 1984;Fox et al., 2014;Hauptman, Wesche, & Ready, 1988). Braine (1996), in a study of first-year writing courses in a U.S. university, found that ''an overwhelming majority'' of L2 students preferred to enroll in "ESL composition" classes over those offered in the "mainstream" (p. ...
Most universities in English-dominant countries have been competing to attract multilingual learners for some time, inspired by the dual need for brain power and income generation (Lee, Maldonado-Maldonado, & Rhodes, 2006). In the Canadian context, this has resulted in rising international student populations (Anderson, 2015) and the expansion of increasingly sophisticated academic language programs (Fox, Cheng, & Zumbo, 2014). Despite this, external research into the effectiveness and appropriateness of these programs from the perspectives of the students enrolled remains scarce (Keefe & Shi, 2017).
This multiple case study involves six multilingual learners enrolled in a newly-designed academic language program in a Canadian university. This first-year program provided content and academic language courses in two disciplinary areas (Arts and Sciences), which upon successful completion, qualified students for their second year in the university mainstream. In this study, I investigate how students responded to program design features and academic writing instruction. I incorporate multiple interviews with students, collection of their written assignments and feedback, observations of classrooms and other educational events, interviews with other program stakeholders, and collection of program documents.
Of the six student participants in this study, four were successful and two were less successful. For the four successful students, participation in the sheltered program was perceived as an overall beneficial experience that helped them make a positive transition to mainstream studies. However, responses to academic writing instruction and practice were highly variable and influenced by students’ backgrounds and their educational or disciplinary beliefs. For two less successful students, notions of agency, identity, and appropriation became influential in their transitions as they increasingly reported confusion, frustration, and conflict in meeting academic expectations. Results suggest there are several opportunities and challenges involved in the integration of sophisticated theoretical and pedagogical approaches, some of which may not be realized for some time after instruction has ceased. The study highlights an ongoing need to: 1) (re)consider the time needed and the degree of complexity involved in academic writing instruction and, 2) maximize alignment of pedagogical objectives with multilingual learners’ backgrounds as well as their perceived academic and disciplinary writing needs.
... Next to these constructive findings and promising developments, it should be noted that experimenting with the language among peers without the interference of tutors and educators can be regarded as a challenging undertaking. Since learners are required to work autonomously (Peeters & Ludwig, 2017;Sato, 2013), they have to become acquainted with the requirements and expectations of the learning environment (Fox, Cheng, & Zumbo, 2014;Peeters & Fourie, 2016), and have to be able to function in a community of learners using academic discourse. Overcoming these initial thresholds is a crucial step towards proper academic functioning and should, therefore, be considered pivotal in designing suitable and sustainable peer interaction environments. ...
... This realisation caused learners to discuss the assignments' requirements, as well as the expectations of the tutors. It is argued that comparing their points of view on the matter may enhance their overall academic functioning as it allows them to share tips, tricks and experiences about the (new) academic culture (Pintrich, 1999), which, in turn may support aca-demic acculturation as a social, dynamic process (Fourie, 2015;Fox et al., 2014;Peeters & Fourie, 2016). ...
... Likewise, without proper metacognitive functioning, learners would be less able to reflect on and revise their own learning and writing practices and, by extension, would not be able to overcome the challenges ahead as adequately as possible. Next, without room for academic acculturation, which is often regarded as a challenging threshold by learners and may, therefore, influence their academic outcomes (Fox et al., 2014;Van de Poel & Van Dyk, 2015), learners may lag behind when it comes to understanding the expectations, requirements and associated academic discourse of the new learning environment. Lastly, learners should be able to engage in language play and appraisal, tapping into the more informal and interpersonal nature of the Facebook platform. ...
Over the years, educational institutions have increasingly integrated Web 2.0 platforms as support tools in the foreign language learning curriculum to facilitate learners’ engagement with the foreign language, increase motivation, and enable them to socially and collaboratively interact with fellow learners online. While descriptive studies on the topic have long dominated the field, they often lack close examinations of the nature of peer interaction, its mediating factors, and the effect it has on participants’ learning curve. Presenting a research project in which two groups of more than 200 first-year foreign language majors were introduced to collaborative writing through Facebook, this study demonstrates how and why online peer interaction occurs and unfolds. It is shown that learners engage in cognitive and metacognitive processes while being social and responsible participants in the learning process. These findings are compiled in a taxonomy, modelling the communicative functions of peer interaction for academic purposes in the Facebook environment. This study illustrates how first-year English majors use language to establish themselves as learners in a new learning environment while discussing academic writing challenges online. In the peer interaction process, learners initiate cardinal learning activities in which they strive for proper cognitive, metacognitive, organisational and social functioning..
... Research has examined whether EAP programs fulfill students' needs in preparing them to meet the challenges of mainstream university for graduate studies (Terraschke & Wahid, 2011), undergraduate studies (Cheng & Fox, 2008;Evans & Green, 2007;Tweedie & Kim, 2015), or both gradu-VOLUmE 34, iSSUE 2, 2017 ate and under graduate studies (Dooey, 2010;Floyd, 2015;Fox, Cheng, & Zumbo, 2014). For example, two studies explored post-EAP students' perceptions by interviewing them in their first university term in Australia (Dooey, 2010) and Canada (Tweedie & Kim, 2015). ...
... Participants' desire for opportunities to interact with and learn from locals or previous EAP students, as Tweedie and Kim (2015) point out, highlights the importance of social acculturation. In contrast to the above complaints about the misalignment of EAP instruction with students' needs, positive comments from EAP students were reported by Fox et al. (2014). In their survey of 641 non-native English speaking (NNES) students in 36 language support programs (EAP or ESL) at 26 Canadian universities, Fox et al. found that English language programs supported the development of skills and strategies, which positively impacted the academic and social engagement of NNES students. ...
... This draws our attention to the Canadian context, which is "underexamined" (Fox et al., 2014, p. 59). Of the four studies in this review that were conducted in Canada (Cheng & Fox, 2008;Fox et al., 2014;James, 2006;Tweedie & Kim, 2015), only two were conducted in the previous five years, a small number when considering that the number of ESL students entering Canadian universities is increasing at a rapid rate. In addition, none of these studies was designed to follow students from the EAP program to the disciplinary programs. ...
... 271). Finally, Al Sharideh and Goe (1998), highlight the importance of social connections and friendship as a factor that motivates students to learn a second language (Fox et al, 2014). ...
... When asked about which language would they like to learn, if they could choose, the key informants show a desire to understand the native languages of their classmates who are also indigenous. This find-ing matches the point of view of Al Sharideh and Goe (1998) (in Fox et al, 2014, who highlight the importance of social connections and friendships as a motivational agent to learn a second language. Such is the case of Saga, a Mayo student, explains regarding her friend, who is Tepehuan: ...
This chapter explores the narratives that indigenous students of a normal rural school of the north of Mexico have about English learning and how this process is connected to their native language and the acquisition of Spanish. Through the biographical-narrative method, an interpretative framework and a qualitative approach, this research examines the testimonies of six key informants using in-depth interviews. The results show that students experience an acculturation process that makes them abandon their native language in favor of the use of Spanish, which is the predominant language in all of the education levels in Mexico. In this way, tensions between the cultural identity of the family origin and their performance in other contexts, such as higher education, is identified. In regards to English learning, a late and sporadic contact is observed, which is formalized once they access higher education
... Adult bilinguals appear likely to achieve a high level of L2 proficiency through formal instruction, and formal language instruction has a strong effect on the development of bilingualism (Garcia, 2009;Pavlenko, 1998). Fox, Cheng, and Zumbo (2014) surveyed 641 L2 students studying in 36 English-language programs at 26 Canadian universities to investigate the impact of English-language programs on L2 students. The students' reports confirmed that the English-language programs had direct and positive effects on their academic and social engagement. ...
... The students' reports confirmed that the English-language programs had direct and positive effects on their academic and social engagement. As Fox et al. (2014) demonstrated, in addition to promoting language learning and development, language support programs also displayed a vital influence on L2 students' transitions to a new academic culture at universities. ...
... B. der gestaffelte Studieneinstieg im kanadischen Kontext, vgl. Fox 2009;Fox et al., 2014). Dies wäre in Deutschland auch angesichts der Vielzahl der existierenden Eingangssprachtests und den bislang noch fehlenden Erkenntnissen zu deren Äquivalenz (vgl. ...
... Konkret werden dazu immer wieder -im Ausland bereits verbreiteterestrukturierte Studieneingangsphasen vorgeschlagen, teils unter Einbezug der Studienvorbereitungsphase, die u. a. einen bedarfsgeleiteten Besuch von Sprachkursen einschließen, aber auch die soziale und akademische Integration internationaler Studierender fördern sollen (vgl. Barrett-Lennard et al., 2011;Fox 2009;Fox et al., 2014;Harper et al., 2011;Morris-Lange, 2017). Solche strukturell stabilen Maßnahmen erscheinen vor dem Hintergrund der SpraStu-Ergebnisse äußerst sinnvoll. ...
An deutschen Hochschulen ist die Zahl internationaler Studierender in den letzten Jahren stetig gewachsen. Gleichzeitig brechen diese Studierenden sehr häufig ihr Studium ab (zuletzt knapp 50% der Bildungsausländer:innen im BA-Studium). Bislang waren die Gründe für diese Situation fast vollständig unerforscht. Der vorliegende Band fasst die Ergebnisse des Längsschnittprojekts „Sprache und Studienerfolg bei Bildungsausländer:innen“ (SpraStu) zusammen, das sprachliche Aspekte des Studiums dieser Gruppe fokussierte. SpraStu zeigt, dass Deutschkompetenzen für den Studienerfolg von Bildungsausländer:innen eine zentrale Rolle spielen. Ergebnisse verweisen ferner auf Schieflagen beim sprachlichen Hochschulzugang und weisen heterogene Sprachkompetenzen zu Studienbeginn nach. Im Detail beleuchtet der Band zudem das im Projekt untersuchte Mitschreiben, das Schreiben von Klausuren sowie das sprachbezogene metakognitive Strategiewissen und stellt dazu frei nutzbare Ressourcen vor (Korpora, Fragebögen).
... The literature surrounding IEPs follows a similar pattern to that of international students in general, that is rich in material on factors that speak to the student experiences like motivation (Alshumaimeri, 2013), mediated social and academic engagement (Fox et al., 2014) and confidence (Keefe & Ling Shi, 2017) in these types of programs, interrogating issues such as language proficiency and international student support services on IEP academic success. However, few researchers follow students from IEP to university coursework, leaving many studies that either focus on internal IEP academic success or aggregated international student populations once in matriculated settings. ...
