How Much Language Do They Need? The Dilemma English-Medium Universities Face When Enrolling English as an Additional Language Students

Oct 15, 2026

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Although applicants to English-medium universities may meet minimum language entry requirements, research suggests that such proficiency often does not enable students to manage academic study demands effectively. To address this, a multicultural New Zealand university introduced the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA) as a post-entry program for all first-year undergraduates. Diagnostic results are used to direct students with specific needs to tailored academic language enrichment. The paper describes DELNA’s development, administration, student responses, and the evolution and uptake of language support options.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

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Introduction

University Expectations

DELNA: A Two-Tiered Assessment

28 How Much Language Do They Need? The Dilemma English-Medium Universities Face When Enrolling English as an Additional Language Students Janet von Randow University of Auckland, New Zealand Although international and domestic students applying to English-medium universities may well meet the minimum language entry requirement, recent research indicates that this level of language proficiency often does not provide students with the means to cope effectively with their academic studies (Barthel, 2007; Elder, 2003; Read & Hayes, 2003). To resolve this dilemma our major, multicultural New Zealand university is addressing the problem through implementation of the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA), a post-entry programme administered to allfirst-year undergraduate students, regardless of their language background. We use the diagnostic outcomes to guide individual students with particular needs to appropriate forms of academic language enrichment. This paper outlines DELNA’s history and administration, student responses to the assessment and the subsequent development and uptake of language support options. Introduction The changing demographic of New Zealand so ciety, largely as a result of immigration from the Pacific and Asia over the past four decades, has had a flow-on effect into the tertiary sector. In the 1990s, university teachers, very comfortable with their largely monolingual classes, gradually became aware of a changing student language profile and began to equate higher failure rates in their courses with a lower level of English language proficiency. While language is only one factor contributing to academic success, there does appear to be a level below which students are likely to be at risk of failure (Barthel, 2007; Elder, 2003; Graham, 1987). At the University of Auckland, a many-faceted pathway to university entrance means that not all students enter the University with the same English language qualification, and legally permanent residents for whom English isan additional language could not be asked to take an English assessment not required of New Zealand citizens. It was decided, therefore, to introduce the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA) as a post-entry assessment for all first-year students and to follow this with language support for those in need. In 2001, while working with the Language Testing Research Centre at the University of Melbourne, we trialled DELNA, and in 2002, the pilot was administered to some 1300 students in departments which had particularly large numbers of permanent resident English as an additional language (EAL) students. As University staff recognised that a language profile of a whole course could inform teaching and learning, the uptake of the assessment spread resulting in it becoming a requirement for all first-year students by 2006. Consequently, the number of language support options across campus increased and uptake of these, the raison d’être of DELNA, has continued to grow. University Expectations The University of Auckland’s (2005) intention is to“create and promote a student environment that is welcoming, enjoyable and stimulating, encouraging students to reach their full potential within a climate of academic excellence.” It also expects its graduates to have “an ability to access, identify, organise and communicate knowledge effectively in both written and spoken English” (2003) . The dilemma is that almost one-third of first-year students each year are unable to take advantage of the stimulating academic environment because of their limited language proficiency, which means that graduate expectations will not be met. Few students enter university fully equipped with academic literacy skills; many will develop them independently, but others need further instruction and considerable guided practice (Miller, 2006) . Asthe University has spread its net to enrol domestic students from lower socio-economic

FAQs

Why do English-medium universities use DELNA after students enter?

Minimum entry language requirements may not provide students with the proficiency to cope with academic study demands, so DELNA is used as a post-entry assessment to identify needs early and support students as they begin their courses.

What does DELNA assess?

DELNA includes an initial 30-minute online screening with an academic vocabulary task and a text-editing task, followed by a two-hour pen-and-paper diagnostic of listening, reading, and writing skills.

How were DELNA’s assessment and support options implemented over time?

DELNA was trialed in 2001 and piloted in 2002 with around 1300 students, then expanded so uptake became required for all first-year students by 2006. As demand increased, language support options across campus grew.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa