scholarly journals Assessment of Academic Staff Performance in English Medium Instruction

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 52-64
Author(s):  
Vita Kalnbērziņa ◽  
◽  
Indra Karapetjana ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
System Development ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Staff Performance ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Internationalisation Strategies ◽  
Study Process

One of the internationalisation strategies for higher education institutions is internationalisation of their curricula by delivering English-medium instruction programmes. These internationalization efforts can be successful if support for the language needs of all stakeholders involved is provided. English language proficiency assessment of academic staff is an essential prerequisite to the implementation of a high-quality study process in the English language. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to validate the assessment system of academic staff performance in English medium instruction at a university in Latvia and the use of mediation strategies as a basis for the assessment system development. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the test results suggests that the integrated assessment tasks demonstrate higher internal consistency and higher correlation with the test results and the performance of the academic staff in the international setting.

A longitudinal study at an English medium instruction university in Turkey: the interplay between English language improvement and academic success

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Doğan Yuksel ◽  
Adem Soruç ◽  
Mehmet Altay ◽  
Samantha Curle
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Content Learning ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Academic Content

Abstract This article reports a quantitative empirical study that investigated whether English language proficiency increases over time when studying academic content through English Medium Instruction (EMI). It was also investigated whether an increase in proficiency predicts EMI academic achievement. Student English language test score data and Grade Point Average (GPA) data were collected from a public university in Turkey. Two academic subjects were compared: Business Administration (a Social Science subject, n = 81) and Mechatronics Engineering (a Mathematics, Physical and Life Sciences subject, n = 84). Results showed that in both subjects, English language proficiency statistically significantly improved over a four-year period of studying through English. Furthermore, this improvement predicted EMI academic achievement; meaning that the more proficient students became in English, the higher they achieved in their EMI academic studies. This provides evidence for policymakers, EMI practitioners, and language professionals around the world that English does improve when studying academic content through English, and that this improvement has a positive effect on content learning outcomes. Implications of these findings, and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Improving Educational Assessment: Multivariate Statistical Methods

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Cai ◽  
Mark Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Educational Assessment ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
First Case ◽  
Proficiency Assessment

This review presents two case studies that illustrate how multivariate statistical modeling applies to the specific goal of improving educational assessment. The first case study involves the development of a new large-scale English language proficiency assessment system (called the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century; ELPA21). The second application concerns efforts to quantify student progress in learning using conditional growth models, a topic of current debate about assessment policy. A popular measure, Student Growth Percentile (SGP), is explored through the lens of multivariate statistical analysis. It is concluded that collaboration between researchers and practice stakeholders can improve assessments that benefit student learning.

scholarly journals PROVISION OF ENGLISH-MEDIUM INSTRUCTION: TRENDS AND ISSUES

2020 ◽  
pp. 11-21
Author(s):  
OLGA KVASOVA ◽  
CAROLYN WESTBROOK ◽  
KEVIN WESTBROOK
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
British Council ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
The World ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Medium Instruction

The article addresses the current trends of teaching subjects through the medium of English which has been boosting in the world and in Ukraine. Introduced due to globalization processes, teaching in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) has become an essential part of internationalization policies of universities. The increase in numbers of international students is viewed as an indication of quality of education provided by universities; it contributes to universities’ higher ratings and competitiveness. The introduction of EMI has been sustainably promoted by the British Council. Nonetheless, EMI providers across the world keep encountering similar issues and challenges. Amongst those, the most essential is low English language proficiency of non-native English speakers – both teachers and students. The article aims to examine the training provided to Ukrainian teachers who deliver EMI courses. The authors surveyed 28 EMI teachers in two universities in the country. The results imply the necessity to reprofile linguistic and pedagogical courses for EMI teachers, including training them in implementing innovative and interactive teaching techniques. The prospects of further research arouse from the need to develop a quality system of assessing students’ learning outcomes.

scholarly journals Organizational Change: Using Academic Accreditation in Transforming EFL Programs in the Saudi Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anas Almuhammadi
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Social Life ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Self Study ◽  
Study Process ◽  
The University

This study details the procedure and results of developing a mission statement at a language institute for the purpose of obtaining a program accreditation from an international language commission. A serious self-study process results in the development of a solid, true and ambitious mission since the mission covers all areas related to achieving students learning outcomes. It shows how the mission was changed and why. It also details how the new mission resulted in the improving quality, especially in the areas of curriculum and professional development of faculty and staff. Other aspects, such as facilities and student affairs were modified to achieve the goals and objectives of the new mission. This essay reports the changes that were implemented during the process of mission statement development. These changes resulted in plans to improve the quality of the English language teaching at the English Language Academy (ELA) which offers an English language program to Foundation Year students whose success in the program is a college requirement at the University of Business and Technology (UBT) in the academic year of 2016-2017. The program also aims at improving the English language proficiency of students so that they can use it in their future professions considering that the university logo is “Education for Job Opportunities.” The third main goal or aim is related to the use of English to assist students in personal and social life. Critical thinking surfaced as a main concern of those surveyed for needs assessment. The report concludes with recommending conducting thorough and genuine self-study process which certainly ends with quality improvement. The report uses data collected from five questionnaires completed by students, faculty, alumni and employers of UBT graduates. The purpose of the survey was to identify the needs of the students. Based on those needs, the learning outcomes are identified and accordingly, the new mission statement is developed.

