Challenging equivalency in measures of English language proficiency for university admission
Data From an Undergraduate Engineering Programme
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4096617 |
|---|---|
| Authors | M Gregory Tweedie (0000-0003-0497-4577, University of Calgary, corresponding author), Man-Wai Chu (0000-0001-9655-7791, University of Calgary) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 683-695 |
| Publication date | 2019-04-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in Higher Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03075079.2017.1395008 |
| OpenAlex | W2766454785 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 18 |
English is increasingly common as a medium of instruction in higher education internationally, and evidence of English language proficiency (ELP) forms a vital aspect of many post-secondary admission applications. Scores from different ELP measures (e.g. standardized assessments; institution-specific English programmes) are often used as equivalent assessment of language skills for admission, yet little research exists to show equivalency to one another. This study examines three measures of ELP used for post-secondary admission: scores from IELTS, TOEFL, and an institution-specific academic English programme, relative to course grade results, and student retention rates in a first-year undergraduate engineering programme. Statistically significant differences were found between the three types of ELP assessment with respect to academic success. Furthermore, students admitted using the academic English programme showed a statistically significantly higher rate of first-year programme dropout. These findings call into question the assumption of equivalency among measures of ELP used for post-secondary admission
College English · Higher education · Language assessment · Language proficiency · Mathematics education · Medical education · Political science · Computer Science · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Medicine · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching · Student Assessment and Feedback
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Language proficiency, vocabulary knowledge, and individual factors in predicting academic achievement
Pre-admission EAP course completion as evidence of English language proficiency for university admission
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,57 |
| Citation span | 2019 - 2026 (8) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |