Teaching Smarter to Improve the English Communication Proficiency of International Engineering Students – Collaborations Between Content and Language Specialists at the University of Western Australia

This review synthesizes the findings of research compiled between the relationship on international student success and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Increasingly, within higher education, IELTS test scores have become not only a benchmark for testing the language proficiency of international students who speak English as an additional language, and subsequently their entry into higher education institutions, but also a presumption of student academic learning success. A growing concern for many higher education institutions is that proficiency in English does not necessarily equate to international students’ preparedness to study at the higher education level with regards to their academic learning success. Amidst growing ambivalence related to the use of IELTS as a placement tool, this literature review outlines three main themes found in connection to the correlation between IELTS and international students’ academic learning success at the undergraduate level. The first two themes focus on the positive and negative correlations between IELTS scores and international students’ academic learning success. The third theme is related to a social dimension which focuses on the fact that, for international students, linguistic proficiency is linked to how they adapt to their new learning and living environments. Here the relationship between IELTS as an indicator of students’ preparedness for the rigours of academic study is being explored. The review ends with a short examination of published documents by IELTS. Overall, this literature review suggests that a common theme found in the published research is that even with a high IELTS score, international students do need academic support when studying at the higher education level.

Background There are a number of pathways available for international students to gain admission into universities in English-speaking countries. While many international students for whom English is not their first language succeed academically, there is concern that some do not cope with the demands of university which can affect their retention and academic success. This study considers the effects of different admissions pathways on international undergraduate students’ academic success in one New Zealand university. Purpose Findings from the first phase of this research revealed that international students who entered university with the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) gained at high school in New Zealand performed significantly worse academically than their peers who entered through three other admissions pathways. This study aimed to ascertain whether there were salient features of students’ prior education and undergraduate experiences which contributed to this outcome. Method In-depth interviews were conducted with nine students who entered a university in New Zealand via two admissions pathways: NCEA or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The data generated through these interviews was analysed to enable qualitative comparisons between the two groups. Findings Results suggest that the IELTS group outperformed their NCEA peers due to maturity and prior education in their home countries. While the NCEA students had spent some years at high school in the host country, they did not, in general, demonstrate the same level of academic literacy as their IELTS peers. Conclusion International students’ outcomes appear to differ due to previous educational experiences. Students who enter via NCEA are potentially more likely to need support, as they may still be dealing with language proficiency issues, whereas those who enter via IELTS with prior higher-level education in their home country may be more academically prepared. It is important that institutions promote learning support opportunities for all international students, to ensure they experience a positive social and learning experience, which can ultimately contribute to their retention in learning, and their academic success.

Introduction Chapter 1: Re-examining reciprocity in international education Part I: Institutional or broader educational policies and practices vis-a-vis international students and stakeholders Chapter 2: Japan's 'super global universities' scheme: why does the number of 'foreign' students matter? Chapter 3: Adaptation for national competitive advantage: policy on international students in the UK Chapter 4: Understanding international students' adaptation motivation and behaviours: transformative, strategic or conservative? Part II: The experiences of international students and institutions in negotiating academic and social tensions Chapter 5: Rethinking the value of international student mobility: a case study of the experience of Myanmar University students in Hong Kong Chapter 6: Navigating through the hostility: international students in Singapore Chapter 7: Rethinking the issue of rights for international students Chapter 8: Missing dialogue: intercultural experiences of Pakistani students in their first-year studies at a Chinese university Chapter 9: Sustaining benefits of higher education internationalisation through cross-cultural adaptation: insights from international students in Malaysia Chapter 10: Do academic and social experiences predict sense of belonging? Comparison among American and international undergraduate students Part III: Educational adaptability - instructional practices and international students Chapter 11: Stretching the global imaginaries of internationalisation: the critical role of intercultural language learning pedagogies Chapter 12: Reconsidering possibilities for integration of international students in tertiary education Chapter 13: An investigation into the knowledge, education and attitudes of male and female international students in Australia to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Chapter 14: Is plagiarism a learned sin? Textuality, meaning-making, and the rules of the academic game

