Conversational Language Proficiency among International Students at the University Level

1996 ◽  
Vol 113-114 ◽  
pp. 245-262
Author(s):  
Christy Y. Lao ◽  
Stephen D. Krashen ◽  
Barry C. Gribbons ◽  
Janice Schafrik-Arenault ◽  
William B. Michael
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
World Language ◽  
Common Assumption ◽  
Limited English Speaking ◽  
The Status ◽  
Conversational Language ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The University

Abstract A common assumption is that international students in English-speaking countries have well-developed competence in academic language, but have deficiencies in conversational language. This assumption is in contrast to the situation among limited English speaking children (CUMMINS, 1989). If true, this lack of conversational language is a problem; even if international students do not plan to reside in an English-speaking country after their studies are complete, the status of English today as a world language means that professionals in many fields need to be able to interact with colleagues on an informal basis.

scholarly journals QUESTIONING EAP: A CRITIQUE OF THE ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES COURSES AT UNIVERSITY

2021 ◽  
pp. 401
Author(s):  
Natalia Fedorova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
First Language ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Language Requirement

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses are meant to prepare international students for their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in an English-speaking academic environment. Prospective university candidates for whom English is not the first language are required to complete a pre-sessional EAP course if their IELTS score is lower than the admissions requirements. Even though, in terms of the language requirement, the lack of language proficiency is the only reason preventing international students from entering their degree programmes directly, the course they are required to take is an EAP course rather than a General English one, hence, not directly addressing their lack of general language proficiency. In this essay I question the need to impose such a course on international students: is EAP in its current shape necessary for their success at university or is it merely a product of neoliberalism in higher education?

scholarly journals Un percorso di letteratura italiana per studenti cinesi in mobilità internazionale

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Caruso ◽  
Anna De Meo
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Strong Correlation ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Teaching Literature ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
Letteratura Italiana ◽  
The University

The paper discusses different issues concerning teaching literature to foreign international students. Referring to a didactic experience carried out at the University of Naples “L’Orientale” with a of a group of Chinese students, the authors focus on the role played by literature in developing reading and comprehension skills. Following Coseriu’s text theory, literature learning is presented as an exercise in interpretation aimed at decoding the addresser’s intentions. Data collected from the analysis of the students’ written productions prove a strong correlation among language proficiency and text skills, which include metatextual abilities by which students can decode the expressive values that make up the sense of literary texts.

The Language Flagship Proficiency Initiative

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Gass ◽  
Paula Winke ◽  
Koen Van Gorp
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
State University ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
University Of Utah ◽  
The Status ◽  
Foreign Language Programs ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The Center for Language Teaching Advancement (CeLTA) at Michigan State University (MSU) was awarded a U.S. federally funded two-year grant in 2014 to investigate the status of proficiency, and the promotion of proficiency, in foreign language programs. The grant was awarded to Paula Winke and Susan Gass, as principal investigators. The purpose of this initiative was to assess language proficiency development and to show the impact that introducing assessment practices into established language programs has on pedagogical practices and, ultimately, on proficiency outcomes. In total, three grants were awarded, one to MSU, one to the University of Utah, and one to the University of Minnesota. The overall goals were the same, although each institution approached the task in slightly different ways and with slightly different emphases.

scholarly journals Some features of teaching translation in regional higher education institutions

2020 ◽  
pp. 203-212
Author(s):  
N. A. Demchenko ◽  
◽  
N. S. Rudenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Higher Educational Institutions ◽  
Successful Work ◽  
The Status ◽  
Life Itself ◽  
Higher Educational ◽  
The University

