Clothing the emperor - Addressing the issue of English language proficiency in Australian universities

Oct 15, 2026

Addresses English language proficiency for students in Australian higher education who use English as an additional language, especially international students. Traces the sector’s shift since the 2009 good practice principles and argues that unresolved questions about the nature, measurement, and development of student English proficiency limit universities’ ability to deliver systemic, sustainable improvement. Uses research evidence and author experience from a two-year university-wide project to identify challenges and propose ways forward.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The nature of English language proficiency

A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W Clothing the emperor Addressing the issue of English language proficiency in Australian universities Katie Dunworth Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia The English language proficiency levels of students in Australian higher education who have English as an additional language (EAL) has become an increasingly prominent issue, particularly as it relates to international students. In 2009 this resulted in the publication of a set of good practice principles for the sector. This paper argues that there are fundamental issues about the nature, measurement and development of student English language proficiency that need to be addressed if universities are to build on those principles for good practice to make systemic and sustainable progress in this area. Introduction When it is argued that the English produced by university students ‘is often disgracefully shoddy in the fundamentals of language, abusing everything from spelling to grammar, syntax and proper usage’, the style in which the observation is expressed may betray its antiquity (it was authored by Theodore Morrison in 1941), but the gist of its content has hardly wavered across the generations. Surveys and interviews with university academics continue to find that respondents believe students lack the English language skills to communicate at an appropriate level for tertiary study.(More recent examples include Bretag 2007; Sawir 2005; Jamieson et al. 2000; Coley 1999; McDowell and Merrrylees 1998) . What has changed since the 1940s is the nature of the population against whom such criticism is levelled. While overall concerns about English language use inan academic context do continue to be expressed, there is now a considerable body of literature in Australia that relates specifically to the English language proficiency levels of students who have English as an additional language (EAL), most of whom are international students. For example, in an article with the pro- vocative title The emperor’s new clothes: ‘Yes, thereis a link between English competence and academic standards’, Bretag (2007, p. 15), explains that ‘all 14 respondents [in interviews with academic staff] stated that international EAL students generally have inadequate English communication skills for study at the tertiary level in Australia’. Concerns about student English language proficiency are not restricted to university staff. A recent review of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act reported that students themselves‘raised concerns about English language standards being too low and the lack of opportunities to improve their English language skills’(Baird 2010, p. 10); and an investigation into the employment outcomes of international students found that English language proficiency ‘represents a key issue for both graduate job access, and for subsequent mobility within work’(Arkoudis et al. 2009, p.12).The conclusion reached by many as a consequence of these widespread concerns is that English language entry scores may be too low (Baird 2010; Bretag 2007) . Prompted by the publication of a high-profile report on the English language levels of overseas students graduating from Australian universities (Birrell 2006), vol. 52, no. 2, 2010 Clothing the emperor, Katie Dunworth 5 A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W the Australian Government took action, and in 2007 the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) convened a national symposium, attended by representatives from all Australian universities. This led to a set of recommendations for action (IEAA, 2007), and in 2009 the Good Practice Principles for English language proficiency for International Students in Australian universities were developed, a set of ten guidelines for universities that emerged from a project convened by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) and approved by

FAQs

What problem does the paper focus on regarding EAL students in Australia?

It focuses on the challenges surrounding English language proficiency levels of students who use English as an additional language, especially international students, and how these affect participation in tertiary study.

What does the paper argue is still fundamentally unresolved after the good practice principles?

It argues that fundamental issues remain about the nature of language proficiency, how it is measured, and how it should be developed for students.

How does the author support the discussion?

The paper draws on data from a range of research studies and on experience gained from managing a two-year institution-wide project aimed at promoting student English language proficiency.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Well Done