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores have been widely used as the language entry requirements for international students in many English-medium universities. However, research on the predictive validity of IELTS on subsequent academic performance has been inconclusive. Additionally, despite the proliferation of IELTS preparation courses, very few attempts have been made to explore the extent to which these courses support course takers’ development of knowledge and skills needed for their subsequent university study. This paper investigated (a) the predictive validity of IELTS results on the subsequent academic performance of Vietnamese international students at UK universities, and (b) the extent to which an IELTS preparation course in Vietnam supported its course takers in their subsequent academic study in the UK. Questionnaires with 80 Vietnamese international students from 31 universities across the UK showed that there was a positive significant correlation between these students’ IELTS scores and their academic results. Follow-up interviews with two undergraduates and two postgraduates who had previously studied in the same IELTS preparation course, but were studying different academic disciplines at different institutions in the UK, and analysis of the materials used in their IELTS preparation course and university courses revealed that the course positively supported these students’ subsequent academic study, but certain skills and knowledge needed in their academic study were not effectively covered in the IELTS preparation course.

The sustainable societal development generates the growing demand of Vietnamese EFL learners who would like to study abroad and one of the most popular English language proficiency test to be eligible for overseas universities is the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Consequently, the focus of language systems has been emphasized within the context of teaching and learning English in Vietnam, particularly in foreign language centers in Vietnam. Of the four language skills, listening has been considered as the most widely used language skill which has drawn a lot of attention from many researchers due to its primary importance in second language acquisition and learning (Rubin, 1994). The time we spent on listening exceeds the time spent on speaking, reading, and writing. However, its great importance has just received recognition lately as a tool to facilitate learners’ language learning (Vandergrift & Goh, 2012). A number of studies have been conducted to examine the validity of the IELTS test along with figuring out the relationship between the IELTS practice courses and learners’ performance (Ata, 2015). Nevertheless, few empirical studies on the Vietnamese EFL learners’ attitudes towards the IELTS listening test were carried out. Therefore, this study is conducted for the purpose of filling the gap in the literature in the local context of teaching and learning the IELTS test in Vietnam. Thus, the research aims at examining the Vietnamese EFL learners’ attitudes towards the areas of the test that learners have positive affection, their perceptions of challenges of taking the IELTS listening test.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and its Asian test-takers have shared a heightening interdependency over the previous two decades. In order to achieve ambitions for an international education at Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and UK universities, growing numbers of Asian prospective international students, particularly from China and India, find themselves required to undertake IELTS to demonstrate evidence of the sufficiency of their English language proficiency. Such is their importance to the tertiary education sectors of these countries that Asian candidates, who regularly constitute over 25 of the most common 40 cohorts of test-takers by nationality, have been key drivers of the more than ten-fold increase in the global IELTS candidature since 2003. The present study investigates how cohorts from 24 Asian nations fared in the Academic IELTS test from 2003 to 2018, utilising official performance data released by the IELTS partners. The study revealed that; 1) candidates from Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Philippines registered the highest overall and section band scores across Asia; 2) the most sizeable overall score gains were made by Bangladeshi, Indonesian, and Jordanian candidates; and 3) worrying deteriorations in outcomes were exhibited by Emirati, Indian, and Iraqi test-takers. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of Anglophone universities' academic admission practices and the need for further research. Keywords: IELTS; English language proficiency; language testing; test-taker performance; international students