The article discusses some of the features of teaching translation in regional higher educational institutions. The factors influencing the organization of the learning process are considered, and the possibilities of using modern approaches in the preparation of professional translators are analyzed. Today, life itself dictates the need to create a new system of personal and professional development of modern specialists in the field of intercultural communication. The following factors can be identified as the main ones affecting the efficiency and success of the educational process: geographical, social and economic and educational. Geographic refers to the growing number of universities that train translators not in the capital but in regional higher educational institutions. Higher educational institutions, which yesterday were technical, economic and even agricultural have recently received the status of universities and today are actively engaged in the training of future translators. Under the socio-economic component, the problem of the material and technical base of the university and the provision of such faculties and departments with qualified specialists is considered. Educational factor means the level of foreign language proficiency and it should be mentioned that it is not enough profound for translation activity. The training of translators is based on the position that training in translation and interpretation should be carried out by different methods. It is necessary to provide practice in this activity to each student Practice shows that significant difficulties in teaching translation arise due to a lack of understanding of the textual nature of the translation process, due to the inability to isolate nationally specific features, and also due to insufficient knowledge of the algorithm of translation actions. Therefore, from the very beginning, the training of future translators should be aimed at the formation of professional translation competence. The inclusion of the educational process in real life, allows the teacher to demonstrate clearly what the knowledge and training in the classroom turned out to be successful and useful, and what needs correction and improvement for successful work.

scholarly journals How Proficient is Proficient Enough?: A Look at Proficiency in ESL for Academic Success

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Marcellino Berardo
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Program ◽  
Class Discussion ◽  
Proficiency Tests ◽  
Academic English ◽  
University Of Kansas ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
The University

We teach English to international students for the purpose of academic achievement at the University of Kansas. The assumption is that students cannot be successful in university classes without the ability to use academic English well. This is most obvious at the lower levels. If the student cannot understand any spoken or written English, then s/he cannot take notes, read textbook chapters, write papers, take exams, or participate in class discussion. This assumption also implies that as the student’s English improves, proficiency will become less of a factor in academic success.This essay is intended to help us discuss assumptions associated with language proficiency and academic success and to identify how well students need to be able to use English in order to fulfill the university’s ESL requirement and be successful in their chosen academic program, at least as far as language is concerned. To this end, I begin by characterizing different kinds of proficiency. Then I highlight the literature reviews in this issue, one by Jennifer Hornbaker and one by Parul Sood, that bring up issues related to using proficiency tests as the sole indicators of linguistic readiness for academic success at the university.

scholarly journals Japanese Language as an Organizational Barrier for International Students to Access to University Services: A Case of Aoyama Gakuin University

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 956-966
Author(s):  
Hiroyoshi Hiratsuka
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
University Services ◽  
The University ◽  
Participatory Observation

In 2011, Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU) started a government-funded degree program (taught in English) to accept international students with limited or no Japanese language proficiency. However, the students faced obstacles in accessing all of the university resources provided. In this article, I investigated Japanese language as an organizational barrier for students accessing to campus resources. I utilized the case study methodology through participatory observation on campus and face-to-face interviews.

International Students’ use of Multilingual Information Access (MLIA) tools: A Survey

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy Nzomo ◽  
Victoria Rubin ◽  
Isola Ajiferuke
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Cross Language Information Retrieval ◽  
The University ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Linguistic Backgrounds

This research presents the results of a case study on potential users of Cross Language Information Retrieval (CLIR) systems –international students at the University of Western Ontario. The study is designed to test their awareness of Multi-Lingual Information Access (MLIA) tools on the internet and in select electronic databases. The study also investigates how non-native English speakers cope with language barriers while searching for information online. Based on the findings, we advocate for designing systems that incorporate CLIR options and other MLIA tools to support users from diverse linguistic backgrounds with varying language proficiency levels.Cette recherche présente les résultats d’une étude de cas auprès d’utilisateurs potentiels, des étudiants internationaux de l’University of Western Ontario, d’un système de repérage d’information par langue croisée (RILC). L’étude est conçue pour tester leur connaissance d’outils d’accès à l’information multilingues (AIM) sur Internet et dans certaines bases de données électroniques. L’étude s’intéresse également aux moyens que prennent les locuteurs non natifs de l’anglais pour palier aux barrières linguistiques lorsqu’ils cherchent de l’information en ligne. Selon les résultats, nous recommandons de concevoir des systèmes qui incorporent des options de RILC et d’autres outils d’AIM pour aider les utilisateurs d’origine linguistique diverse ayant des niveaux de maîtrise linguistique différents.