... More specifically, for the many IEPs that have not engaged in the specialized accreditation process of the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation, we hope institutions might begin to reflect on how they engage these IEPs in their own institutional accreditation processes. Leaders might begin to institute policies that ensure these elements, from establishing minimum necessary information for students to determine quality (Hazelkorn, 2012) to ensuring that academic preparation and experiences are available to all students (Fox et al., 2014). In this regard there are three wider elements that speak to this hope, that are the interrelated elements of: equity in analysis, the expansion of data collection by institutions and transparency. ...
This study frames intensive English language programs (IEPs) in institutions of higher education as potential vehicles for social justice among marginalized international students. In this study we examine the differences in academic achievement between international students who enter a university through an English proficiency test and those who pass through an IEP. We compared both populations through nearly 900 cases, out of a sample of 4888, who had similar language proficiency at the time of enrolling at a large research-intensive university in the Southwest of the United States. The results revealed great similarity between the populations of students indicating that as an intervention-style program, the IEP was successful in meeting the linguistic and academic needs of the students. The study also revealed potential implications for higher education policy in ensuring both program quality and benefit to students. The paper also raises issues of equity in terms of the lack of analysis in long-term outcomes for these types of programs compared to other interventions, the need for expansion of international student data collection by institutions of higher education and overall transparency in pre-university programs.
... These learning experiences are often sought by carefully structured social experiences within a classroom setting that resembles contemporary higher education academic experiences (Craven & Sherman, 2015). Most IEP students share the eventual goal of enrolling in an academic program affiliated with their university (Fox, Cheng, & Zumbo, 2013). While most institutions maintain similar goals for their students, the means by which these goals are realized may vary considerably. ...
... Thus, one of the goals of IEP programs is to assist students with gaining a high enough level of academic English proficiency to effectively surpass university English standards usually indicated by a minimum required English language proficiency test score. Research has supported a minimum required English language proficiency score on TOEFL as a relatively effective predictor of success in both undergraduate and graduate programs for international students (Fox, Cheng, & Zumbo, 2013;Mesner & Liu, 1995). ...
This case study examines the teaching methods and needs of an Intensive English Program (IEP). During the study, a class of upper-intermediate level students enrolled in a listening and speaking course and their instructor were observed for 10 weeks and were administered an extensive needs analysis questionnaire. The purpose of this effort was to discover the extent to which the objective needs of the curriculum and the instructor aligned with the students’ subjective needs, with close attention given to the methods employed by the instructor. The findings suggest that the methods employed by the instructor aligned well with the needs of both the instructor and the students. Both agree that explicit instruction is important and value clear articulation of goals/objectives. The findings suggest that students preferred instructor-centered teaching and direct feedback on all mistakes during class.
... Two notable, large-scale, quantitative studies in Canada have revealed that, overall, EAP programs have been effective in fostering success at university. Fox et al. (2014) examined a large sample of 641 to determine the impact of English language programs as EAL students transitioned to their academic majors in 26 universities across Canada. After employing structural equation modeling with the survey data, the researchers concluded that "the direct effects of EAP programs on academic engagement are significant, strong, and positive" (p. ...
This paper reports the findings of a small-scale qualitative study aimed at exploring the academic experiences of college students (n=11) who had previously engaged in the EAP program at a mid-sized college in Ontario. The primary objective was to unveil student perspectives on the effectiveness of the EAP writing program, and to determine which skills acquired from the EAP were most helpful in their subsequent academic pursuits. Thematic analysis of focus group data reveals three major skills: conducting online research (citing sources and paraphrasing), paragraph writing and grammar, and one genre (reports) as most efficacious in preparing students for their Programs of Study (POS). Three areas of perceived need are stronger connections to POS via vocabulary and referencing systems, more summarizing, and more collaborative writing. A final emergent theme, “Value of EAP,” comprises students’ descriptions of being empowered and successful in their POS as a result of EAP participation. The implications of these findings for future research on EAP and college-level writing are discussed.
... EAP can be impactful for students as they navigate the choppy waters of their academic journeys Fox et al., 2014;Keefe & Shi, 2017). However, it is often critiqued not only for a deficit conception of EAL students as they develop their academic literacies (Marshall, 2020;Marshall et al., 2019) but also as an educational sector that promotes the English language-and thus the teaching thereof-as neutral and apolitical (Bruce & Bond, 2022;Haque, 2007;Marr, 2021). ...
A wide range of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs provide important support for international students enrolled in Canadian post-secondary contexts. While there has been a recent uptick in academic interest and research surrounding EAP programs in Canada, there has been relatively little work focused on understanding the practitioners working therein. In this article, we present and discuss data from the second phase of a sequential mixed-methods investigation of Canadian EAP programs and practitioners. Some 481 EAP practitioners from across Canadian universities, colleges, and English language institutes participated in the survey, leading to semi-structured interviews with 18 representative EAP directors and instructors. Building on quantitative results from the Phase I survey that revealed practitioners’ differentially perceived professional satisfaction and agency, systematic analysis of Phase II interview data supported and expanded upon the Phase I results. Drawing on a critical conceptual lens, we interpret mixed-methodsfindings that highlight employment precarity as the most salient differentiator of professional satisfaction, concluding with analytically driven suggestions for post-secondary policy makers, language teacher educators, and EAP instructors, including a call for furtherresearch elevating voices of professionals working in this burgeoning field. Un large éventail de programmes d’anglais sur objectifs académiques (AOA) apporte un soutien important d’étudiants internationaux inscrits dans des établissements d’enseignement postsecondaire au Canada. Bien qu’il y ait eu récemment un certain intérêt académique et de la recherche envers les programmes d’AOA au Canada, relativement peu de travaux se sont intéressés aux praticiens qui y travaillent. Dans cet article, nous présentons et discutons les données de la deuxième phase d’une étude séquentielle à méthodes mixtes qui a examiné les programmes et les praticiens de l’AOA au Canada. Quelques 481 praticiens de l’AOA provenant d’universités, de collèges et d’instituts de langue anglaise du Canada ont participé au sondage, qui a donné lieu à des entrevues semi-dirigées avec 18 directeurs et enseignants de l’AOA. S’appuyant sur les résultats quantitatifs du sondage de la phase I, qui ont révélé que les praticiens percevaient de façon différentielle l’autonomie et la satisfaction professionnelle, l’analyse systématique des données d’entrevues de la phase II a étayé et développé les résultats de la phase I. Dans une optique conceptuelle critique, nous interprétons les résultats provenant des méthodes mixtes qui mettent en évidence la précarité de l’emploi comme étant le facteur de différenciation le plus important de la satisfaction professionnelle. Nous concluons avec des suggestions basées sur l’analyse adressées aux décideurs dans le contexte de l’enseignement postsecondaire, des formateurs d’enseignants de langues et des enseignants d’AOA, y compris un appel à davantage de recherches pour faire entendre la voix des professionnels travaillant dans ce domaine en plein essor.
... Studies have emphasized the significance of ESL programs in facilitating academic success by enhancing language proficiency, academic skills, and social integration (Fox et al., 2013). Nevertheless, challenges such as language-related learning difficulties, cultural barriers, and academic stressors have been observed to affect ESL international students' performance (Sawir et al., 2012;Lin et al., 2019;Hersi, 2021), potentially leading to feelings of isolation, hindered social interactions, and academic underperformance (Miguel et al., 2013). ...
This concept paper delves into the pivotal role of language support programs, particularly English as a Second Language (ESL), in enhancing the academic success of international students. It conducts a comprehensive review of existing literature to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs, identifies critical gaps in current research, and proposes avenues for future exploration to bolster the efficacy of language support services. The academic success of international students is contingent upon their ability to effectively communicate and comprehend course materials in a language that may not be their native tongue. Language support programs, notably ESL, play a crucial role in bridging linguistic barriers and facilitating meaningful engagement with academic content. However, the effectiveness of these programs varies widely, prompting the need for a thorough evaluation. Through an extensive examination of available evidence, this paper identifies both strengths and limitations within current language support initiatives. While some programs exhibit promising outcomes in improving language proficiency and academic performance, others fall short in adequately addressing the diverse needs of international student populations. Moreover, there is a notable dearth of research addressing specific factors influencing the effectiveness of language support programs, such as instructional methodologies, cultural considerations, and institutional support structures. The identified gaps underscore the necessity for further research to refine and optimize language support services for international students. Future investigations should aim to elucidate the nuanced interactions between language proficiency, cultural adaptation, and academic achievement. Additionally, there is a pressing need to explore innovative approaches, technologies, and pedagogical strategies to enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of language support programs. This concept paper serves as a foundation for advancing scholarship in the realm of language support for international students. By critically evaluating current evidence, identifying research gaps, and proposing avenues for future exploration, it aims to foster a deeper understanding of the role of language support programs in promoting the academic success and holistic development of international student populations.
... A study by Baik et al (2009) demonstrates improved academic success of EAL architecture students supported by a discipline-specific support program (Baik & Greig, 2009). Many studies examining the impact of EAL support programs point towards the importance of social engagement and networking, leading to increased academic engagement within their learning environment (Fox et al., 2014;Keefe & Shi, 2017). They show the challenge of parsing out these factors independently and demonstrate the inherent interrelatedness of these factors on the academic success of EAL students. ...
To support the students of English as an additional language (EAL) at Mount Royal University, a novel program was established in 2009. Initially developed to meet the needs of students in the Bachelor of Nursing program, the support program has now been successfully expanded to the departments of Child Studies and Social Work of the same institution. This study investigates the teaching and learning components of the expanded support program. In this qualitative investigation informed by a hermeneutic approach to phenomenology, interviews with participants reveals five themes, including (a) the importance of understanding student learning needs, (b) educators’ previous knowledge and experience, (c) advocating for student learning needs, (d) professional learning and development, and (e) optimizing student experience. This study details the first successful expansion of the EAL Student Support Program to a new faculty or department outside of the original nursing program.
