English for International Students The Newcastle Experience

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English for International StudentsThe Newcastle
Experience

• Kevin Conroy
• Director
• LANGUAGE CENTRE
• UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
• www.ncl.ac.uk/langcen/

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Overview

• International Student Recruitment Context
• International Student Experience Key Issues
• English Language Provision (1) policy
  standards
• English Language Provision (2) programmes
  support
• Questions

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International Student RecruitmentBenefits

• Cultural diversity (helping to internationalise
  the curriculum and learning experiences of all)
• Financial (full-fee paying students are
  significant in terms of income generation)
• Research contribution (overseas students make up
  a significant proportion of many postgraduate
  programmes)
• Potential international influence (students often
  return home to positions of influence in
  government and business)
• Intellectual resource (some students remain in
  the UK)
• (Understanding Higher Education, ed. D. Bligh et
  al, Intellect, 1999)

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International Student RecruitmentChallenge

• This tension between ensuring that universities
  enhance both their income and the cultural life
  of the institution from the recruitment of
  overseas students, and not wastefully increasing
  their expenditure on teaching and support
  services or failing to satisfy students
  expectations, lies at the heart of the management
  function in relation to overseas students in
  universities
• (The Learning Experiences of Overseas Students,
  ed. M. Kinnell, Society for Research into Higher
  Education, 1990)

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Key Issues (1)

• Internationalisation strategic priority
• diversity, home recruitment, income generation
• Growth in international student enrolment
• nationalities, first language, subject areas,
  learning profile
• Support Needs of International Students
• academic, language, welfare, accommodation
• Staff awareness-raising
• academic, support., training, recruitment

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Key Issues (2)

• Orientation and Induction
• University, LC programmes
• Mentoring for international students
• language, culture, expectations, adjustment
• English Language Policy
• standards, advice, provision, testing
• Language Centre role function
• teaching, testing, advisory, social, funding

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Language Centre(role and function)

• University-wide academic service
• English Language Programmes
• Support for foreign language learning
• Open Learning
• Advisory
• Testing
• Social Programme
• Funding
• Management

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Org StructureSituated within Faculty of HSS
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE STANDARDS
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GENERAL UNIVERSITY POLICY

• English Language Policy (approved 2003)
• Recommended levels at entry to degree programme
• IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 575/CBT 233 or equivalent
  scores in other English Language tests
• Higher scores are recommended for certain
  linguistically-demanding courses (e.g. English,
  Law, Medicine)
• English Language Testing (diagnostic)
• In-Sessional English (support)

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English Language Test Scores What do they mean?

• IELTS 7 Good User
• Has operational command of the language, though
  with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and
  misunderstandings in some situations. Generally
  handles complex language well and understands
  detailed reasoning.

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English Language Test Scores What do they mean?

• IELTS 6 Competent User
• Has generally effective command of the language
  despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and
  misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly
  complex language, particularly in familiar
  situations.

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English Language Test Scores What do they mean?

• IELTS 5 Modest User
• Has partial command of the language, coping with
  overall meaning in most situations, though is
  likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to
  handle basic communication in own field.

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RECOMMENDED PERIODS OF STUDY (Health Warning
this is only a guide and there are many factors
that influence rates of progress)
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Recommended starting points for programmes
offered by the Language Centre
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PROGRAMMES OFFERED BY THE LANGUAGE CENTRE
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In-Sessional English Programme(English Language
Support)

• Testing
• Advising
• Academic Writing
• Listening Speaking
• General English/Grammar/Pronunciation
• Dissertation Writing
• Presentation Skills
• Modules in English for Academic Purposes

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INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMMES(English
for University Study)

• Pre-Sessional Intensive English Language
• English Language and Study Skills
• Postgraduate Foundation Studies for . . .
• International (Undergraduate) Foundation
  Programme for . . .
• International Study Abroad with English

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PRE-SESSIONAL INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE

• Only students who hold offers of places at UK
  universities
• Academic English and Orientation to UK HE
• Two blocks of five weeks
• Block One June-July, starting level IELTS
  5.5/TOEFL 525 IELTS 6.0/TOEFL 550
• Block Two mid July-end August, starting level
  IELTS 6.0/TOEFL 550 - IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 575

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDY SKILLS PROGRAMME

• Term One 12 weeks, starts end September,
  finishes mid December. At different levels but
  generally from IELTS 4.0 IELTS 6.0
• Term Two 10 weeks, starts early-mid January,
  ends 3rd week in March. At different levels but
  generally from IELTS 4.5 IELTS 6.0
• Term Three 8 weeks, starts mid April, end early
  June. At different levels but generally from
  IELTS 5.0 IELTS 6.5

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POSTGRADUATE FOUNDATION STUDIES FOR ..(with
preparation in the academic subject)

• Pathway to certain postgraduate programmes
• (e.g. International Studies,)
• Block One September-December same course as
  Foundation English Language Study Skills
  course required score IELTS 5.0/TOEFL 500 and
  above
• Block Two January-June, Entry Level IELTS 6.0
  or TOEFL 550. 14 hours of English each week plus
  attendance at lectures, seminars and tutorials in
  Schools of their choice

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INTERNATIONAL (UNDERGRADUATE) FOUNDATION
PROGRAMME FOR

• ARTS SOCIAL SCIENCES
• BUSINESS FINANCE
• COMPUTING SCIENCE
• One entry point only September.
• Minimum IELTS 5.0/TOEFL 500.
• September-June
• Two Components English Language / Academic
  Modules
• Guaranteed entry to undergraduate degree
  programmes in the Arts, Business Management,
  Accounting Finance, Law, English, Fine Art and
  Computing Science

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INTERNATIONAL STUDY ABROAD WITH ENGLISH

• An experience of studying specialist subjects at
  university in Britain
• Entry points January with IELTS 4.0/TOEFL 450
• April with IELTS 4.5/TOEFL 475
• June with IELTS 5.0/TOEFL 500
• Section 1 English for Academic Purposes
  alongside other international students preparing
  to enter degree programmes at Newcastle
• Section 2 Specialist Subjects (and English if
  required) alongside British undergraduates

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SUMMER SCHOOL (GENERAL ENGLISH)

• Students return to their country at end of course
• Courses of 3-8 weeks July August
• 10-15 groups at a range of levels IELTS 3.5
  (TOEFL 425) IELTS 7.0 (TOEFL 600)

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CUSTOMISED COURSES

• Tailored to specific group requirements.
• For example
• English Language Teacher Education
• English for Business
• English for Science and Technology
• English for Medics

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APPROACH TO LANGUAGE LEARNING

• Student-centred
• Communicative
• Task-based
• Problem-solving
• Pair work / small groups
• Learning to learn

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OPEN LEARNING

• Self-Access (web- and text-based, etc)
• On-line language learning
• Advising
• Learner Training
• Tandem Learning
• Autonomous Learning
• Information Search / Information Literacy
• Study Skills

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Open Access Centre

• Facilities and Resources for Independent Learning
• Range of foreign languages
• Audio, video, computing and text resources
• Foreign Language satellite broadcasts
• CALL
• Learner Training
• Language Advisory Service

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Recommended Reading

• The Learning Experiences of Overseas Students
• (ed. M. Kinnell, Society for Research into Higher
  Education, 1990)
• Higher Education The International Student
  Experience
• (A. Allen T. Higgins, Heist, 1994)
• Overseas Students in Higher Education issues in
  teaching and learning
• (eds. D. McNamara R. Harris, Routledge,1997)

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Pause for Thought

• After all, when you come right down to it, how
  many people speak the same language even when
  they speak the same language?
• Russell Hoban
• Writing in English is the most ingenious torture
  ever devised for sins committed in previous
  lives.
• James Joyce

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Questions ??