Sociocultural Adaptation Challenges of International Students at a Higher Learning Institution in Malaysia

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mst. GulRaihan ◽  
Sandaran, S. C.
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
T Test ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Environmental Adaptation ◽  
Sociocultural Adaptation ◽  
The People ◽  
Academic Adaptation ◽  
The University ◽  
Interpersonal Adaptation

Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions currently have more than one hundred thousand international students as a part of its pledge of internationalization of Higher Education. One of the core challenges for its international students is their sociocultural adjustments into the new environment. This study investigates the sociocultural adaptation challenges of international students in the host university. A total of 200 students were surveyed using a modified version of the sociocultural adaptation scale (SCAS). Using a quantitative approach, Exploratory Factor Analysis, ANOVA and T-test were performed to analyze the data. The findings show that the students face challenges in four aspects, namely language proficiency, academic adaptation, environmental adaptation and interpersonal adaptation. The results of the independent sample t-test show that, ‘language adaptation’ and ‘academic adaptation’ have more influence on the sociocultural adjustments of international students, while ‘interpersonal adaptation’ has little influence. In addition, results of the ANOVA show that the university campus and region of origin of the students influence the ‘academic and ‘environmental’ adaptation of the students. Based on the findings, we suggest that Malaysian universities should encourage cross-cultural adaptation through improving their social support linkages with the locals and the people of different culture than their own.

Voices of dissent: unpacking Vietnamese international student experience

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 280-292
Author(s):  
Le Huong ◽  
Fung Kuen Koo ◽  
Rodney Arambewela ◽  
Ambika Zutshi
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
International Student ◽  
English Language ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine Vietnamese international students’ experiences with the campus learning environment by analysing differences in staff and student perceptions. Design/methodology/approach Two focus groups (n=12) and ten in-depth interviews were conducted with Vietnamese students and four in-depth interviews with the university staff (totalling 26). Findings The findings show a greater divergence of views between students and staff on teaching and learning than English language proficiency and student support services. These key differences were influenced by students’ prior expectations of their learning environment in Vietnam. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to one group of international students and to one Australian university. Practical implications The lecturers/administrators must have a good understanding of international students’ learning backgrounds and expectations to enhance their positive experience; appropriate teaching skills and practices are essential for teachers to meet the current needs of students. More effective training for international students to understand the multicultural nature of Australia is also essential. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by identifying the experience of Vietnamese international students in a western university, which is, a relatively under-researched nationality compared to other Asian nationalities such as Chinese and Indian.

scholarly journals How Proficient is Proficient Enough?: A Look at Proficiency in ESL for Academic Success

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 4-8
Author(s):  
Marcellino Berardo
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Program ◽  
Class Discussion ◽  
Proficiency Tests ◽  
Academic English ◽  
University Of Kansas ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
The University

We teach English to international students for the purpose of academic achievement at the University of Kansas. The assumption is that students cannot be successful in university classes without the ability to use academic English well. This is most obvious at the lower levels. If the student cannot understand any spoken or written English, then s/he cannot take notes, read textbook chapters, write papers, take exams, or participate in class discussion. This assumption also implies that as the student’s English improves, proficiency will become less of a factor in academic success.This essay is intended to help us discuss assumptions associated with language proficiency and academic success and to identify how well students need to be able to use English in order to fulfill the university’s ESL requirement and be successful in their chosen academic program, at least as far as language is concerned. To this end, I begin by characterizing different kinds of proficiency. Then I highlight the literature reviews in this issue, one by Jennifer Hornbaker and one by Parul Sood, that bring up issues related to using proficiency tests as the sole indicators of linguistic readiness for academic success at the university.

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