... Based on this study, there appears to be a number of beneficial areas worthy of continued support in an EAP curriculum as they promote various positive aspects related to the participants' additional language socialization in English. Similar to other studies, improved writing and speaking skills (Crossman, 2018, Crossman & Pinchbeck, 2012Lee & Wesche, 2000;Keefe & Shi, 2017;Tweedie & Kim, 2015;van Viegen & Russell, 2019), boosted levels of confidence (Lee & Wesche, 2000;Keefe & Shi, 2017;Ranson, 2016;Raymond & Des Brisay, 2000), classroom-based friendships (Cheng & Fox, 2008;Keefe & Shi, 2017;Lee & Wesche, 2000;Ranson, 2016), and time to adapt and learn about local educational practices and other cultures (Cheng & Fox, 2008;Fox et al., 2006Fox et al., , 2014Keefe & Shi, 2017;Raymond & Des Brisay, 2000;Tweedie & Kim, 2015) were all identified as positive outcomes associated with the participants' EAP program experiences and should continue to be part of the EAP curriculum. ...
This study set out to explore English for academic purposes (EAP) student perceptions of their experiences at a university in western Canada. A qualitative approach was used, with 17 students completing a questionnaire toward the end of their EAP program, and one of those students taking part in an interview approximately one year later. Data from the questionnaires and interview were transcribed and descriptively coded, with the codes gathered into salient themes. Thematic analysis identified benefits related to developing academic writing and speaking skills, boosting confidence levels, fostering EAP friendships, providing a transition period, and learning about local culture. However, the analysis also revealed the need for improvements in overall teaching and learning experiences, reading and listening skills development, and sociocultural content. These findings point to the importance of conceptualizing EAP with a wide range of outcomes related to linguistic, academic, social, cultural, and personal growth to support students’ additional language socialization in a postsecondary context. The findings also highlight areas for curriculum renewal and revision and underscore the role these programs can play in building on students’ strengths as they develop their overall competence in an additional language to achieve the goals that matter to them. Cette étude avait pour objectif d’explorer les perceptions d’apprenants de l’anglais sur objectifs académiques (AOA) de leur expérience dans une université de l’ouest du Canada. Une approche qualitative a été privilégiée et 17 apprenants ont complété un questionnaire vers la fin de leur programme d’AOA, un de ces apprenants ayant également participé à un entretien un an plus tard. Les données des questionnaires et de l’entretien ont été transcrites et codées de manière descriptive et les codes ont été regroupés par thèmes saillants. L’analyse thématique a identifié des avantages liés au développement del’écriture académique et des compétences orales, à la promotion des niveaux de confiance et des amitiés dans le cadre du programmes AOA, à l’établissement d’une période de transition et à l’apprentissage de la culture locale. Cependant, l’analyse a également révélé le besoin d’améliorer les expériences globales d’enseignement et d’apprentissage, le développement des compétences de lecture et d’écoute ainsi que le contenu socio-culturel. Ces résultats soulèvent l’importance de conceptualiser l’AOA en termes d’un large éventail de résultats liés à la l’épanouissement académique, social, culturel et personnel afin de soutenir la socialisation des apprenants dans leur langue additionnelle et dans un contexte postsecondaire. Les résultats soulignent également les opportunités de renouvellement et de révision des curriculums et font ressortir le rôle que ces programmes peuvent jouer en s’appuyant sur les forces des apprenants tandis qu’ils développent leur compétence globale dans une langue additionnelle afin de réaliser les objectifs qui leur sont importants.
... The study of Fox et al. (2014) have identified the "direct, positive impact of language programs to students' engagements (p.77)". Studying the EAP and ESP programs in Canada, they were able to establish that the English language programs were important as they supported students' academic and social activities. ...
Considering the curricular changes in the Philippines caused by the shift from K to 10 to K to 12, the study determined the impact of the ESL Programs of the old curricula to the university students’ academic and social engagements in a comprehensive university. Evaluating the ESL Programs in the old curriculum would enable curriculum planners and policymakers to determine the need of language programs in the university level. In the study, the characteristics of the students were also investigated as moderators in the engagements. Eight hundred sixty-six (866) university students from various disciplines participated in the research following the framework of Fox, Cheng and Zumbo (2014). Quantitative in nature using the structural equation model (SEM) in analyzing the data, the results showed that the ESL language programs have impact on the academic and social engagements of the students with the learning outcomes as moderators. Anxiety, as one of the student characteristics, played significantly in moderating the course outcomes and the engagements. Students perceive the programs to have more impact on their academic engagement than their social engagement. Implications for the inclusion of the English language programs in the university level are upheld.
... Successful completion of the program allows students entry into degree-bearing programs. Research on the effectiveness of EAP programs and instruction in Canada is extensive (e.g., Fox et al. 2014). Less prominent are critical approaches towards developing students' awareness of the power relations in language education including neoliberalism in higher education (Benesch, 2009;Chun 2009Chun , 2015. ...
This study draws on the combined perspectives of “A pedagogy of multiliteracies” (New London Group, 1996) and assemblage and affect (Deleuze & Guattari, 1980/1987) to examine how neoliberal identities shape how English for academic purposes (EAP) students compose a source-based research paper. Such exploration is necessary to account for the range of influences that contribute to students’ meaning making and textual production, especially when academic dishonesty is involved. Interview data from one atypical student participant is presented and analyzed through the post-qualitative method of rhizoanalysis to highlight how (mis)intended meaning in the design process can be (mis)interpreted. Analysis from a pedagogy of multiliteracies framework combined with assemblage and affect reveal the unsuspecting neoliberal influence that shape learning experiences in EAP. Based on these findings, critical implications for EAP pedagogy and research are proposed to address international students’ lived realities as digital-transnational citizens.
... Identifying where an EAP program finds itself within the overall administrative structure of a university, Fox et al. (2014) found that EAP programs can have an academic home in a wide range of university faculties, units, or departments. According to MacDonald (2016), some of the locations where an EAP program might reside include student services, academic departments, centres for continuing education, libraries, and independent units. ...
Because of the large number of post-secondary English for academic purposes (EAP) programs and the varying ways they are structured, it can be difficult to identify how a particular program fits within the overall landscape of university education. To identify general trends across Canada, the webpages for 74 EAP programs at 50 public English-medium universities were examined for key information related to each program. Data analysis included descriptive statistics as well as graphical representation. The results pointed to typical EAP programs that are independent units that offer non-credit courses with some credit options, have international tuition fees around $9,000 per semester, provide approximately 22 hours of instruction per week, and generally require IELTS scores over 5.0 or TOEFL iBT scores over 59 for entry. These results provide an avenue of comparison and indicate the need for future research to better understand how EAP programming is conceptualized in the Canadian context.
... Wir verweisen insbesondere auch auf international gebräuchliche, hierzulande bisher kaum rezipierte Konzepte etwa zu einem gestaffelten Studieneinstieg in Abhängigkeit sprachlicher Kompetenzen (vgl. exemplarisch Barrett-Lennard et al., 2011;Fox et al., 2014) oder zu einer studieneingebetteten formativen Sprachdiagnostik (vgl. Read, 2016). ...
... Wir verweisen insbesondere auch auf international gebräuchliche, hierzulande bisher kaum rezipierte Konzepte etwa zu einem gestaffelten Studieneinstieg in Abhängigkeit sprachlicher Kompetenzen (vgl. exemplarisch Barrett-Lennard et al., 2011;Fox et al., 2014) oder zu einer studieneingebetteten formativen Sprachdiagnostik (vgl. Read, 2016). ...
Die Sicherung des Studienerfolgs gehört zu den großen Herausforderungen für Hochschulen: Nach derzeitigen Schätzungen verlassen knapp 30 % aller Bachelorstudierenden die Hochschulen ohne Abschluss. Schon weil es sich um eine quantitativ so bedeutsame Gruppe handelt, sind Fragen nach den Ursachen und Folgen von Studienabbrüchen von hoher Relevanz – für Hochschulen und Bildungsforschung gleichermaßen. Trotz hoher Bedeutsamkeit wurde das Thema Studienabbruch durch die empirische Hochschulforschung bislang vergleichsweise wenig fokussiert. Seit 2017 fördert das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung daher in der Förderlinie „Studienerfolg und Studienabbruch“ 19 (Verbund-)Projekte, um mehr empirisch gesichertes Wissen zum Phänomen Studienabbruch zu generieren. Zum Ablauf der ersten Förderphase werden in diesem Sammelband die zentralen Erkenntnisse der Forschungsprojekte dargestellt.
Der Inhalt
• Ursachen von Studien(miss)erfolg und besondere Risikogruppen
• Folgen und Kosten von Studienabbrüchen
• Maßnahmen zur Sicherung des Studienerfolgs
Die Herausgeber
Prof. Dr. Martin Neugebauer ist Juniorprofessor für Empirische Bildungs- und Hochschulforschung an der Freien Universität Berlin.
Prof. em. Dr. Hans-Dieter Daniel forscht am Psychologischen Institut der Universität Zürich.
Prof. (i.R.) Dr. Andrä Wolter lehrte Hochschulforschung an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
... Erste Analysen auf der Basis der Studienabbruchsdaten zum Wintersemester 2019/2020 zeigen, dass die Sprachfähigkeiten der Studierenden sich zwischen Abbrecher*innen und Nicht-Abbrecher*innen nicht unterschiedlich entwickeln. Barrett-Lennard et al. 2011;Fox et al. 2014) oder zu einer studieneingebetteten formativen Sprachdiagnostik (vgl. Read 2016). ...
An deutschen Hochschulen studiert eine zunehmende Zahl an Bildungsausländer*innen (mit ausländischer Hochschulzugangsberechtigung; BiA). Allerdings bricht diese Gruppe aus bislang kaum erforschten Gründen häufig das Studium ab. Das Projekt „Sprache und Studienerfolg bei Bildungsausländer/-innen“ (SpraStu) widmet sich dieser Problemlage und fokussiert sprachliche Einflussfaktoren auf den Studienerfolg von N = 340 BiA an den Universitäten Leipzig und Würzburg.
Der Beitrag stellt Ergebnisse des Ende 2020 abgeschlossenen Projekts vor. Diese betreffen zunächst die zu Studienbeginn diagnostizierten Sprachkompetenzen, die sich als heterogen und oft unterhalb des für den sprachlichen Hochschulzugang gesetzten Eingangsniveaus erwiesen. Proband*innen unterschiedlicher Herkunftsregionen nahmen das Studium mit sehr verschiedenen Sprachkompetenzen auf. Insbesondere die Sprachlernbiografie und die sprachliche Studienvorbereitung erklären diese Unterschiede. Während sich die Sprachkompetenzen der Proband*innen im Studienverlauf messbar verbessern, empfinden BiA selbst v.a. das Sprechen als Hürde für eine erfolgreiche soziale und akademische Integration. Analysen zum Zusammenhang im ersten Semester erreichter Leistungspunkte mit diagnostizierten Sprachkompetenzen zeigen schließlich, dass sprachliche Fähigkeiten einen massiven Einfluss auf den Studienerfolg haben.
... Erste Analysen auf der Basis der Studienabbruchsdaten zum Wintersemester 2019/2020 zeigen, dass die Sprachfähigkeiten der Studierenden sich zwischen Abbrecher*innen und Nicht-Abbrecher*innen nicht unterschiedlich entwickeln. Barrett-Lennard et al. 2011;Fox et al. 2014) Um in Deutschland studieren zu können, müssen studieninteressierte Geflüchtete die gleichen formalen Voraussetzungen vorweisen wie andere internationale Studienbewerber*innen. Wichtig ist dabei die Bewertung der ausländischen Hochschulzugangsberechtigung (HZB). ...
Seit verstärkt qualifizierte Geflüchtete in Deutschland Schutz und Perspektive suchen, ist der Bedarf an studienvorbereitenden Maßnahmen ungebrochen groß. Das Projekt WeGe (Wege von Geflüchteten an deutsche Hochschulen) untersucht die Bedingungen erfolgreicher Studienvorbereitung für Geflüchtete und greift dabei auf ein Mixed-Methods-Forschungsdesign zurück. Als konzeptueller Rahmen dient der Capabilities Approach (CA), sowohl als Grundlage für eine kritische Definition von Erfolg, als auch für die Analyse von Gelingensbedingungen in der Studienvorbereitung auf institutioneller, sozialer und individueller Ebene. Es zeigt sich, dass die große Mehrheit der Geflüchteten die Studienvorbereitung erfolgreich abschließt. Erfolgreiche Übergänge hängen auch von institutionellen Barrieren ab, die sich in Informationsdefiziten, finanziellen Problemlagen und unsicheren Bleibeperspektiven manifestieren.
... Wir verweisen insbesondere auch auf international gebräuchliche, hierzulande bisher kaum rezipierte Konzepte etwa zu einem gestaffelten Studieneinstieg in Abhängigkeit sprachlicher Kompetenzen (vgl. exemplarisch Barrett-Lennard et al., 2011;Fox et al., 2014) oder zu einer studieneingebetteten formativen Sprachdiagnostik (vgl. Read, 2016). ...
Mit diesem Buch legen wir eine Übersicht über die aktuelle Studienerfolgs- und Studienabbruchforschung in Deutschland vor. Im Rahmen dieser Einleitung, die bewusst kurzgehalten ist, um Überschneidungen mit den einzelnen Beiträgen zu vermeiden, erläutern wir zunächst die Motivation zu diesem Buch. Es folgt eine Übersicht über die einzelnen Beiträge, bevor wir nach einem kurzen Ausblick all jenen danken, die zur Entstehung des Buches beigetragen haben.
... Erste Analysen auf der Basis der Studienabbruchsdaten zum Wintersemester 2019/2020 zeigen, dass die Sprachfähigkeiten der Studierenden sich zwischen Abbrecher*innen und Nicht-Abbrecher*innen nicht unterschiedlich entwickeln. Barrett-Lennard et al. 2011;Fox et al. 2014) Um in Deutschland studieren zu können, müssen studieninteressierte Geflüchtete die gleichen formalen Voraussetzungen vorweisen wie andere internationale Studienbewerber*innen. Wichtig ist dabei die Bewertung der ausländischen Hochschulzugangsberechtigung (HZB). ...
Mit Daten der Startkohorte Erwachsene des Nationalen Bildungspanels (NEPS) untersuchen wir langfristige Konsequenzen des Studienabbruchs. Wir vergleichen Studienabbrecher*innen mit Hochschulabsolvent*innen sowie mit Personen, die trotz Hochschulzugangsberechtigung kein Studium aufgenommen haben („Nicht-Starter*innen“). Mit dem Stundenlohn, der Dauer der Arbeitslosigkeit, dem beruflichen Status und der Arbeitszufriedenheit erfassen wir den objektiven und subjektiven Arbeitsmarkterfolg. Darüber hinaus untersuchen wir die Lebenszufriedenheit und den Gesundheitszustand. Verglichen mit Hochschulabsolvent*innen zeigen sich in allen Bereichen deutliche Nachteile für Studienabbrecher*innen. Letztere unterscheiden sich hinsichtlich objektivem Arbeitsmarkterfolg und Gesundheit jedoch kaum von Nicht-Starter*innen. Allerdings sind Studienabbrecher*innen sowohl mit ihrer Arbeit als auch mit ihrem Leben insgesamt weniger zufrieden. Die Befunde belegen, dass die Aufnahme eines Studiums im besten Fall mit Vorteilen am Arbeitsmarkt verbunden ist, während selbst beim Studienabbruch diesbezüglich keine gravierenden Nachteile drohen. Die Befunde legen aber auch nahe, dass ein Studienabbruch mit langfristigen psychischen Konsequenzen in Form geringerer Arbeits- und Lebenszufriedenheit verbunden ist.
... Wir verweisen insbesondere auch auf international gebräuchliche, hierzulande bisher kaum rezipierte Konzepte etwa zu einem gestaffelten Studieneinstieg in Abhängigkeit sprachlicher Kompetenzen (vgl. exemplarisch Barrett-Lennard et al. 2011;Fox et al. 2014) oder zu einer studieneingebetteten formativen Sprachdiagnostik (vgl. Read 2016). ...
Among the increasing number of international students at German universities, many are considerably less successful than domestic students. The reasons for this situation are as yet mostly unknown. The project “Sprache und Studienerfolg bei Bildungsausländer/-innen” (SpraStu, „Language and academic success of international students“) tries to better understand this situation by focusing on linguistic factors of influence on the academic success of N = 340 international students at the universities of Leipzig and Würzburg. This contribution presents central project results, focusing first on the students’ German language proficiency which was measured by a number of post-entry tests. Students’ language proficiency differed widely, and many remained below the formal proficiency level requirements for university admission. Furthermore, language abilities were clearly related to the region in which the students attained their university entrance qualification. The proficiency differences could partly be led back to the students’ language learning experience and the immediate (linguistic) preparation of their enrollment. In addition, while follow-up language tests showed that proficiency generally improved over time, students often felt that lacking abilities for oral communication in German were an obstacle for a successful social and academic integration. Finally, it could be shown that German language proficiency has a major influence on the credit points achieved in the first semester, suggesting an important role of language for academic success of international students.
... For one thing, these two purposes imply two related but somewhat different constructs. Standardized academic language proficiency tests aim to measure general language proficiency, while academic success as measured by GPA or a similar measure is impacted by not only language ability but a number of other factors, such as motivation, learning strategies, disciplinary knowledge, and academic acculturation (Cheng and Fox 2008;Fox et al. 2014). In other words, standardized test scores may be predictive of academic success, but these other factors are so important that the correlations between the two constructs are quite small. ...
In higher education, standardized academic language proficiency test scores are often used for multiple purposes, including admissions of international students to degree programs and identification of students’ post-entry language support needs. In this chapter, issues surrounding the use of high-stakes standardized academic language proficiency tests for making decisions about international English as a second language (ESL) students are explored. Specifically, (a) stakeholders’ views and knowledge about standardized academic language pro- ficiency tests, (b) predictive validity of standardized academic language profi- ciency tests for academic success, (c) the use of standardized language test scores for placement into language support courses, and (d) the use of locally developed tests for placement into language support courses rather than standardized tests are discussed. Based on the discussion, suggestions for the appropriate use of standardized language test scores for making admissions and placement decisions are provided.
... This paper relies heavily on the works of Messick (1989Messick ( , 1991Messick ( , 1996 to define test validity, and threats to test validity because they are seminal works as cited by (Cheng & DeLuca, 2011;DeLuca et al., 2013;Fox et al., 2013;Haladyna & Dowling, 2004). Validity may be understood as "an integrated evaluative judgment of the degree to which empirical evidence and theoretical rationales support the adequacy and appropriateness of interpretations and actions based on test scores of other modes of assessment" (Messick, 1991, p. 1). ...
This qualitative validation study examines sixteen Internationally Educated Nurses’ (IENs’) accounts of the Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) at two testing centres (Toronto and Hamilton). This study adopts both focus groups and one-on-one interviews to investigate the inferences drawn from the test, and its consequences. Focus groups and interviews were conducted using an adapted interview guide utilized in the TOEFL iBT investigation of test-taker accounts of construct representation and construct irrelevant variance (DeLuca et al., 2013). While construct representation describes the degree of authenticity in the presentation of Canadian English language nursing tasks, construct irrelevant variance refers to potential factors impacting the test-taking experience which might contribute to a score variance that was not reflective of test-taker knowledge of the testing constructs (Messick, 1989, 1991, 1996). In this study, test-taker accounts of construct representation and construct irrelevant variance constituted the data which were coded and analyzed abductively via the sensitizing concepts derived from DeLuca et al., and Cheng and DeLuca (2011) on examining test-takers’ experience and their contribution to validity. Seven themes emerged, answering four research questions: How do IENs characterize their test experience? How do IENs describe the assessment constructs? What, if any, sources of Construct Irrelevant Variance (CIV) do IENs describe? Do IENs feel the language tasks are authentic? Overall, participants reported positive experiences with the CELBAN, while identifying some possible sources of CIV. Given the CELBAN’s widespread use for high-stakes decisions (a component of nursing certification and licensure), further research of IEN-test-taker responses to construct representation and construct irrelevant variance will remain critical to our understanding of the role of language competency testing for IENs.
... According to data from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (2011), the most popular programs of study for international students are business and engineering, and international students are more likely to enroll in business, engineering, or math programs than domestic students. The transition from high school into university is a difficult one, especially for students whose first language is not English (e.g., Cheng & Fox, 2008;Fox et al., 2014;Keefe & Shi, 2017;Roessingh & Douglas, 2012;Tweedie & Kim, 2015). These students may be navigating new forms of language and culture in multiple senses. ...
