An investigation into post-entry English language assessment in Australian universities

This paper describes a research study that identified the use of and attitudes towards post-entry language assessments (PELAs) in Australian universities. The study, which was conducted using desk research, online surveys and semi-structured interviews with key informants, found that PELAs are used...

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Main Author: Dunworth, Katie
Format: Journal Article
Published: Association for Academic Language and Learning 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25854
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author Dunworth, Katie
author_facet Dunworth, Katie
author_sort Dunworth, Katie
building Curtin Institutional Repository
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description This paper describes a research study that identified the use of and attitudes towards post-entry language assessments (PELAs) in Australian universities. The study, which was conducted using desk research, online surveys and semi-structured interviews with key informants, found that PELAs are used in over one third of Australian universities, with a further twelve institutions planning to introduce them. While most PELAs are currently limited to specific discipline areas, there is a growing interest in offering them at an organisation-wide level. The study found that there was ambivalence towards the introduction of PELAs, with participants applauding the desire to address issues of English language competence or academic literacy while simultaneously expressing concern that some fundamental questions about their usefulness had not yet been addressed.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-258542017-01-30T12:50:34Z An investigation into post-entry English language assessment in Australian universities Dunworth, Katie English language competence language assessment This paper describes a research study that identified the use of and attitudes towards post-entry language assessments (PELAs) in Australian universities. The study, which was conducted using desk research, online surveys and semi-structured interviews with key informants, found that PELAs are used in over one third of Australian universities, with a further twelve institutions planning to introduce them. While most PELAs are currently limited to specific discipline areas, there is a growing interest in offering them at an organisation-wide level. The study found that there was ambivalence towards the introduction of PELAs, with participants applauding the desire to address issues of English language competence or academic literacy while simultaneously expressing concern that some fundamental questions about their usefulness had not yet been addressed. 2009 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25854 Association for Academic Language and Learning fulltext
spellingShingle English language competence
language assessment
Dunworth, Katie
An investigation into post-entry English language assessment in Australian universities
title An investigation into post-entry English language assessment in Australian universities
title_full An investigation into post-entry English language assessment in Australian universities
title_fullStr An investigation into post-entry English language assessment in Australian universities
title_full_unstemmed An investigation into post-entry English language assessment in Australian universities
title_short An investigation into post-entry English language assessment in Australian universities
title_sort investigation into post-entry english language assessment in australian universities
topic English language competence
language assessment
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25854