SFU
S.11-146
OFFICE OFTIIF. VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
8888 University Drive, Butnaby, BC
TEL: 778.782.3925
vpacad@sfu.ca
Canada V5A1S6
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
MEMORANDUM
attention Senate
date November 16,2011
from
Jonathan Driver
pages 1/3
RE:
Report of Committee to Review EAL Supports (SCUP 11-44)
Introduction
In fall2010 I formed a review committee with terms of reference to report ctn the adequacy of our support
for students for whom English is an additional language (EAL). The terms ofcrefeyence and the committee's
report and recommendations are attached and are also available on the VPA website. I am now seeking
comments on the report and on the proposed next steps outkned in this memo. Please submit comments to
eal_report@sfu.ca by January 31, 2012.
Although we do not know the exact number of EAL students at SFU, a data gap that the review report
identifies, it would not be surprising to find that 50%
fall into this category. Concerns about the Engksh
language abikties of students (not all of whom are EAL) have been brought to my attention regularly by
instructors and students. Both domestic and international students may have difficulties with Engksh
language, and graduate and undergraduate students need assistance. I therefore bekeve that we should focus
on better support for language development for ak SFU students, and not conceptuakze this as a problem
that is confined to international students.
The remainder of this document sets out some prmciples for SFU to foUow with regard to EAL support, and
defines short-term and long-term action plans. I support the overarching approach of the report that
identifies a need for ongoing and systematic work at SFU to improve EAL Services and supports. The
principles and recommendations have been reviewed and modified by the deans and by SCUP.
Principles for Engksh language support
Fokowing Recommendation 13 of the committee, a useful first step is to estabksh a set of principles. The
fokowing principles are modelled on Appendix C of the committee's report.
1. With the exception of a few speciakzed programs, the language of instruction at SFU is Engksh, and
graduates of SFU degree and diploma programs should have the language sldlls needed for more advanced
study and/or employment in an Engksh-speaking environment.
2. A multi-kngual campus community enhances the academic and cultural kfe of SFU, and we support
opportunities for people from different cultural/knguistic background to contribute to and participate
fuky in the diversity of campus kfe.
3. SFU is responsible for ensuring that students are sufficiently competent in Engksh at the start of their
program to akow them to participate fuky in their studies.
4. Students for whom Engksh is an additional language and who seek to improve their Engksh are
responsible for continuing to develop their Engksh language proficiency throughout their programs by
taking appropriate credit and non-credit courses, and are encouraged to use Engksh in non-academic
situations.
5. Support for EAL and other students should include a broad range of academic skiUs and acculturation
opportunities, not just Engksh language skiks improvement.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
thinking of the world
6. The need for appropriate language supportis addressed early in a student's career, and the options for
support at all levels are clearly outlined to students and their advisors.
7. Academic units should remind and encourage students to use English during all aspects of their studies at
SFU, including activities such asgroup work, in-class discussions, field schools, faculty/student
interactions, and graduate supervision.
8. SFU regularly evaluates the efficacy and outcomes of its English language support, and is committed to
developing new approaches to this.
9. Provision of some English language support mayrequire the University to levy a separate fee for non-
credit programs.
Immediate actions
The report notes that development of adequate language supportis complex, and it is likely that the needs of
students will change over time. It also notes that difficulty with language may be one of a number of
interrelated factors that international students in particular may face, and some support programs may have to
incorporate other assistance. The proposed immediate actions are designed to build a stable structure for
further development.
1. Establish a group with responsibility for monitoring and improving EAL support.
I concurwith the report'sRecommendation 11 that a small group with responsibility for coordinating and
overseeing EAL support will yield faster results than a drastic re-structuring of current programs. I
suggest that the standing committee be supported by staffin the office of the Director, University
Curriculum. The terms of reference and membership will be established in a later document.
2. Following Recommendations 2, 3, and 4, the Associate VP Students should conduct a review of the
English proficiency required for admission to SFU, the process for directing non-admissible students to
preparatory programs, and the process for
directed admitted students to appropriate support programs.