Commanding the Class in a Foreign Tongue: The Influence of Language Proficiency and Intercultural Competence on Classroom Leadership

2021 ◽  
pp. 001312452110484
Author(s):  
Changmi Wang
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
English Language ◽  
Predicting Factors ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Classroom Leadership ◽  
Communicative Abilities

This article examines the influence of English language proficiency and intercultural competence on the English-medium instruction lecturer’s classroom leadership. It analyzes self-reported data obtained by three measuring scales from 188 English-medium instruction lecturers of a Chinese university. The Pearson correlational analysis indicated that there were significant positive relationships between the English-medium instruction lecturer’s classroom leadership and the two predicting factors. The multiple regression analysis suggested that both intercultural competence and English proficiency contribute much to the variance of the English-medium instruction lecturer’s classroom leadership. It was found that the lecturer’s language proficiency and intercultural communicative abilities could be two determining factors for the lecturer to deliver their disciplinary knowledge and command the class in an engaging and competent manner. The findings may provide implications for the strategic intervention of English-medium instruction educators in institutions of higher education.

scholarly journals English-Medium Instruction in Self-Financing Tertiary Institutions in Hong Kong – Views and Practices from the Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Marine Yeung ◽  
Vic Lu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
British Colony ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
University Lecturers

The medium of instruction (MOI) has been a bone of contention in Hong Kong, a former British colony, since its colonial days. Despite the Hong Kong government’s effort to promote the “biliterate and trilingual” language policy, advocating Cantonese, English and Putonghua as the three official spoken languages and emphasizing the importance of literacy in both written Chinese and English, most tertiary institutions today still adopt English as the medium of instruction (EMI). However, with the expansion of tertiary education in the early 1990s and the decline in the general English language proficiency of university students, some university lecturers have found it difficult to teach in English as required. This raises the issue of the practicality of the indiscriminate adoption of the EMI policy at tertiary level, particularly at the self-financing tertiary institutions where students are generally known to have under-performed in the English subject. In order to understand whether or how the EMI policy is upheld in these institutions, focus group interviews were conducted with students from various programmes of five self-financing tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. The findings indicate these students’ strong preference for English-medium instruction with the belief that it can improve their English proficiency, though their actual approaches to coping with the demand on their limited English and how they view and use the three languages in class deserve policy makers’ serious consideration.

scholarly journals Introducing and Testing a Measurement Tool for English Language Proficiency: Aisha’s Tool

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 319
Author(s):  
Aisha M. Alhussain
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Proficiency Tests ◽  
Test Results ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Highly Effective ◽  
Study Participants

The IELTS English proficiency tests are discussed as being highly effective in determining students’ level of proficiency in the language. However, the study points out that the processes involved in the administration of the tests along with the associated cost make affect the effectiveness of its use in the assessment of learners. A Sentence Pattern test is offered as an alternative with 97 participants taking part in the assessment to test its effectiveness. Each of the non-native study participants is subjected to both the SP test and the IELTS test for the establishment of the correlation in the results posted for the two tests. The findings demonstrate that the students’ performance in the IELTS test correlated with their corresponding SP test results. High performing students in the IELTS test also posted high scores in their SP test. As demonstrated in the study, the correlation in the results illustrates the effectiveness of the SP test as an alternative for the IELTS tests in proving English language proficiency.

Personal and Professional Perceptions

2017 ◽  
pp. 74-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna M. Velliaris ◽  
Janine M. Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
First Year ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Professional Experiences ◽  
Entry Requirements ◽  
Personal Level

This chapter is focused on the Eynesbury Institute of Business and Technology's (EIBT) Diploma of Business pathway, as business-related programs are most common in the Australian pre-university Higher Education (HE) sector. EIBT's diplomas are deemed equivalent to the first-year of the corresponding Bachelor's degree at the partner university for ‘international' students who did not reach direct entry requirements due to their English language proficiency and/or previous academic results. While many sessional academic staff work cross-institutionally, there are few occasions for associating with fellow EIBT colleagues on a personal level and equally few to learn about the professional experiences that have contributed to their pathway teaching philosophy and/or pedagogical practice(s). The author-researchers decided to undertake a period of self-reflection and composed their own narratives to story the notable differences between teaching in a pathway school compared with mainstream university.

scholarly journals Building a Framework for a Next-Generation English Language Proficiency Assessment System

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikyung Kim Wolf ◽  
Phil Everson ◽  
Alexis Lopez ◽  
Maurice Hauck ◽  
Emilie Pooler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Proficiency Assessment
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