Getting Serious About English Language

Standards in Higher Education

Ensuring English language standards of graduates in higher education has become an important issue in countries where English is the medium of instruction. This chapter will discuss the challenges and offer suggestions for higher education institutions, using Australia as a case study. Within the widening participation agenda of the Australian government, the linguistic and cultural diversity of students undertaking higher education courses has increased, and with this a shift in focus to English language proficiency (ELP) learning outcomes of all students. As a result Australian higher education institutions (HEIs) are developing strategies for monitoring and evaluating the English language learning outcomes of their graduates. This chapter examines these developments and offers practical suggestions for HEIs. It is divided into three sections: i) provides and understanding of the importance of English language outcomes for higher education graduates, ii) discusses the challenges and ways that these may be addressed, and iii) concludes with three key areas for HEIs to consider.