3. The EAL steering committee should produce a document and website that outlines in a clear and
comprehensive manner all of the services currendy available for EAL students. There should be an
accompanying piece that provides guidance to instructors and staff on how to advise EAL studentswho
are having difficulties.
4. Following Recommendations 8 and 9 the Teachingand Learning Centre should consult with the EAL
coordinatingcommittee about provision of programs to assist departments incorporate English practice
and proficiency into curricula, as well as programs to assist instructors and TAs who work with EAL
students or with native English
speaking students who may have language challenges, and instructors and
TAs who are themselves EAL speakers.
5. It would be very useful to build a question about a student'slanguage background into the new course and
instructor evaluations that SCUTL will be developing over the next year.
6. The Director, University Curriculum, should initiate a review of the Foundations of Academic Literacy
program (FAL). This should include an assessment of the benefits of the program to students, the need
to expand course offerings, the possibility of courses focused on disciplinary writing styles, the need for
graduate level FAL courses, the need for new courses to "bridge" students to writing-intensive courses,
and the question of additive versus integral credit for FAL courses.
Long-term actions
1. The EAL coordinating committee should conduct a gap analysis of SFU's support for EAL students, and
make recommendations for new programs (Recommendations 5, 6).
2. The EAL coordinating committee should monitor the effectiveness
of various support programs and
processes on a regular basis (Recommendations 10,12).
3. The EAL coordinating committee should examine the role that Writing intensive courses play in the
development of language abilities in EAL students, and integrate the W criteria and aims into EAL
projects when appropriate.
4. The EAL coordinating committee should inform itself of emergingissues with regard to EAL support,
and make appropriate recommendations for action.
Resources and other issues
A number of recommendations deal with resources. The budget of the Vice-President, Academic has many
competing demands. The VPA will commit some funds from the revenues received from Fraser International
College to enhancing EAL support. However, as with other non-creditsupport programs, some new
initiatives willrequire that students pay a fee for EAL programming.
The report also recommends that SFU should develop a more comprehensive plan for internationalization;
although this recommendation is outside the mandate of the committee, I can report that preparations are
underway to do this under the supervision of the Vice-President External Relations..
SFU
University Curriculum and Institutional Liaison
Office of the Vice President, Academic
Strand Hall 3100
TEL 778.782.6854
Sarah_dench@sfu.ca
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
Canada V5 A 1S6
MFMORANnilM
ATTENTION
Dr. Jon Driver
DATE
July 27,2011
FROM
Sarah Dench
PAGES
1/1
"E:
Review of SFU Services and Supports for English as an Additional Language
Dear Jon,
Attached you will find the report of the committee formed to review SFU services and supports provided
to students for whom English is an additional language. The committee is unanimously supportive of the
recommendations presented, and we hope that you will find them useful in moving forward on this
critical issue.
Following consultation with the Vice Presidents and Deans, the committee believes that consultation with
the SFU community would be worthwhile to ensure that these recommendations are supported in
principle. If so, we envision the next steps to be the development of a specific plan for implementation,
which should include identification of timeframes, costs, and plans for the evaluation of impacts.
Thank you for the opportunity to examine this challenging issue, and to contribute to the improvement of
student academic supports. The committee would welcome the opportunity to discuss this report with
you, at your earliest convenience.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
thinking of the world
English as an AdditionalLanguage
Supports and Services at SFU:
Review and Recommendations
July, 2011
6T
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
Simon Fraser University has long had a significant number of international and
domestic students for whom English is an additional language (EAL). With the
growth of the Metro Vancouver region as a diverse community and a destination for
many immigrants from the Pacific Rim and the Indian sub-continent, and with the
rapid growth of the international post-secondary educational market in BC, the
challenges of teaching multilingual students and those for whom English is an
additional language have again come to the forefront.
Instructors at SFU (and across the BC post-secondary system) express concerns that
inadequate language skills are hampering the academic success of some multilingual
and EAL students. Additionally, some instructors are frustrated with the challenges
of teaching multilingual students. Specific to SFU, changes in Spring 2010 to SFU's
undergraduate English language and literacy admissions requirements also
contributed to the discussion around these issues.