One of the challenges that students face during the transition from high school to university is mastering discipline-specific academic expectations and norms. From a language perspective, they may encounter new academic and disciplinary vocabulary, some of which will be metaphoric in nature. However, some students whose first language is not English may struggle, as metaphoric competence is not often a consideration in ESL/EAP classrooms (Littlemore & Low, 2006). Among the supports that postsecondary institutions have implemented to improve students' chances of success are diagnostic and post-entry language assessment (Read, 2016). This mixed methods study investigated the comprehension of metaphoric language in first-year engineering reading materials using diagnostic assessment. First, a corpus of first-year engineering texts was qualitatively explored , finding personification and family/relationship metaphors. Subsequently, a metaphor comprehension test was designed using content from the corpus and administered as a reading task in an existing diagnostic assessment for first-year engineering students. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and t-test analysis of the responses revealed that English first-language (L1) students outperformed English second/additional (L2) language students. Further, those who performed poorly on the diagnostic assessment tended to also struggle with the metaphor comprehension task. Implications are discussed for EAP and first-year university classrooms.
Un des défis auxquels les étudiants font face lors de la transition entre l'école secondaire et l'université est la maîtrise des attentes et des normes universi-taires propres à chaque discipline. Du point de vue de la langue, il se peut qu'ils rencontrent du vocabulaire nouveau lié à l'université et à une discipline, dont une partie sera de nature métaphorique. Cependant, certains étudiants, dont la première langue n'est pas l'anglais, peuvent éprouver des difficultés, puisque la compétence métaphorique n'est pas souvent prise en considération dans les cours d'ALS/EAP (cours d'anglais académique) (Littlemore & Low, 2006). Parmi les soutiens que les institutions postsecondaires ont mis en place pour améliorer les chances de réussite des étudiants, on trouve des évaluations langagières dia-https://doi.
... This contrasts with other researchers of learning transfer (e.g. Dooey, 2010;James, 2010;Fox et al., 2014), who queried students more directly on their perceptions of the impact of EAP courses. Since the researchers make the claim that the insights generated by the participants 'provide an accurate reflection of their experiences' (p. ...
UK higher education institutions have widely adopted intensive pre‐sessional programmes (PSPs) encompassing English for academic purposes provision to enhance their attractiveness in the intense global competition for higher fee‐paying international students whose proficiency in English falls below standard entry requirements. Nevertheless, opening up tertiary education participation to linguistically weaker candidates has attracted controversy, with reports in the UK media and academic journals that institutions have been engaged in linguistic corner‐cutting for financial gain. This paper critically reviews research investigating the extent pre‐sessional courses ‘work’ to remedy deficits in international non‐native English‐speaking students’ language proficiency in the UK higher education context. This paper synthesises the findings and methodological facets of 18 diverse studies investigating pre‐sessional effectiveness, organised according to Lynch's (1996) quantitative/qualitative language programme evaluation typology. The findings revealed that (a) most students were able to successfully complete pre‐sessional programmes, demonstrating tangible, if unremarkable language proficiency gains; (b) where post‐PSP measures were included, it was revealed many alumni undertook their tertiary programme with borderline proficiency, sometimes resulting in delayed degree completion, lower academic outcomes compared with direct entry students, or failure, often by thesis non‐(re)submission (in time); (c) PSP alumni perceived value and reward in undertaking the programme, though enhanced self‐effectiveness beliefs did not always translate into academic results. Suggestions are made for enhancing research into PSP effectiveness, while gaps in the literature are identified for future complementary investigations. Policy implications for institutions are also discussed.
... A number of researchers (cf. Fox et al., 2014;Noceti, Chacón, Chiarella, & Erbetta, 2017) have argued that the type of specialized academic support available to EAL students in EAP and ESP courses should be available to all students. For example, in the context of undergraduate engineering, which presents "extremely challenging" disciplinary issues to entering students, Noceti et al. (2017: 1) point out that "academic literacy in the mother tongue is similar to learning a foreign language as it involves immersion in a new culture". ...
This paper reports on the central role of disciplinary (engineering) criteria in the
development of an ESP-based diagnostic writing task and rubric, used to identify
entering undergraduate engineering students in need of academic support. In this mixed
methods study, Phase 1 investigated the usefulness of a generic writing task and analytic
rubric used for the diagnosis. Phase 2, informed by the results of Phase 1, focused on the
development of an engineering writing task. The outcomes of the two phases were
merged to develop an engineering ESP-based writing task and rubric, informed by a) the
collaboration of language/writing experts and engineering stakeholders, and b) criteria,
indigenously drawn from the engineering community of practice. The study supports an
academic literacies approach in diagnostic assessment (rather than a generic, one-size-
fits-all, "academic literacy" approach), and suggests that the demands of university study
are best viewed as the practices of disciplinary communities of practice. The paper
provides evidence of the increased meaningfulness and usefulness of a disciplinary, ESP-
based approach in diagnosing need for academic
This study identified and tracked the major discourses present in the first 50 years of TESOL Quarterly. A corpus of articles published in the journal was collected, tagged, and analyzed for lexical dimensions of variation (the lexical parameters underlyingvariation across texts in the journal). A factor analysis detected the sets of lexical words cooccurring in the texts. The factors were interpreted into five dimensions: (1) critical, social, cultural, discourse or identity versus language assessment and testing; (2) applications of linguistic theory versus language policy, education and planning; (3) quantitative research methods versus positivist teaching materials and techniques; (4) language teaching and learning versus word-based investigations; and (5) reading and writing versus listening and speaking. The dimension scores were entered in a cluster analysis that identified the two principal eras of the journal: the first from 1967 to the early 1990s, and the second from the early 1990s to 2016.
International high school students who study in Canada face a number of critical transitions in their educational journey. This study examines two of the most critical transitions, namely transitioning from an overseas high school to a Canadian high school, and then from high school to a Canadian university. The challenges facing these students and their teachers can be overwhelming. This study examines: • socialization and settlement, • effective communication and language proficiency, • and mainstream course study. Additionally the student must pass a number of language-related hurdles that are part of the university admission process. International students are almost universally under pressure, both self-imposed and parentally imposed, to take a "fast track" toward their academic goals. ESL classes take on a significant role in the students transition because they must demonstrate English language proficiency to be admitted to a Canadian university. This study explores an ESL syllabus that is effective in facilitating the process of transition in a manner that also encourages student engagement and motivation. The primary goal of this proposed Transition-Focused (TF) ESL Syllabus concept, and the associated conceptual framework TF Syllabus construct is to assess the effectiveness of the Transition-Focused ESL Syllabus as applied to a specific international school (Toronto Central Academy) and similar schools. Transition-Focused (TF) ESL Syllabus in Transitional Education 3
An deutschen Hochschulen studieren immer mehr Bildungsausländerinnen und-aus-länder, die jedoch ihr Studium häufig abbrechen. Bislang ist nur lückenhaft bekannt, welche Faktoren dazu führen. Im Zentrum dieses Beitrags steht die Untersuchung der Erklärungskraft von Deutschkompetenzen für den Studienerfolg der N = 340 Teil-nehmenden des Projekts SpraStu. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass ungefähr ein Fünftel der Leistungsvarianz im ersten Studienjahr durch Sprachkompetenzen erklärt werden kann, v. a. durch das Leseverstehen. Andere sprachliche Fertigkeiten beeinflussen den subjektiven Studienerfolg. Ferner erweist sich, dass in unterschiedlichen Fächer-gruppen je verschiedene Sprachkompetenzen in variierendem Ausmaß prädiktiv für den Studienerfolg sind. Schließlich erweisen sich in einer Analyse unter Einbezug auch nichtsprachlicher Determinanten neben Sprachkompetenzen besonders die akademische und soziale Integration sowie finanzielle Sorgen als aussagekräftig für den Studienerfolg.
Older views of the English for Academic Purposes Literacies (EAPL) assessment have been in line with the assessment of the four-skills second language (L2) competencies. However, the new understanding is that literacy is not just a cognitive competence of reading and writing but also a set of other purposeful social processes. This understanding makes EAPL assessment multifaceted by calling upon a set of supra-linguistic behaviors, i.e., cognitive and social skills in addition to L2 competencies. This chapter starts with a brief history and the current state of theoretical constructs (of what is actually assessed) of EAPL assessment. It then centers its discussion on different academic literacies models, and the critical issues in measuring EAPL. The author highlights different strategies for planning assessment in the practical applications of academic literacies constructs. The chapter ends with the presentation of useful steps in creating EAPL assessments.
tudies that have investigated students’ perceptions of EGAP and ESAP instructions have generally focused on students’ perceived learning of the features of academic discourse that they can transfer to their subject-specific courses. Examining the processes that students go through when trying to adjust to EAP instruction has received little attention. The present study aimed to explore the challenges that Tunisian students faced when trying to adjust to the requirements of an ESAP course to which they had been introduced for the first time. Understanding these challenges can lead to a better understanding of the processes by which students move from the initial learning context to the transfer contexts (Lobato, 2003). The study was conducted over a period of two years and involved two student cohorts. A student cohort of 21 students participated during the academic year 2014-2015 and another cohort of 36 students participated during the academic year 2015-2016. The research consisted of a diary study, in that data were collected solely from the learner diaries that students were asked to keep as part of the learning activities. Results showed that ESAP instruction presented considerable challenges to students during the first semester of the course. These challenges often caused feelings of anger, disappointment, demotivation, and resistance. Despite these challenges, students’ adjustment to the course was clearly observed in the second semester. The findings also revealed that all participants developed a very positive attitude towards the ESAP model at the end of instruction. The findings suggest that ESAP instruction has a greater potential to promote learning transfer because it provides students with a more authentic learning environment. However, the implementation and success of this model in the various Tunisian academic settings depends, on the one hand, on the EAP teachers’ willingness to change their teaching beliefs and practices and, on the other hand, on their preparations to meet the challenges that such a teaching model can pose to teachers.
The ongoing "internationalization" of Canadian post-secondary institutions has resulted in significant demographic changes in these institutions' student bodies, creating a need for more effective support of students using English as an additional language both during these students' transitions to university and during their degree programs. Currently this type of support is offered across a wide range of contexts in Canadian institutions of higher education, often embedded in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs. Given the increasing demand for EAP, investigation of the features of existing programs and the experiences of EAP practitioners is necessary for improving equity and efficacy within the field. The following article provides initial results from a recent Canada-wide survey aimed at better understanding Canadian EAP programs and the practitioners working therein, with a specific focus on the Ontario context.