Phenomenon With increasing mobility of people across borders and medical tourism, more countries are called to make their healthcare environment ready to accept foreign patients. Patient communication skills in English are indispensable for healthcare professionals in non-English-speaking countries. This is not only in caring for foreign patients within the country but also contributing to the global health by practicing outside of the country. Although Japanese-speaking simulated patients have been involved in medical education in Japan since the 1970s and with Objective Structured Clinical Examinations formally implemented in 2005, very few medical schools have been working with English-speaking simulated patients (ESSPs). Approach A nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the involvement of ESSPs at medical schools in Japan. A questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions was mailed to the deans of 80 medical schools to determine the current ESSP involvement and the problems educators were facing in regard to working with or not working with ESSPs. The survey was conducted from November 2015 through March 2016. Data were analyzed to find problems regarding ESSPs so that their involvement could be enhanced toward developing medical students’ patient communication skills. Findings Responses from 60 medical schools (75% response rate) were received and analyzed. Among them, 22 schools were working with ESSPs, and 23 schools were willing to introduce them into their programs. The background of ESSPs varied with international students or faculty often filling the role. Many ESSPs received less than two hours of training. ESSP programs were required in the preclinical years, and more often elective in the clinical years. Medical schools mentioned the difficulty of recruiting and training ESSPs and finding the funding to pay for their remuneration and travel expenses. Insights ESSPs were increasingly used in Japanese medical schools but they were haphazardly recruited from within the school or from the local community, not trained fully, and inconsistent performers. Nevertheless, an encounter with a non-Japanese English-speaking simulated patient was regarded effective in developing medical students’ patient communication skills in English (language skills and cultural sensitivity). Ways must be found to assure the availability, quality, and sustainability of trained ESSPs so that more authentic practices and high-stakes skills exams can be introduced to ensure patient safety in the globalized world. As countries become more multicultural and international migration of healthcare professionals expands, ESSPs can be a valuable source for training and assessing international medical students and trainees’ English-language patient interviewing skills. Regional hubs of ESSPs and the use of telehealth in collaboration with educators around the world could enhance the use of ESSPs worldwide.

This study examined the role of perceived discrimination, social connectedness, age, gender, years of study in the US, English language competency, and social contact patterns on adjustment difficulties among a sample of 229 Turkish international students studying in the United States. Findings indicated that students who reported higher levels of social connectedness, lower levels of perceived discrimination, more years of study in the US, and higher levels of English language competency reported lower levels of adjustment difficulties. Other results showed that (lack of) social connectedness and perceived discrimination were predictors of adjustment difficulties. In addition, results indicated that students who socialized with individuals from the US had lower levels of adjustment difficulties than did those who socialized with coculture members. Implications are discussed and suggestions for interventions are provided.

Australia is currently one of the leading destination countries for International Students (IS), ranking third in popularity as a study destination. There is sparse research into the experience of IS including the factors influencing their experience within the Australian higher education system. This integrative review aims to synthesize knowledge on the IS’ experience in Australian higher education, including the factors influencing their experience. The review included 15 qualitative studies, three quantitative studies, three mixed methods studies and two literature reviews. IS perceived their study experience in Australia as challenging. They reported English unproficiency, poor academic performance, lack of academic support, low-quality courses, and work-study imbalance as factors that lead to insufficient learning engagement. IS reported difficulties in adjusting to the culture due to language barrier, negative emotions, and stronger acculturation orientation toward their heritage culture. IS reported the difficulties in establishing rapport with both domestic students, university teachers, and obstacles in building meaningful relationships within the local community as factors hindering the development of rapport with these entities. Despite encountering the challenges, IS have recognised the imperative of seeking avenues to foster connections with their fellow peers, their teachers, and the broader Australian community. They noted that their proactive efforts to connect with others, participation in work integrated learning, engagement in extracurricular activities, and prolonged residency in Australia were influential factors that facilitated opportunities for connectedness. These findings emphasise the significance of fostering networks between international students, domestic peers, university educators, and the Australian community. Such networks facilitate cultural understanding, elevate academic achievements, and contribute to the holistic well-being of students. The findings offer valuable assistance in equipping stakeholders and higher educational institutions with essential insights to effectively support IS and address their needs comprehensively. These insights are significant for global education providers aiming to support IS and cultivate a positive study environment. Further research should explore the experiences of international nursing, medical, and healthcare students, considering their involvement with patients and the healthcare team in the Australian system, potentially influencing their experience.