As a result of these and other factors, in Fall 2010 the Vice President Academic
established a small committee to review these issues, and to make
recommendations on the following:
(a) analysis of the needs of prospective students, and opportunities for SFU
to develop/expand programs
(b) analysis of the needs of SFU graduate and undergraduate students, and
action that should be taken to meet these needs
(c) review EAL programs (and any related activity) currently run by SFU
(d) review the reporting relationships, business plan and budget for each
program
(e) recommendations for the most appropriate programs, business plans and
organizational structures to meet the needs of intending and enrolled
students
The committee formed to undertake the review was comprised of faculty and staff
involved in and knowledgeable about teaching and programming for international
and EAL students:
Sarah Dench, Director, University Curriculum & Institutional Liaison (Chair)
Steve Marshall, Assistant Professor, Education, Foundations of Academic Literacy
Lawrence McAllister, Lecturer, English Bridge Program, FASS
Paul McFetridge,
Associate Dean, FASS
William Radford, Director, SFU International
Colleen Wood, Director, English Language and Culture Program, Lifelong Learning
Helen Wussow, Dean, Lifelong Learning
Susan Rhodes, Assistant Director, University Curriculum & Institutional Liaison
The Vice President Academic invited comments to be submitted to the committee,
and the committee met with a wide range of individuals from the SFU community
(list of those consulted is provided in Appendix A).
^
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
Current Context
In a 2005 SFU report on language issues prepared for the VP Academic, data from
Statistics Canada indicated that more than 30% of residents of the Metro Vancouver
region spoke a language other than English as their first language. Statistics Canada
Census data from 2006 indicated that approximately 40% of Metro Vancouver
residents spoke a language other than English as their first language. Given patterns
of continued and increased immigration to British Columbia, it is unlikely this
proportion will have dropped over the past 6 years, and may now be higher. At SFU,
data from the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (IRP), taken from a
survey of undergraduate students, indicates that 25% of students surveyed in 2003
identified themselves as speaking a language other than English as their first
language, and 40% reported that they use a language other than English at home.
SFU does not track the growth in numbers of multilingual students year to year, but
it seems reasonable to expect that the number of students registering at SFUwill
continue to reflect the significant linguistic diversity of the Metro Vancouver region.
SFUdoes
track the growth in numbers of international students. Data available
from IRP shows that the proportion of international students attending SFUhas
grown significantly, at both undergraduate (from 9.2% in Fall 2005 to 14.4% in Fall
2010) and graduate (from 15.5% in 2005 to 22% in Fall2010) levels. Although not
all international students at SFU speak a language other than English as a first
language, SFU Admissions indicates that the majority of international applicants to
SFUundergraduate programs provide an IELTS (International English Language
Testing System) test score, information required of international applicants for
whom English is not a first language. From data collected by Admissions on
students admitted to SFU for the Fall 2010 semester, of 5013 admitted
undergraduate students, 830 were international students on a study or other visa,
and 434 were recent permanent residents of Canada. Of the 434 permanent
residents, at least 267 students originated from non-English speaking countries.
Data on students'countries of origin collected by IRP indicates that the majority of
SFU'sinternational students list non-English speaking countries as their home
country, predominantly China, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan which together
comprised 72.2% of international undergraduates at SFUin Fall 2010.
Colleges and universities throughout the BC post-secondary system are
experiencing growth in the populations of students for whom English is an
additional language. The K-12 system has also experienced growth in the EAL
student population. Of particular relevance to SFU as "feeder districts", the Burnaby
and Coquitlam school districts have intentionally grown their international student
recruitment programs, employing staff at the school district level specifically for this
purpose. Like many domestic students in these school districts, international high
school students seek to enter SFU as their university of choice. Similarly, many
international students studying at local colleges seek to transfer to SFU.
r
7
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
SFU struggles to communicate the message to multilingual students, domestic and
international, that a high level of fluency in English (as the language of instruction at
SFU), and the regular use of spoken and written English, are essential to both
academic success and successful integration to student life outside the classroom.