This study attempts to synthesise the scholarship on second language (L2) motivation and systematically examines the theoretical approaches, methods, research instruments, and learning contexts found in recent research published between 2010 and 2019. Following a comprehensive survey of six influential, high-impact journals in the field, 100 motivation studies were identified that met our eligibility criteria. The publications were coded for the samples, research paradigms, methodological approaches, frameworks, data collection methods, and reporting practices (e.g. piloting, reliability estimates). Frequencies and percentages of publication characteristics were then calculated. Among other results (e.g. the need to look at motivation from the Global South perspectives, development of different theoretical approaches, the rise of qualitative research), the study revealed that the vast majority of publications employ the L2 Motivational Self System model as an analytical framework and this orientation relates to its adaptability to different applied contexts. Methodologically, although studies in this domain differ in reporting of instrumentation, real improvements in terms of methodological quality and transparency in reporting practices, particularly regarding effect sizes, are recommended. In addition, although the motivational publications most often employ quantitative methods to collect data, future explorations need to embrace innovative research methods (such as idiodynamics, Q methodology, retrodictive qualitative modelling) in order to investigate motivational dynamics. The study concludes with useful directions for future motivation research.
It can be difficult to decipher the extent to which Canadian university internationalization efforts have been corralled to actualize mostly through non-native English speaking (NNES) foreign student recruitment. Although international surveys often report that an overwhelming majority of foreign students endorse Canada as a study destination and are satisfied with their Canadian study experience, the voices of students who experience a different reality are often overlooked. This chapter begins with an overview of internationalization values. The author then reviews the ways in which neoliberal ideology reshapes higher education as a good and places NNES foreign students as consumers in competition. Next, the foreign student recruitment is aligned with the internationalization rationales of generating revenue and migrating skills to benefit Canada's national economy. The reported realities of NNES foreign students are shared, followed by questions to springboard dialogue on identifying and mitigating gaps for NNES foreign student university study on Canadian campuses.
Based on the narratives of the participating students’ lived experience and the analysis of the factors that shaped who they are and why they are. This chapter discusses, in the eye of the beholders, what works for the Chinese international students’ successful pursuits as EFL learners and ESL users and learners and what could be improved. Specific suggestions and advice are proposed to stakeholders who are involved in Chinese international students’ cross-border education, namely, the U.S. host institute, the English education policymakers and practitioners in China, and the Chinese international students. For the U.S. host institute, issues discussed and recommendations provided include faculty knowledge, curriculum internationalization, inclusive pedagogy, and institutional services (writing center, international student office, and intensive English for Academic course). For the English language teaching (ELT) in China, the focal issues we discuss are those identified from the narratives, then suggestions for reconceptualizing China’s ELT, teacher quality training (including NESTs vs. NNESTs), curricula reform, as well as K-16 EFL curricular articulation. In the last section of this chapter, we focus on providing practical recommendations pertinent to Chinese international students’ linguistic and academic success. Thoughts also include our suggestions on promoting international education stakeholders’ intercultural communication competence in response to critical incidents such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Feedback in higher education (HE) is an important determinant of student success despite its variable impacts. Assessment and feedback have also been highlighted as one of the least satisfactory aspects of the learning experience. However, more scholarship has focussed on what constitutes ‘good feedback’ than about the factors that influence how it is perceived, engaged with, and used by students. This study aims to redress this imbalance by investigating what measures can be taken by teachers to support feedback engagement processes. It explores how the existing literature on dialogism, technology, can be synthesised into a new model of feedback engagement. Principles from the resulting USM model were employed in the design of dialogic technology-mediated feedback practices used over a semester with 14 South Korean undergraduates on an academic writing course. Utilising a qualitative approach, data from reflections, questionnaires (N=14) and the main method, in-depth semi-structured interviews (N=13), were analysed to understand perceptions of the relationship between navigating the feedback activities and feedback engagement and use. The data was also used to consider how the model could be empirically enhanced. The findings were analysed inductively, and the practices reportedly contributed to feedback engagement in four ways. Dialogism supported understanding of peer/teacher feedback, facilitated group knowledge co-construction, and motivated feedback engagement. Open access to peers’ work helped participants to make comparisons and understand how their work could be improved. Screencast feedback was perceived to be more thorough, usable, and affectively supportive. After initial disappointment with feedback, participants reportedly engaged with the feedback by employing certain pre-introduced concepts related to learning from feedback. Overall, the practices were demonstrated to support the development of feedback receptivity. The data supported contributed to the refinement of the USM model; thus, contributions to both theory and practice were made.
Over the last two decades, UK higher education institutions have performed successfully in the competitive global market of overseas student recruitment. A key explanatory factor is the increased provision of pre-sessional English preparation pathways that allow universities to enrol students whose language proficiency at the time of application falls below programme requirements. Yet the scale and nature of pre-sessional EAP provision is poorly documented, particularly how the length, intensity, and frequency of courses converge with the minimum English language entry requirements of degree programmes. The present study provides a comprehensive description of the English proficiency cut-off scores (measured in IELTS) of 132 UK higher education institutions and documents the extent of institutions’ pre-sessional EAP programmes in the 2018-19 academic year. The results indicate universities tend to set cut-off scores towards the lower end of what is permitted by the Home Office. To boost the supply of international education and meet the demand for enrolment, institutions adopt multiple and sometimes lengthy general EAP pre-sessional programmes that often serve to bridge linguistic shortfalls of 1.0 or more IELTS bands overall and across the four components. Recommendations are made for institutions to set linguistic cut-off scores that reflect best practice.
Up to date, there is scarce quantitative literature accounting for the interrelationships of the components (policies, beliefs, and practices) of academic language policy. This paper reports findings from a mixed-methods study of the enactment of academic English language policy by focusing on international students’ perceptions of the classroom language policy (English-only) in three Canadian EAP programmes. With corroborative findings, this study identifies general trends in students’ perceptions and beliefs towards the implementation of classroom language policy as well as factors that contribute to students’ ambivalence and varied perspectives. Major findings reveal the tensions and conflicts between top-down language requirements/expectations and the actual language use/choice in the EAP classroom. Discussions of the findings suggest that, despite the increasing awareness of the homogenising effects of internationalisation as embodied in the monolingual orientation in classroom language policy, the linguistic and cultural differences which mark the Chinese students’ identities and holistic linguistic repertoires seem to remain othered and their language needs marginalised by the hosting communities. This empirical study may deepen current understandings of the interrelationships between language choice and language beliefs and provide implications for language policy making in alignment with internationalisation of higher education.
This is the first empirical study to examine the comparative predictive power of Chinese national college English language program (CEP), a Western university's English for academic purpose (EAP) language program, a standardised English language proficiency (SELP) test, and business diploma for the academic performance of Chinese students in transnational business degree programs. The study analysed the academic results of 759 Chinese students who studied in the programs between 2006 and 2014. Crossover repeated measures design and multivariate regressions were used for analysis. Findings revealed that both CEP and EAP were good predictors of the performance in the first-year pathway diploma program. However, neither of them added any predictive power in later year degree subjects beyond the performance in the diploma program. There was a weak link between SELP and either CEP or EAP. This study also found that every student who failed the SELP test but had passed the diploma and the CEP and EAP programs successfully completed the degree. The study raises questions about English-speaking universities using SELP alone as an admission criteria. The study has implications for the admission policy of English-speaking universities.
This paper describes the association between mental health and the ethnolinguistic identity of students in a francophone post-secondary institution in a linguistic minority context in western Canada. Franco-Manitoban students have strong ethnolinguistic identity and mental health. Francophone students from other countries were at greater risk of poor mental health despite a strong ethnolinguistic identity. Ethnolinguistic identity is positively associated with mental health for Francophone students from other countries and Anglophone students and should be targeted more specifically in mental health promotion in Canadian post-secondary institutions. © 2018 Canadian Periodical for Community Studies Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Due to students’ growing networking needs, educational institutions are increasingly looking for tools to bolster peer communication and information exchange. These tools, furthermore, need to facilitate students’ adaptation to the new academic culture and support their academic acculturation. This study proposes to integrate the social networking site Facebook into the learning programme, providing students with a low-threshold online environment where they can share ideas , experiences and information while creating social bonds. Data from two case studies show that students experience various challenges associated with academic acculturation and try to overcome them by consulting their peers via Facebook. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that through social networking, careful assignment design and tutor support, students are encouraged to acculturate and become active, responsible learners.
The issues of authentic context and authoritative ethos are explored through a study of a graduate student learning to write for mathematics within the context of an English for academic purposes (EAP) course. The student faced conflicts about audience, purpose, and content knowledge as she was required to write math texts within what she perceived was an inauthentic context, an English as a second language (ESL) course. She questioned the purpose of the writing tasks as well as why an ESL instructor was teaching her to write for math, and she addressed the conflicts by writing for the instructor's discourse community and expectations, rather than her own, to earn a grade for the course. The text the student created was thus inauthentic within her own discourse community and lacked her voice of authority. These findings question the validity of EAP courses and raise several issues, especially in terms of the transferability of skills from EAP to content courses.
English
International students in institutions of higher education in English-speaking countries make valuable educational and economic contributions. For these benefits to continue, universities must become more knowledgeable about the adjustment issues these students face and implement appropriate support services. This review identifies factors that influence the adjustment and academic achievement of international students. Adjustment challenges are primarily attributable to English language proficiency and culture. Achievement is affected by English proficiency, academic skills and educational background. Understanding international student adjustment issues has global implications for intercultural education. Successful support interventions are reviewed and implications for practice discussed.
French
Les élèves internationaux étudiant au sein d'institutions d'enseignement supérieur dans des pays anglophones apportent une contribution précieuse tant sur le plan éducationnel que sur le plan économique. Pour continuer à bénéficier de ces atouts, les universités doivent s'informer davantage sur les questions d'adaptation auxquelles ces élèves sont confrontés et mettre en oeuvre des services de soutien appropriés. Cette étude identifie les facteurs qui influencent l'adaptation et les résultats scolaires des élèves internationaux. Les problèmes d'adaptation sont attribués en premier lieu à la maîtrise de la langue anglaise et à la culture. Les résultats scolaires quant à eux sont affectés par la maîtrise de l'anglais, l'aptitude aux études et les acquis scolaires. Comprendre les questions d'adaptation propres aux élèves internationaux a des implications au niveau mondial en termes d'éducation internationale. L'article analyse les interventions de soutien qui portent leurs fruits et discute des implications sur un plan pratique.
Spanish
Los alumnos internacionales de instituciones de enseñanza superior de países angloparlantes realizan valiosas contribuciones educativas y económicas. Para continuar beneficiándose de estas aportaciones, es necesario que las universidades conozcan mejor los problemas de adaptación que afrontan dichos alumnos y pongan en práctica los servicios de apoyo adecuados. En este trabajo se señalan los factores que influyen en la adaptación y el desempeño académico de los alumnos procedentes de otros países. Sus problemas de adaptación se pueden atribuir principalmente a sus conocimientos de la cultura y la lengua inglesa. Su desempeño depende de la competencia lingüística en inglés, las habilidades académicas y la formación educativa. Entender los problemas de adaptación de estos alumnos repercute en la educación intercultural a escala mundial. Asimismo, se examinan iniciativas de apoyo positivas y se analizan sus implicaciones a efectos prácticos.
