Post-entry Language Assessment Research Articles

Academic and general language proficiency in post-entry language assessment

Abstract In higher education systems with no or low entry requirements for domestic students, post-entry language assessments (PELAs) are often used to detect at-risk students. This study investigates how two language proficiency measures relate to students’ academic achievement: an academic reading and vocabulary (ARV) screening test, and the computer test of the Interuniversitaire Taaltest Nederlands voor Anderstaligen (ITNA), a Dutch L2-entrance test. The ARV screening test, ITNA and its language in use subtest show moderate to weak correlations with achievement. While the ARV screening test selects a large potential at-risk group; the few students failing the ITNA, language in use or scoring lower than ‘very good’ on language in use have a higher risk of underperforming. When controlling for students’ background variables, only academic language proficiency remains a significant predictor. While academic language proficiency seems more appropriate as a PELA construct, general language proficiency may identify a small, but high-risk group.

Leçons tirées d’une initiative de soutien linguistique spécifique à une discipline pour des étudiants et des étudiantes multilingues inscrits dans un cours de base de sciences de la santé : une étude de cas basée sur des méthodes mixtes dans une université de l’Ouest du Canada

This mixed methods explanatory case study intends to explain low utilization of a joint initiative to improve language skills targeted to English as an additional language (EAL)/multilingual students (MLSs) in a disciplinary context. Considering the importance of discipline-specific language and literacy skills, a university health sciences faculty and an English language learning centre at a western Canadian University collaborated on a joint initiative to support EAL/MLSs. Language support services, such as an extra semester-long adjunct language tutorial, drop-in language services, and language support files uploaded on the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) were provided for students enrolled in a first-year introductory-level health sciences course. A comparison of a pre-test and post-test Post-Entry Language Assessment (PELA) revealed improvements in both writing skills and perceived language skills. However, the discovery of the underutilization of language support services prompted a sequential explanatory mixed methods case study to identify learners’ reasons for low participation. Findings from the quantitative survey and qualitative interviews are shared along with recommendations for improving language support service utilization.

Using Images to Facilitate Writing for Skills Assessment: A Visual PELA

Determining the writing skill level of students commencing tertiary education is a key element in predicting their likely study success and in providing appropriate writing development opportunities. Writing tests constructed around written instructions often assume high levels of reading and comprehension skills, which in some instances impose difficulties for students who have varying levels of comprehension and writing skills as shaped by their cultural and ethnic, learning journey experiences and previous formal English language instruction. Many universities have now established Post-Entry Language Assessment (PELA) tools as a means to determining student language skills at the commencement of their studies. Discussed here is a Visual PELA (VP) intended to stimulate student writing of a small passage of text for the purpose noted above. The visual nature of this instrument is intended to provide an alternative approach for visual learners, or those for whom written instructions pose difficulties, to demonstrate their literacy skills. This paper describes the development and initial testing of a VP with a view to it becoming an additional tool for determining writing skills levels for commencing students. A trial of this VP took place with a cohort of mostly international students having English as an Additional Language/Dialect (EAL/D) undertaking higher degree by research studies in an Australian university. The VP used here was founded on the idea of using images to stimulate the writing of a short passage of text where students can find their own context and ideas to write in an imaginative way and thus demonstrate their writing skill on entry to their tertiary studies.

Piloting the Post-Entry Language Assessment: outcomes from a new system for supporting research candidates with English as an additional language

The Post-Entry Language Assessment (PELA) was introduced by the James Cook University Graduate Research School in February 2013 as a pilot programme to test a new mechanism for initiating post-enrolment support for research degree candidates who have English as an additional language. Language ability does not necessarily, on its own, predict academic outcomes. Nevertheless, difficulties in expressing research in competent English lead to additional stresses for English-as-an-additional-language research students, particularly in the early stages of candidature. The PELA is a simple academic writing test that diagnoses the writing abilities of incoming international research degree candidates and channels them into relevant personalised support structures. A mixed methods approach was used in this project, in which data were gathered from test and retest scores, while qualitative data were gathered using a questionnaire. This pilot study has helped form the foundation of a responsive, effective and sustainable language and learning support model for this diverse student cohort at the university. This system may be useful in other Anglophone universities that enrol higher degree by research candidates from English-as-an-additional-language backgrounds.

Embedding academic socialisation within a language support program: An Australian case study

This paper describes discipline-specific transition support utilised to follow-up the Post-Entry Language Assessment (PELA) recently introduced at Edith Cowan University as one strategy to address declining rates of English language proficiency. Transition support was embedded within a first year core unit and emphasis was placed on assisting students to develop spoken and written communicative competencies by scaffolding assessment tasks and providing other academic supports that used contextualised examples. While general satisfaction with the academic support offered during the course was high, the program achieved limited success in encouraging at-risk students to seek support. Further investigation into methods of encouraging student participation is required, along with research into strategies for extending effective academic socialisation support into the online learning environment.

A university post-entry English language assessment: Charting the changes

The increasingly diverse language backgrounds of their students are creating new challenges for Englishmedium universities. One response in Australian and New Zealand institutions has been to introduce post-entry language assessment (PELA) to identify incoming students who need to enhance their academic language ability. One successful example of this type of programme is the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA) at the University of Auckland, which has been implemented across the university since 2002. This paper discusses the reasons for introducing the assessment and outlines its current operation. As part of the validation process feedback is obtained from academic staff, and from students who have completed the assessment and been advised about their opportunities for enriching their academic literacy. The focus of this paper is on the ways the feedback has led to changes both in the composition and administration of the assessment and the delivery of effective English language programmes.

Issues in post-entry language assessment in English-medium universities

Students entering English-medium universities around the world come from diverse linguistic backgrounds and many find it difficult to cope with the language demands of their degree courses. This speech focuses first on the motivations for introducing what are known in Australia as post-entry language assessments (PELAs). I discuss in particular the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA) at the University of Auckland, which has been successfully implemented throughout the university in the last ten years. This leads to a broader discussion of three significant issues in post-entry language assessment. One is the nature of the construct on which such assessments are based. A related issue is whether a PELA can appropriately be considered ‘diagnostic’ in nature. The third issue is how to undertake the validation of a PELA, particularly with regard to the consequential aspect: does the assessment contribute to enhancing the students’ academic language ability?