Please could you sit with people who are NOT from the same

School or Service as you.

Thanks

English Language Requirements

What should Exeter be asking for?

Chris Longman

(HuSS and Education Enhancement)

Session overview

• Do we have a problem? What issues are there for students and staff regarding language competence?

• How do we evaluate the language competence of international applicants?

• How does Exeter compare with our peer competitors?• If we raise our requirements, what will the consequences

be?• What possible recommendations can we make regarding

English language requirements at Exeter?

Do we have a problem?

In pairs / small groups, discuss the experiences you have had with international students whose first language is not English. In terms of their linguistic competence…

• How do the int’l students themselves cope?• What issues do you as educationalists have?• How do ‘home’ students react to and interact

with international students in class?

5 minutes

Do we have a problem?

Comments by international students whose first language is not English:

• Time• Difficulties in expressing views• Comprehension • Concentration• Confidence & demotivation• Perception that the University is dishonest

Do we have a problem?

Comments from staff• Adjustment for linguistically challenged students

creates perception of dumbing down• Management of small group discussion

problematic• Interpreting questions and comments in class

often difficult• Marking often takes much longer and is

problematic when meaning is obscured by poor English

Do we have a problem?

Comments from home students (from undergraduate and PGT surveys)

• Difficulties with comprehension of international students, esp. in small groups often leading to poor class dynamics

• Perception that University chasing international fee-paying students and is prepared to sacrifice quality of applicants for financial reasons

Quality Review Working Party

QRWP survey analysis from PGT survey

“[I]t was felt that international students with poor language skills were unable to participate adequately and that this impacted on the learning and assessment of others.”

How do we evaluate the English language competence of our applicants?

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

• INTO internal testing

• + others

IELTS

• 2 types of test – one designed for university entrance, one for vocational use

• Tests 4 skills• 2 ½ hours,

– Including face-to-face interview, and– 2 writing tasks 150 words and 250 words

• 9 point band scale– 1 = non-user– 9 = expert user

IELTS (cont.)Band Descriptor Characterisation

8 Very Good User Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.

7 Good User Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.

6 Competent User Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.

5 Modest User Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field

What does IELTS say?

Band Linguistically demanding academic courses (eg Law, Medicine …)

Linguistically less demanding academic courses (eg Mathematics, technology, …)

7.5 – 9 Acceptable Acceptable

7.0 Probably acceptable Acceptable

6.5 English study needed Probably acceptable

6.0 English study needed English study needed

IELTS Guide for Educational Institutions 2009

Prof. David Ingram

“As one of the people who developed the original specifications for the various IELTS levels, my own advice has always been that the minimum desirable level for students entering academic programs is an overall band score of 7.”

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/ling/stories/s1404921.htm

What does Exeter require?

UG, PGT and PGR (most programmes)• 6.5 and no less than 6.0 in the writing

section and no less than 5.0 in any other section

• Some programmes ask for more (eg MBA and MA English Studies – IELTS 7.0)

• Some programmes ask for less (eg programmes in some sciences ask for overall 6.0)

What do top universities require?

University Undergraduate Postgraduate

Oxford 7.0 (with minimum 7.0 in all 4 components)

7.0 (with minimum 7.0 in all 4 components)

Cambridge 7.0 (with minimum 7.0 in all 4 components)

7.0 (with minimum 7.0 in all 4 components)

UCL 7.0 (with minimum 7.0 in all 4 components)

7.0 (with minimum 7.0 in all 4 components)

LSE 7.0 (with minimum 7.0 in all 4 components)

‘Standard’ 6.5 and ‘Higher’ 7.0 depending on Programme (Politics = ‘higher’)

What do our top-10 competitors require?(main focus: Humanities and Social Sciences)

Undergraduate Postgraduate

Bath 6.5 or above (eg Politics 6.5 but Psychology 7.0)

Mostly 6.5 with minimum of 6.0 in all components, and 7.0 for linguistically more demanding programmes, eg Psychology)

Birmingham 6.5 (with no less than 6.0 in any component), but 7.0 in eg Law (with no less than 6.5 in any component)

6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any component, but 7.0 in eg Law and in Business

Bristol 6.5 – 7.0 depending on Department (eg Politics or Psychology 6.5 with min 6.5 in all components, and Law 7.0 with 6.5 in all parts)

6.5 – 7.0 depending on Department (eg History and Classics/Ancient History: 6.5 with 6.5 in all components)

Durham 6.5 with no component below 6.0 (though some programmes more)

6.5 with no component below 6.0 (though some programmes more)

Edinburgh Overall 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component

6.5 (with 6.0 in each component), but eg Law, Business, Management: 7.0

King’s College 7.0 (with minimum 6.5 in all 4 components)

7.0 (with minimum 6.5 – 7.0 in all 4 components, depending on Department)

What do our top-10 competitors require?

Undergraduate Postgraduate

Loughborough 6.5 – 7.0 depending on Faculty (with no less than 6.0 in all components)

6.5 - 7.0 with no less than 6.0 in all components (eg Politics, Social Sciences, English/Drama, Economics and Finance = 7.0)

Nottingham 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any component

6.5 – 7.0Politics: 6.5 (no less than 6.0 in any element)History, Classics & AH: 7.0 (no less than 6.0 in any component)

Southampton 6.5 for most courses 6.5 for most courses (though some humanities programmes and Law 7.0

St Andrews 6.5 (though some programmes more)

7.0 for most programmes

Warwick 6.5 – 7.0 depending on Faculty (Social Sciences and Business = 7.0)

7.0 for most programmes

York 6.5 for most courses 6.5 – 7.0 (eg History or Psychology = 7.0)

So how does Exeter compare?

Exeter appears to have the least stringent requirements. It is certainly not as demanding as the majority of our competitors who …

• Usually differentiate between UG and PG• Ask for minimum of 6.0 in all components

if the overall requirement is 6.5• Frequently ask for 7.0 in linguistically more

demanding programmes

So why don’t we raise our requirements?

• After all, we are raising our academic requirements for all our students, and …

• We are raising our game across the board in terms of research, teaching and professional support to be considered an internationally recognised, UK Top-10 university

• So, in pairs / small groups, quickly discuss what reasons we have for not changing

Final comments before voting

• Are we being honest?

• Setting our students up to struggle

• Pressure on academic and support staff

• Alienating home students from our internationalisation agenda

• Jeopardising the integration of all our students

We should reconsider our current English language requirements

1. Strongly Agree

2. Agree

3. Neutral

4. Disagree

5. Strongly Disagree

Possible recommendations

1. Status quo

2. Small rise in University requirements (eg 6.5 with min. of 6.0 in all components

3. Greater rise (eg from 6.5 to 7.0)

At what University level should we act?

1. At individual programme level

2. At College level

3. At University level

4. Common University level, but with option for individual programmes to opt-out

Which academic levels should we change, if any?

1. Neither UG nor PG

2. Leave UG as it is but raise PG requirements

3. Raise both UG and PG

4. Leave UG and PGT as they are but raise PGR requirements

Should the University offer to pay for all Int’l sts whose first language is not English to do a month’s pre-sessional at

INTO?

1 2 3

33% 33%33%1. No

2. Yes, but only if they already meet the university's minimum language requirements 

3. Yes, irrespective of whether they meet the university's minimum requirements  

Thank you for listening and participating