In this article, I attempt to deal with some of the complexities of text, ownership, memorization, and plagiarism. Arguing that plagiarism cannot be cast as a simple black-and-white issue, the prevention of which can be achieved via threats, warnings, and admonitions, I suggest that it needs to be understood in terms of complex relationships between text, memory, and learning. This is part of an attempt to explore more generally different relationships between learning, literacy, and cultural difference. I look first at the background to the notion of authorship and ownership of text, arguing that the way ownership and creativity are understood within European and U.S. contexts needs to be seen as a very particular cultural and historical development. By looking at shifting premodern, modern, and postmodern understandings of text and authorship, I show how the dominant modernist paradigm has always been filled with tensions and ambiguities. Then I discuss how these confusions around plagiarism lead to difficulties and hypocrisies in how textual borrowing is understood. I follow this examination of the development of the Western notion of textual ownership with a consideration of what it means to impose this view in a context where understandings of texts, ownership, and learning may be very different. By looking at learning in a Chinese context and also at the particularities of studying in Hong Kong, I show why we need much more subtle appreciations of the relationships between different approaches to texts. Finally, I discuss some general implications for understanding text, ownership, and learning.
Procedures for examining whether treatment effects on an outcome are mediated and/or moderated have been well developed and are routinely applied. The mediation question focuses on the intervening mechanism that produces the treatment effect. The moderation question focuses on factors that affect the magnitude of the treatment effect. It is important to note that these two processes may be combined in informative ways, such that moderation is mediated or mediation is moderated. Although some prior literature has discussed these possibilities, their exact definitions and analytic procedures have not been completely articulated. The purpose of this article is to define precisely both mediated moderation and moderated mediation and provide analytic strategies for assessing each.
This text explores fundamental issues relating to student literacies and instructor roles and practices within academic contexts. It offers a brief history of literacy theories and argues for "socioliterate" approaches to teaching and learning in which texts are viewed as primarily socially constructed. Central to socioliteracy, the concepts "genre" and "discourse community," are presented in detail. The author argues for roles for literacy practitioners in which they and their students conduct research and are involved in joint pedagogical endeavors. The final chapters are devoted to outlining how the views presented can be applied to a variety of classroom texts. Core curricular design principles are outlined, and three types of portfolio-based academic literacy classrooms are described.
The number of non-native students studying in English-medium universities has increased over the past decade. Paralleling this growth is the interest in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). No one research-based volume has yet investigated the theoretical issues and pedagogical concerns of the area. This wide-ranging volume of specially commissioned articles from leading scholars in the field aims to bring to the wider community current research in the field and its implications for pedagogy. It offers a state-of-the-art representation of research in EAP and will help define the field in the coming years.
Cultivating motivation is crucial to a language learner's success - and therefore crucial for the language teacher and researcher to understand. This fully revised edition of a groundbreaking work reflects the dramatic changes the field of motivation research has undergone in recent years, including the impact of language globalisation and various dynamic and relational research methodologies, and offers ways in which this research can be put to practical use in the classroom and in research.
Sandra Joy Savignon is a professor in the Program in Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. A past president of the American Association for Applied Linguistics and the founder and long-time director of the multidisciplinary doctoral program in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education at the University of Illinois, she has traveled widely in North and South America, Europe, and Asia, consulting and giving seminars on communicative language teaching. Her books include Communicative competence: theory and classroom practice, winner of the Modern Language Association of America Mildenberger Medal for an outstanding research publication in the field of second/foreign language teaching. Her most recent book is Interpreting communicative language teaching: contexts and concerns in teacher education. She and her husband Gabriel are the parents of three bilingual children, now grown with families of their own.
This book introduces multiple-latent variable models by utilizing path diagrams to explain the underlying relationships in the models. This approach helps less mathematically inclined students grasp the underlying relationships between path analysis, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling more easily. A few sections of the book make use of elementary matrix algebra. An appendix on the topic is provided for those who need a review. The author maintains an informal style so as to increase the book's accessibility. Notes at the end of each chapter provide some of the more technical details. The book is not tied to a particular computer program, but special attention is paid to LISREL, EQS, AMOS, and Mx. New in the fourth edition of Latent Variable Models: * a data CD that features the correlation and covariance matrices used in the exercises; * new sections on missing data, non-normality, mediation, factorial invariance, and automating the construction of path diagrams; and * reorganization of chapters 3-7 to enhance the flow of the book and its flexibility for teaching. Intended for advanced students and researchers in the areas of social, educational, clinical, industrial, consumer, personality, and developmental psychology, sociology, political science, and marketing, some prior familiarity with correlation and regression is helpful. © 2004 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
In examining the contexts of learning for L2 English bilinguals, educators and researchers may have ignored an important feature of that context, the social/academic relationships the learners develop with native-English-speaking peers. Long considered a means of promoting learning and independence among students, group work is one domain where such social/academic interactions occur in university-level courses across the curriculum in English-dominant countries. The research reported here details the experiences of two nonnative-English-speaking (NNES) students in course-sponsored group projects. The findings suggest that the particular social/academic relationships that develop within work groups may undermine the ability of NNES students to make meaningful contributions to the group projects. Furthermore, even group projects that appear to work well may conceal particular burdens for NNES students of which faculty who assign group projects may remain unaware.
This article explores the discourse socialization of nonnative- and native-English-speaking graduate students through their engagement in one type of classroom speech event, oral academic presentations (OAPs). From a language socialization perspective, an 8-month ethnographic study investigated how students were expected to speak in two graduate courses in a TESL program and how they acquired the oral academic discourses required to perform successful OAPs. Data were collected mainly from classroom observations, video recordings of OAPs, interviews, and questionnaires. The OAP discourse was analyzed as embedded in the local culture of the graduate courses, being linked with ethnographically derived information. Findings suggest that both nonnative and native speakers gradually became apprenticed into oral academic discourses through ongoing negotiations with instructors and peers as they prepared for, observed, performed, and reviewed OAPs. OAPs, which are commonplace, seemingly straightforward activities, were also found to be complex cognitive and sociolinguistic phenomena. Based on these findings, this article argues that academic discourse socialization should be viewed as a potentially complex and conflictual process of negotiation rather than as a predictable, unidirectional process of enculturation. Implications for L2 pedagogy and future research are discussed.
Writing research has given us few accounts of the writing experience of ESL students outside the English or writing classroom. This article reports a qualitative research study of 5 ESL visa students in their first semester of study at a U.S. university. The goal of the research was to examine the academic literacy experiences of these students in light of the strategies they brought with them to their first academic experience in the U.S. and the strategies they developed in response to the writing demands they encountered in their regular courses across the curriculum. The results of this study give us an in-depth and detailed picture of this group of ESL students at the initial stages of acquiring discipline-specific discourse strategies not in the English classroom but while fully engaged in the struggle to survive the demands of disciplinary courses. In the tradition of qualitative research, this report is at the same time fully embedded in a narrative of these students' experiences, giving us a picture not only of students learning to write but also of human beings negotiating the exhilarating and sometimes puzzling demands of U.S. academic life.
As the title suggests, this paper explores the competing pressures toward ESP accommodation to institutional exigencies and to a critical response to those exigencies. The locus of the discussion is the design and implementation of an EAP course for Master's of Architecture students in a major US university. Architectural professional education has been largely neglected in the expanding ESP literature, although the types of discourse that orchestrate professional training in this area have some interesting and unique features. We outline our attempts over 4 years to respond to these challenges and complexities, considering along the way both the practical constraints and the role of a critical pedagogy in EAP. Materials development was based in part on discoursal analysis of student presentations of their design studio work and on corpus linguistic analysis of the same material. The paper closes with some reflections on the lessons learnt.
As the number of non-native speakers of English studying at universities in the United Kingdom (UK) has grown, so has the need to provide pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. One of the challenges facing the organisers of such courses is deciding how to determine whether students have completed them successfully and whether they are ready to enter their academic departments. This paper reviews research into assessment on pre-sessional and other EAP support courses, and summarises the results of a survey of practice in a number of universities in the UK and other countries. It describes how assessment on pre-sessional courses has evolved at one British institution (Lancaster University), and outlines some of the problems that have led to changes in recent years. Explanations will be given of the methods used to pilot and refine a new assessment procedure and of the attempts that have been made to investigate its validity.
Writing is not just about conveying ‘content’ but also about the representation of self. (One of the reasons people find writing difficult is that they do not feel comfortable with the ‘me’ they are portraying in their writing. Academic writing in particular often poses a conflict of identity for students in higher education, because the ‘self’ which is inscribed in academic discourse feels alien to them.) The main claim of this book is that writing is an act of identity in which people align themselves with socio-culturally shaped subject positions, and thereby play their part in reproducing or challenging dominant practices and discourses, and the values, beliefs and interests which they embody. The first part of the book reviews recent understandings of social identity, of the discoursal construction of identity, of literacy and identity, and of issues of identity in research on academic writing. The main part of the book is based on a collaborative research project about writing and identity with mature-age students, providing: • a case study of one writer’s dilemmas over the presentation of self; • a discussion of the way in which writers’ life histories shape their presentation of self in writing; • an interview-based study of issues of ownership, and of accommodation and resistance to conventions for the presentation of self; • linguistic analysis of the ways in which multiple, often contradictory, interests, values, beliefs and practices are inscribed in discourse conventions, which set up a range of possibilities for self-hood for writers. The book ends with implications of the study for research on writing and identity, and for the learning and teaching of academic writing. The book will be of interest to students and researchers in the fields of social identity, literacy, discourse analysis, rhetoric and composition studies, and to all those concerned to understand what is involved in academic writing in order to provide wider access to higher education.
This study explored the relationship between acculturation level and vocational identity among 112 graduate and undergraduate Taiwanese international students attending two midwestern universities. The results revealed that Taiwanese international students who were older and who had a shorter length of U.S. residency were more likely to identify themselves as Asian. The results also indicated that Taiwanese international students who were older and who had a lower acculturation level had higher vocational identity.