This problem is compounded by the fact that the role of the English language in
student lives has changed; multilingual students do not necessarily need to speak
English to function effectively in Vancouver, particularly with the expanding role of
social media, the internet, and other modes of communication. The particular mix of
linguistic diversity within the SFU EALstudent population also contributes to the
challenges; unlike other multicultural universities with more diverse populations
such as those in Toronto, students at Metro Vancouver universities can more easily
function within relatively homogeneous linguistic groups with limited need to
practice or use English on a daily basis. The lack of practice in English impacts the
further development of proficiency.
The shifting demographics of metro Vancouver contribute to a widening gap
between the EAL student body, and university standards and expectations. The
university seems to be sending mixed messages; we admit students with a level of
English proficiency that is at the lowest threshold possible for the rigours of
academic life, fully expecting them to succeed, yet we do not offer the necessary core
language support and services needed to foster success. Fortheir part, EAL students
interpret admission to
SFU as a clear signal that they have already attained a high
enough proficiency level to succeed in an English post-secondary milieu,
particularly when they come to SFU with strong academic credentials. Students in
this circumstance are shocked when subsequently they struggle academically, and
feedback from staff (described later in this report) indicates it becomes difficult to
advise
these students that they do not have the language skills to be successful.
Amongst instructors, there lingers the expectation or standard of the native English
speaking
student in teaching and assessment methods, and many instructors seem
to perceive any student who struggles with academic English at SFU as
"international" (therein demonstrating what we consider to be a significant
misperception on the part of faculty and staffwith respect to who our students are).
EAL students face significant challenges; they are not a demographically
homogeneous group with one set of needs, and the feedback they are given from
many sources tells them they should meet our standards, while at the same time
from the same sources they receive messages that they do not.
Taken together, the above indicate that academic preparedness and success of
students for whom English is an additional language continue to be complex issues.
Multilingual
students are not a monolithic group, and, for SFU, the issues involved
can be seen to fall along a continuum from preadmission to employment following
graduation. Discussions of the committee followed this line of thinking.
The committee's discussions were also framed by attempts to understand the
interactions of multiple language use and university literacy; how language
challenges interfere with learning and the student experience at all levels; and
A^
e
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
acculturation
to the English language university environment. Deficits in English
can also be a source of social exclusion, which in turn reduces the benefits of
engagement and co-curricular activities.
This is notto suggest that students are not responsible for improving their own
language proficiency, their motivation and commitment, their learning, and their
academic achievement. However, in light of the dynamics described above, and the
changes in the demographics of the university community over the past ten years,
the committee believes that there is a need for a fundamental and significant shift at
SFUregarding English language services and support, moving from a deficit
remediation perspective to an approach of developmental support. EAL supports
must move from the periphery to the curricular core, and become central to
learning at SFU. It is with this in mind that we make our recommendations.
Pre-Admission Preparation
For many years, SFUhas offered programs designed for the pre-admission
improvement of English language skills at the undergraduate level. Such programs,
using varying levels of English proficiency as a starting point, are deficit remediation
approaches for the improvement of English language for academic purposes up to
Senate approved admissions levels. They are also intended and marketed as
international undergraduate student recruitment opportunities for universities and
colleges. Many universities and colleges offer such programs, and in Metro
Vancouver overthe past ten years there has been rapid growth in the number of
private colleges offering only English as an additional language or English-for-
academic-purposes programming. Length and quality of programming and
instruction vary, and many private EAL colleges are unregulated. Within the BC
post-secondary system, there is articulation of many courses and programs, and a
specific articulation
committee for EAL/EAP programs. There is little or no
programming available specific to pre-admission preparation for graduate study.
