ABSTRACT The internationalisation of higher education in Australia over the past two decades has ... more ABSTRACT The internationalisation of higher education in Australia over the past two decades has brought about dramatic changes in Australian universities. Growing numbers of international students have enrolled in Australian universities and the number of students studying ...
This paper is the third in a series for the national symposium Five years on: English Language Co... more This paper is the third in a series for the national symposium Five years on: English Language Competence of International Students, 2013. It focuses on the English language outcomes of students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and the impact that English language proficiency (ELP) has on subsequent study and employment.
There is a widespread view among employers and professional bodies that international students are graduating without the English language competence and ‘soft skills’ required to successfully transition into the Australian labour market. Perceived deficiencies of ELP are impacting both Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and employment opportunities for EAL students.
The paper articulates some of the challenges of defining the construct of ELP in academic and professional contexts in addition to the difficulty of setting an appropriate standard for exit. It also provides a critical assessment of exit testing as a means of evidencing ELP by graduation while considering some alternative practices that institutions might adopt. A number of key issues have been identified for further discussion: how we might conceptualise a definition of the construct of ELP; the extent to which policy and practice might ensure the cumulative development of ELP by graduation; how exiting ELP might be evidenced; the setting of realistic exiting standards and how
ELP might be better integrated into graduate attribute statements and related policy. Concerns also centre
on improving the provision of integrated career education and access to Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences.
Despite the heightened focus on exiting ELP in the research literature since the 2007 symposium, there is still a need for further research in key areas, including the validity of standardised tests for assessing graduating proficiency, the transition to further study and the ELP level needed for effective performance in vocational fields and trades.
Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 2012
In recent times, many key host nations have made it easier for foreign graduates to migrate after... more In recent times, many key host nations have made it easier for foreign graduates to migrate after graduation. These students are often considered ideal migrants, possessing local qualifications along with a degree of acculturation, language skills and, in many cases, relevant local work experience. For the student, the opportunity to obtain international work experience adds to the appeal of the overseas study experience and enhances the graduate skills necessary to compete in the global labour market. This paper examines recent changes to migration policy in Australia affecting the post-study work entitlements of international students studying at Australian universities and explores the underlying rationale and consequences of the recent changes in policy direction. An examination of migration policies in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada indicates that recent changes to skilled migration policy in Australia, along with bleak economic conditions in a number of key host countries, has opened up opportunities for Australia to re-position itself favourably.
Rapid socio-economic change in Vietnam has resulted in increasing numbers of Vietnamese pursuing ... more Rapid socio-economic change in Vietnam has resulted in increasing numbers of Vietnamese pursuing overseas study. The dramatic rise in self-funded students is largely the result of Vietnam's increasingly affluent middle-class choosing overseas study over a ...
ABSTRACT The internationalisation of higher education in Australia over the past two decades has ... more ABSTRACT The internationalisation of higher education in Australia over the past two decades has brought about dramatic changes in Australian universities. Growing numbers of international students have enrolled in Australian universities and the number of students studying ...
This paper is the third in a series for the national symposium Five years on: English Language Co... more This paper is the third in a series for the national symposium Five years on: English Language Competence of International Students, 2013. It focuses on the English language outcomes of students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and the impact that English language proficiency (ELP) has on subsequent study and employment.
There is a widespread view among employers and professional bodies that international students are graduating without the English language competence and ‘soft skills’ required to successfully transition into the Australian labour market. Perceived deficiencies of ELP are impacting both Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and employment opportunities for EAL students.
The paper articulates some of the challenges of defining the construct of ELP in academic and professional contexts in addition to the difficulty of setting an appropriate standard for exit. It also provides a critical assessment of exit testing as a means of evidencing ELP by graduation while considering some alternative practices that institutions might adopt. A number of key issues have been identified for further discussion: how we might conceptualise a definition of the construct of ELP; the extent to which policy and practice might ensure the cumulative development of ELP by graduation; how exiting ELP might be evidenced; the setting of realistic exiting standards and how
ELP might be better integrated into graduate attribute statements and related policy. Concerns also centre
on improving the provision of integrated career education and access to Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences.
Despite the heightened focus on exiting ELP in the research literature since the 2007 symposium, there is still a need for further research in key areas, including the validity of standardised tests for assessing graduating proficiency, the transition to further study and the ELP level needed for effective performance in vocational fields and trades.
Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 2012
In recent times, many key host nations have made it easier for foreign graduates to migrate after... more In recent times, many key host nations have made it easier for foreign graduates to migrate after graduation. These students are often considered ideal migrants, possessing local qualifications along with a degree of acculturation, language skills and, in many cases, relevant local work experience. For the student, the opportunity to obtain international work experience adds to the appeal of the overseas study experience and enhances the graduate skills necessary to compete in the global labour market. This paper examines recent changes to migration policy in Australia affecting the post-study work entitlements of international students studying at Australian universities and explores the underlying rationale and consequences of the recent changes in policy direction. An examination of migration policies in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada indicates that recent changes to skilled migration policy in Australia, along with bleak economic conditions in a number of key host countries, has opened up opportunities for Australia to re-position itself favourably.
Rapid socio-economic change in Vietnam has resulted in increasing numbers of Vietnamese pursuing ... more Rapid socio-economic change in Vietnam has resulted in increasing numbers of Vietnamese pursuing overseas study. The dramatic rise in self-funded students is largely the result of Vietnam's increasingly affluent middle-class choosing overseas study over a ...
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Papers by Cate Gribble
There is a widespread view among employers and professional bodies that international students are graduating without the English language competence and ‘soft skills’ required to successfully transition into the Australian labour market. Perceived deficiencies of ELP are impacting both Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and employment opportunities for EAL students.
The paper articulates some of the challenges of defining the construct of ELP in academic and professional contexts in addition to the difficulty of setting an appropriate standard for exit. It also provides a critical assessment of exit testing as a means of evidencing ELP by graduation while considering some alternative practices that institutions might adopt. A number of key issues have been identified for further discussion: how we might conceptualise a definition of the construct of ELP; the extent to which policy and practice might ensure the cumulative development of ELP by graduation; how exiting ELP might be evidenced; the setting of realistic exiting standards and how
ELP might be better integrated into graduate attribute statements and related policy. Concerns also centre
on improving the provision of integrated career education and access to Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences.
Despite the heightened focus on exiting ELP in the research literature since the 2007 symposium, there is still a need for further research in key areas, including the validity of standardised tests for assessing graduating proficiency, the transition to further study and the ELP level needed for effective performance in vocational fields and trades.
There is a widespread view among employers and professional bodies that international students are graduating without the English language competence and ‘soft skills’ required to successfully transition into the Australian labour market. Perceived deficiencies of ELP are impacting both Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and employment opportunities for EAL students.
The paper articulates some of the challenges of defining the construct of ELP in academic and professional contexts in addition to the difficulty of setting an appropriate standard for exit. It also provides a critical assessment of exit testing as a means of evidencing ELP by graduation while considering some alternative practices that institutions might adopt. A number of key issues have been identified for further discussion: how we might conceptualise a definition of the construct of ELP; the extent to which policy and practice might ensure the cumulative development of ELP by graduation; how exiting ELP might be evidenced; the setting of realistic exiting standards and how
ELP might be better integrated into graduate attribute statements and related policy. Concerns also centre
on improving the provision of integrated career education and access to Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences.
Despite the heightened focus on exiting ELP in the research literature since the 2007 symposium, there is still a need for further research in key areas, including the validity of standardised tests for assessing graduating proficiency, the transition to further study and the ELP level needed for effective performance in vocational fields and trades.