BackgroundImproving the understandability of health information can significantly increase the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of health education programs for vulnerable populations. There is a pressing need to develop clinically informed computerized tools to enable rapid, reliable assessment of the linguistic understandability of specialized health and medical education resources. This paper fills a critical gap in current patient-oriented health resource development, which requires reliable and accurate evaluation instruments to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of health education resource evaluation.ObjectiveWe aimed to translate internationally endorsed clinical guidelines to machine learning algorithms to facilitate the evaluation of the understandability of health resources for international students at Australian universities.MethodsBased on international patient health resource assessment guidelines, we developed machine learning algorithms to predict the linguistic understandability of health texts for Australian college students (aged 25-30 years) from non-English speaking backgrounds. We compared extreme gradient boosting, random forest, neural networks, and C5.0 decision tree for automated health information understandability evaluation. The 5 machine learning models achieved statistically better results compared to the baseline logistic regression model. We also evaluated the impact of each linguistic feature on the performance of each of the 5 models.ResultsWe found that information evidentness, relevance to educational purposes, and logical sequence were consistently more important than numeracy skills and medical knowledge when assessing the linguistic understandability of health education resources for international tertiary students with adequate English skills (International English Language Testing System mean score 6.5) and high health literacy (mean 16.5 in the Short Assessment of Health Literacy-English test). Our results challenge the traditional views that lack of medical knowledge and numerical skills constituted the barriers to the understanding of health educational materials.ConclusionsMachine learning algorithms were developed to predict health information understandability for international college students aged 25-30 years. Thirteen natural language features and 5 evaluation dimensions were identified and compared in terms of their impact on the performance of the models. Health information understandability varies according to the demographic profiles of the target readers, and for international tertiary students, improving health information evidentness, relevance, and logic is critical.

An international association advancing the multidisciplinary study of informing systems. Founded in 1998, the Informing Science Institute (ISI) is a global community of academics shaping the future of informing science.

Despite arriving with the required language qualifications, many international students struggle with the linguistic demands of a university degree. Using the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as an example, this study explored how short but intensive preparation programmes may affect high-stakes English-proficiency test scores with which students apply for university places. The participants were 89 Chinese speakers of English as a foreign language in Shanghai. They were tested twice, four weeks apart, on IELTS and three other measures of English ability: The Oxford Online Placement Test, a vocabulary test, and the speed and accuracy of sentence comprehension. Between the two testing points, 45 participants underwent testspecific training consisting of previous IELTS papers, offered by a large test-preparation establishment with a network of over 1,000 training centres. The remaining 44 participants did not engage in any test preparation at the time. Teaching to the test led to a half a band rise in IELTS scores above the gain from test repetition alone, suggesting that the training was effective. Importantly, the IELTS gain did not generalise to the other measures of English ability; the groups performed similarly on all other language tests at both times. This suggests that test-specific, curriculum-narrowing courses could be inflating the scores with which international students apply for university places, with important consequences for test-developers, universities and students.

This quasi-experimental research aims to investigate if applying the Second life, a virtual platform, in the English communication classroom is highly effective. Other factors such as the gender differences, the difference of majors of study, and the number of hours spent on computers were also investigated. The Second life has been employed as a research tool in the study for developing English as a foreign language undergraduate students’ English communication skills. The samples of this study were 40 undergraduate students from two different majors, social sciences and science, divided into16 males and 24 females. They were studying English course at the university as a compulsory subject. The students took the TOEIC test as the pre-test before the semester starts. They were, then, asked to practice their English communication skills by typically interacting with the English contents, having discussion in the Second Life platform virtually outside of the classroom. After the TOEIC test was taken again at the end of the semester as the post-test and the data has been analyzed by t-test and ANOVA, the findings show that students with different backgrounds which were genders, fields of study, and hours of spending the computers have indifferent mean scores in their communication skills. It means all the students have developed their English communication skills. Applying the Second Life in English Communication classroom for EFL learners is highly recommended.

Effect of contact on intercultural acceptance: a field study

ABSTRACTOne of the institutional challenges of taking in large numbers of international graduate students is supporting their academic literacy skills. To accommodate a large population of international students, Japanese universities offer various services to support their academic studies and life-related issues, such as hiring international student advisors, offering Japanese language courses, and implementing peer-support programs. As a type of academic support for writing for international students, writing centers have caught the attention of universities in the last decade. To examine the institutional role of the writing center at a Japanese university, this study employs a language management lens to compare the beliefs and interests among administrators, tutors, and international students in improving international students’ Japanese writing. Interviews with the three groups of participants displayed incongruences between the administrators’ interests aligned with institutional goals, the educational philosophy of the writing center, and international students’ language learning needs. The findings point to the tutors' crucial role as language specialists who inform organized language management, and the necessity for collaboration between academic support units and faculty members in providing sufficient academic socialization environments for international students.