The longest standing of SFU's EALprograms is the English Language and Culture
Program (ELCP),
operating from Lifelong Learning (formerly known as Continuing
Studies). This non-credit program assists international students and working
professionals to improve their English for academic, business and personal
purposes. The ELCP operates primarily in downtown Vancouver, with twelve-week,
eight-week, and four-week intensive programs, and competes in a market that
includes many private English language schools. Some students flow from the ELCP
to credit studies at SFU, but ELCP students are not given conditional admission to
SFUand must meet all the normal admission requirements for international
applicants.
There is significant EAL teaching expertise available in the instructor
complement of the ELCP. Specifically as a pre-admission support for students who
meet or exceed the academic requirements for admission to SFU, yet fall shy of the
English language requirements, the unit remains a resource to SFU with a structure
that has potential to expand as needed.
JBT
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
The recently discontinued English Bridge Program began in 1998 as a joint effort
between the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and SFU International, managed
through the department of Linguistics. The EBPwas an English for Academic
Purposes program for conditionally admitted EAL students, and comprised
three
interrelated programs: the original English Bridge Program, Preparation in
Academic Skills in English (PAS), and Academic English Skills (AES). All were
offered as non-credit and operated on a cost-recovery basis. The EBP students were
international or recently arrived immigrant students who were otherwise
academically qualified for SFU entry but whose English language proficiency did not
meet admission requirements. EBP students were given a guarantee of admission to
SFU, conditional upon satisfactory completion of the program. The EBP has now
been discontinued, as the number of directly admitted international students has
grown, and FASS was no longer ableto maintain the program due to costs.
However, the PAS and AES components will be continued, offered in collaboration
with Fraser International College, and run on a cost-recovery model. However, the
discontinuation of the English Bridge Program presents an opportunity to refocus
the expertise in teaching English as an additional language that remains in the
Linguistics department. Instructors are ready and willing to identify new ways in
which they can continue to support EAL students at SFU.
SFU'scontract with Fraser International College continues the pre-admission
pathway program for academic preparation of international students for entry into
SFU. FIC is not an EAL preparation program, but does provide the opportunity for
non-credit supplemental EAL instruction through PAS and AES to those FIC students
with lower-level English skills, in conjunction with transferable university credit
course work. The FIC pathway is a highly supportive, "high touch" environment
focused on assisting student transition to academic life in a North American setting.
In addition to academic coursework, the college provides focused advising,
academic intervention, supplemental instruction, and support for cultural
adjustment. The success of this integrated model is dependent on the teaching-
intensive and personal environment, and is likely not scalable beyond a certain
enrollment level. Students transferring to SFU from FIC are tracked in the aggregate
by SFU, to monitor academic performance, and the data is reviewed each term.
Admission Criteria
Setting appropriate admissions criteria for the university, or a particular program, is
never an exact science. It involves careful consideration of institutional recruitment
and retention strategies, monitoring of the education systems from which students
originate, and an understanding of how previous education relates to desired
academic performance at higher levels of study. The interplay of academic
preparedness, developmental level, and student choice is complicated, and there is
no single criterion or indicator that will guarantee academic success and degree
completion. Demand levels for entry to SFUalso fluctuate, and local and
international demographics play a significant role in that demand.
10
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
As previously mentioned, SFU'sundergraduate requirements to demonstrate
acceptable English proficiency were changed in Spring 2010, raising concerns that
international students would not be sufficiently well prepared for study in English.
More recently, the undergraduate requirements have been tightened, raising the
acceptable test score levels of IELTS (International English Language Testing
System) for admission and reintroducing a requirement for a minimum of four years
of previous secondary study in English for students where the principle language of
instruction is not English, and a minimum of three years where English is the
principle language.