International students frequently encounterproblems in adjusting to their new social environmentwhen studying at American institutions of highereducation. This paper contends that an importantstrategy used by international students in theadjustment process is to establish social relationshipswith other persons with a similar cultural background ornationality and form ethnic communities within the context of the university. Participation insuch an ethnic community serves to buffer internationalstudents from problems associated with a lack ofassimilation of American culture and an inability to effectively interact with Americans. This papertests the conditional hypotheses that assimilation ofAmerican culture and the establishment of social tieswith Americans influence the personal adjustment of an international student, only when thestudent has not established strong ties with otherpeople from a similar cultural background. The number ofstrong ties established with other coculturals was found to have the strongest relationship withthe personal adjustment of international students. Therelationship between assimilation of American cultureand personal adjustment was found to be conditional on the number of strong ties established withother coculturals whereas the establishment of strongties with Americans was found to be independentlyrelated to personal adjustment.
This study took a grounded theory approach in investigating the relationship between the criteria indigenously drawn for an English for academic purposes (EAP) test and the outcomes of test decisions over time. Test outcomes were examined across three theoretical samples: (1) an EAP teacher-identified sample of misplaced students; (2) a database-generated sample that matched the key variables in the EAP teachers’ sample; and (3) a random sample of test-takers drawn from a single administration of the test. Although analysis revealed two sources of testing error, namely, under-specification of bands in the writing sub-test scale and an under-valuing of the listening sub-test in the overall weighted average of the test, it also revealed the relationship between key patterns of performance on the test and performance in university classrooms that signposted students at risk. As such, the study provides evidence of the usefulness of inquiry that examines the relationship between EAP test performance and the use of English as a mediating tool in academic performance.
This article draws on research grounded in a theoretical framework informed by the work of Alfred Schutz and of Berger and Luckmann and explores transition to university as a loss experience. The specific loss examined here is that which results from student identity discontinuity as they undertake the initial transition to university - a transition that the article positions within the political and economic issues shaping the university of the twenty-first century. What causes this initial identity instability is that students have only naïve 'knowledge about', rather than contextualised 'knowledge of', the new learning context. This means that drawing on knowledge of past learning contexts does not always assist students negotiate new situated learner identities. Rather, identity results from situated interactions in which students pick up cues regarding the horizons of possibility for identity formation in the university transition. It is the nexus of situated interactions with lecturers and other students that is the context and process of identity formation.
A challenge for many EAP teachers working on pre-sessional programs is to find ways to reconcile the dual aims of preparing students for university study and for the IELTS test. The study described here seeks to provide some guidance on this issue through an analysis of the type of writing required in the two domains. We compared the standard IELTS Task 2 rubric with a corpus of 155 assignment tasks collected at two Australian universities and found that whilst IELTS writing bears some resemblance to the predominant genre of university study-the essay, there are also some very important difference. Our findings suggest that the type of writing the test elicits may have more in common with certain public nonacademic genres, and thus should not be thought of as an appropriate model for university writing. We conclude that it is probably best to deal with test preparation and the broader EAP writing curriculum within separate programs.
This study examines the academic performance of second language (L2) applicants who are admitted to a university on the basis of the number of years completed in English-medium secondary school. Such language-residency requirements are underexamined in the research literature. Results from the first 2 years of a 4-year longitudinal study indicate that there is no significant or meaningful difference in the performance of groups of students admitted to a university on the basis of 3, 4, or 5 years in English-medium high school. However, as a group, these L2 students underperform other groups and many are at risk. The results of this study are discussed in relation to research regarding time as a factor in language proficiency development and alternative models of language support. If universities are to continue using language residency as an indication of language proficiency, it is essential to provide these L2 applicants with language assessment that is tied to timely, supplemental instruction for students at risk.
The aggressive internationalization of Canadian universities and increased immigration to Canada over the past 20 years have resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of second language (L2) students in Canadian universities. However, little is known about the factors that influence academic acculturation of L2 students or about the role of English for academic purposes (EAP) instruction in their acculturation process. This study examined L2 university students' perceptions of academic acculturation and the role of EAP instruction by means of interviews conducted with 56 L2 students at three Canadian universities. Findings suggest that the students who characterized their academic engagement as successful had typically developed more strategic learning and social skills as part of their acculturation process. Implications are drawn for the importance of aligning students' agendas for learning (i.e., their perceptions of needs) with EAP programs. © 2008 The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes.
Universities and colleges in Canada and other English-speaking countries have become increasingly concerned with linguistic and cultural diversity and internationalizing their campuses, both to enhance local and international students' experiences on campus and to prepare them to function in their careers and the larger society. Most international students are non-native English-speaking (NNES) and need support to develop the English language proficiency required for engagement in the academic demands of the Canadian university milieu. This small-scale study at a Canadian university, by way of a survey and follow-up interview, addresses the gap in our understanding between academic skills that are required at the graduate level and those that learners of English find difficult. The findings suggest that by targeting academic skills that are both required and difficult, efficiency can be achieved in the design of programmatic supports for developing English for academic purposes (EAP). The findings further suggest that international students may lack independent strategies for advancing their English-language proficiency and that these too can be targeted in an EAP program.
An EAP needs survey conducted at a major Canadian university among first-year Bachelor's- and Master's-level students reveals that native speakers (NS) and non-native speakers (NNS) of English perceive that the language skills that are necessary for academic study are of different levels of difficulty. Furthermore, English language difficulties appear to negatively affect the academic achievement of NNS graduate students as compared to their NS peers. However, such difficulties, although acknowledged to exist by NNS undergraduates, do not appear to affect their academic performance as compared with that of their NS counterparts.
This study investigated whether dedicated test preparation classes gave learners an advantage in improving their writing test scores. Score gains following instruction on a measure of academic writ-ing skills—the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) academic writing test— were compared across language courses of three types; all designed for international students preparing for entry to UK universities. Course types included those with a test preparation focus, those designed to introduce students to academic writing in the university setting and those combin-ing the two. In addition to IELTS academic writing test scores, data relating to differences in partic-ipants and practices across courses were collected through supplementary questionnaire and test instruments. To take account of the large number of moderating variables and non-linearity in the data, a neural network approach was used in the analysis. Findings indicated no clear advantage for focused test preparation.
Readers who want a less mathematical alternative to the EQS manual will find exactly what they're looking for in this practical text. Written specifically for those with little to no knowledge of structural equation modeling (SEM) or EQS, the author's goal is to provide a non-mathematical introduction to the basic concepts of SEM by applying these principles to EQS, Version 6.1. The book clearly demonstrates a wide variety of SEM/EQS applications that include confirmatory factor analytic and full latent variable models.
Mediation and moderation are two theories for refining and understanding a causal relationship. Empirical investigation of mediators and moderators requires an integrated research design rather than the data analyses driven approach often seen in the literature. This paper described the conceptual foundation, research design, data analysis, as well as inferences involved in a mediation and/or moderation investigation in both experimental and non-experimental (i.e., correlational) contexts. The essential distinctions between the investigation of mediators and moderators were summarized and juxtaposed in an example of a causal relationship between test difficulty and test anxiety. In addition, the more elaborate models, moderated mediation and mediated moderation, the use of structural equation models, and the problems with model misspecification were discussed conceptually.
A Canadian university required a new admissions policy in order to increase the fairness of procedures for second language (L2) international students, admitted provisionally to the university with mandatory language course requirements. This necessitated reform of the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) curriculum, but there was no agreement between EAP teachers and university policy makers on how to proceed. Thus, policy makers imposed a new policy, top-down, which allowed L2 students to use external proficiency tests (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS) for placement in levels of the EAP program. This study examined the role that diagnostic assessment played in moderating policy impact and supporting EAP curricular renewal. Applying a mixed method approach to investigate policy impact over time, qualitative data were drawn from the (N = 9) EAP teachers throughout the 2007–2008 academic year and examined in relation to quantitative data drawn from the (n = 261) L2 students, who were affected by the new policy. Diagnostic assessment was used to develop individual learning profiles, which the EAP teachers drew on both individually and as a group to inform their teaching. The results of this study suggest that on-going diagnostic assessment provided the impetus for building consensus, encouraging innovation and supporting curricular renewal, thereby moderating policy impact.
An investigation of the predictive validity of IELTS amongst a group of international students studying at the University of Tasmania
- Cotton F.
Cotton, F., & Conrow, F. (1998). An investigation of the predictive validity of IEL-TS amongst a group of international students studying at the University of Tasmania. English Language Testing System Research Reports, 1, 72-115. Retrieved
from www.ielts.org/pdf/Vol1_Report4.pdf
D€ ornyei, Z. (2001). Teaching and researching motivation. London, England: Pearson
Education.
An investigation of the predictive validity of IEL-TS amongst a group of international students studying at the University of Tas-mania Teaching and researching motivation Research methods in applied linguistics
- Impact Of English Language Programs In Canadian Universities Cotton
- F Conrow
© 2008 University of Toronto Press. IMPACT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS IN CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES Cotton, F., & Conrow, F. (1998). An investigation of the predictive validity of IEL-TS amongst a group of international students studying at the University of Tas-mania. English Language Testing System Research Reports, 1, 72–115. Retrieved from www.ielts.org/pdf/Vol1_Report4.pdf D€ ornyei, Z. (2001). Teaching and researching motivation. London, England: Pearson Education. D€ ornyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
carle-ton.ca/slals/ccms/wp-content/ccms-files/cpals-2006-Fox-et-al.pdf Fox, Taking a diagnostic turn: Reinventing the portfolio in EAP classrooms
- Ottawa
- Canada J Ontario
- P Hartwick
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Carleton University. Retrieved from http://www.carle-ton.ca/slals/ccms/wp-content/ccms-files/cpals-2006-Fox-et-al.pdf Fox, J., & Hartwick, P. (2011). Taking a diagnostic turn: Reinventing the portfolio in EAP classrooms. In D. Tsagari & I. Csepes (Eds.), Classroom-based language assessment (pp. 47–62). Frankfurt, Germany: Peter Lang.
The information in Figure 1 is reprinted with permission from The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue Canadienne des Langues Vivants
- Note
Note. The information in Figure 1 is reprinted with permission from The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue Canadienne des Langues Vivants, 65, 275–305 [doi:10.3138/cmlr.65.
Direct and indirect placement test scores as measures of language proficiency and predictors of academic success for ESL students (Unpublished master's thesis) University of British Columbia
- V Christopher
An investigation of the predictive validity of IELTS amongst a group of international students studying at the University of Tasmania. English Language Testing System Research Reports
- F Cotton
- F Conrow