Quality and the English language question: Is there really an issue in Australian universities?
English language proficiency and how it can be improved have been keenly debated issues in Australian universities. The debate has become more intense in the context of the marketing of international education and Australia’s increasing share of international students. One reaction has been to raise...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Routledge Taylor & Francis Group
2011
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11307 |
| _version_ | 1848747770711638016 |
|---|---|
| author | Briguglio, Carmela |
| author_facet | Briguglio, Carmela |
| author_sort | Briguglio, Carmela |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | English language proficiency and how it can be improved have been keenly debated issues in Australian universities. The debate has become more intense in the context of the marketing of international education and Australia’s increasing share of international students. One reaction has been to raise the minimum English language levels for university entrance but this solution provides only a temporary panacea that hides important related issues. Today’s university students are operating in a world where intercultural interactions are the norm and people who can comfortably negotiate cultural and linguistic differences are required. This article argues that the extensive cultural and linguistic diversity of the student body on many university campuses should not be feared as leading to a lowering of standards in English. Rather, such diversity needs to be harnessed to develop the intercultural communication skills required in the global workplace. This can be achieved if universities desist from viewing the English language question through a deficit lens and, instead, place English language development and support issues at the centre of internationalisation initiatives. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:54:26Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-11307 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:54:26Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Routledge Taylor & Francis Group |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-113072017-09-13T16:02:37Z Quality and the English language question: Is there really an issue in Australian universities? Briguglio, Carmela higher education quality English language proficiency internationalisation of curriculum English language proficiency and how it can be improved have been keenly debated issues in Australian universities. The debate has become more intense in the context of the marketing of international education and Australia’s increasing share of international students. One reaction has been to raise the minimum English language levels for university entrance but this solution provides only a temporary panacea that hides important related issues. Today’s university students are operating in a world where intercultural interactions are the norm and people who can comfortably negotiate cultural and linguistic differences are required. This article argues that the extensive cultural and linguistic diversity of the student body on many university campuses should not be feared as leading to a lowering of standards in English. Rather, such diversity needs to be harnessed to develop the intercultural communication skills required in the global workplace. This can be achieved if universities desist from viewing the English language question through a deficit lens and, instead, place English language development and support issues at the centre of internationalisation initiatives. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11307 10.1080/13538322.2011.614439 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group restricted |
| spellingShingle | higher education quality English language proficiency internationalisation of curriculum Briguglio, Carmela Quality and the English language question: Is there really an issue in Australian universities? |
| title | Quality and the English language question: Is there really an issue in Australian universities? |
| title_full | Quality and the English language question: Is there really an issue in Australian universities? |
| title_fullStr | Quality and the English language question: Is there really an issue in Australian universities? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quality and the English language question: Is there really an issue in Australian universities? |
| title_short | Quality and the English language question: Is there really an issue in Australian universities? |
| title_sort | quality and the english language question: is there really an issue in australian universities? |
| topic | higher education quality English language proficiency internationalisation of curriculum |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11307 |