For domestic applicants from high school, SFU relies on English 12 grades and the
Language Proficiency Index test (LPI) as thresholds for admission and filters for
placement into courses ("Foundations of Academic Literacy" FAL X99 and writing
intensive courses, discussed below). Given the changing demographics in the BC K-
12
school system, and the need for the high school curriculum to prepare students
for a range of possible alternatives after graduation, issues related to language use
and readiness for university level work should be studied further. Many domestic
students entering SFUare multilingual, may find university work in English
challenging for a range of reasons, and would benefit from being required to further
develop their use of English for academic purposes. This is also true for many
students who are native speakers of English. Many students are exempt from FAL
X99 as they are admitted with sufficiently high English 12 grade levels and LPI
scores of 4 or higher, the current level approved by Senate. SFU's requirement of
LPI4 is lower than both the University of British Columbia and the University of
Victoria, which require scores of LPI 5 for direct registration into university English
courses. The institutions do not allow for exemptions from this requirement.
Students who transfer to SFU from other post-secondary institutions are required to
have successfully completed either a transferable English course or an SFU-
approved writing intensive course for admission, and thereby demonstrate
proficiency in English for academic purposes. For admission at the graduate level, a
range of different test scores are accepted as proof of proficiency in English for
academic work. According to the Dean of Graduate Studies, despite meeting
acceptable test score levels (eg. IELTS 7), it is still the case that many admitted
international graduate students struggle in English.
Whatever filters SFU puts in place requiring students to demonstrate readiness to
study in English, no filters are perfect. Test scores, whether domestic or
international, are limited in the information they provide to SFU about a candidate's
abilities for academic work in English when previous education has been conducted
in another language. Additionally, a student may succeed at test writing, or be
proficient in English in the particular discourse of a given discipline, but struggle in
English in coursework outside of that area or in everyday life. Students who believe
that they will succeed academically because they achieve a particular test score are
not taking responsibility for their own educational preparedness and are not fully
understanding
the ongoing work required for academic success. Perhaps most
((
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
importantly, SFUas yet lacks an overarching strategy to better guide recruitment of
EAL students, international and domestic, who have the necessary preparation in
English for academic success.
Post-Admission Support and Retention
In Fall 2006 SFU adopted new undergraduate degree requirements, including
writing intensive learning. Courses at the lower and upper division are labeled "W",
and students must complete at least two such courses including an upper division W
course in the major. Writing intensive courses are rigorous, and one ofthe criteria
for aW course designation is thatat least50% of the course gradebebased on
written assignments to which instructors have provided detailed feedback.
Academic Literacy
The introduction of W courses into undergraduate curriculum necessitated the
introduction of a course designed to improve the writing and academic literacy
skills of admitted students who fell short of the English 12 and LPI thresholds set for
W courses.
"Foundations of Academic Literacy" (FALX99) is a four unit, additive
credit, course designed in the Faculty of Education, and many sections of this course
are now offered every semester. In 2008-09, there were 95 sections offered (18
students maximum in each section), with between 800-900 students enrolled. The
majority of FAL-required students (80%) are so-called "Generation 1.5", with two to
five years at a BC secondary school; this creates nuanced pedagogical issues and
challenges, particularly in relation to FAL-required native English speakers. A small
percentage (10% - 20%) of students already meet FAL requirements at admission
but take the course by choice to improve their English and writing skills. A very
small number of graduate students have also taken the course. It is important to
note that FALX99 was not intended as an EAL support, but that 89% ofstudents
now required to take FAL are EAL. The curriculum is focused on academic
preparedness and writing for that purpose, and the course becomes less effective
when the majority ofstudents require significant EAL support.
Feedback collected from FAL-required students has consistently shown that they
find the course to be highly beneficial to their studies and their confidence, whether
or not they were initially resistant to taking a course for additive credit. However,
students also comment that the course should be counted for full integral credit,
particularly since the grade for FAL X99 is included in the cumulative grade point
average. Additionally, many students feel that the additive credit issue and the
course being enrolled predominantly with EAL students creates an environment
that is not a positive learning experience. The faculty member responsible for FAL
X99
shares this view, and has further concerns about how this experience may
interact with learning outcomes and longer-term academic success. This is the
subject of a SSHRC funded research project.
From the perspective ofthe FAL coordinator and instructors, there is a need to
provide improved advising for FAL students in terms of enrollment in follow-up W
courses. Students often enroll in an inappropriate W course because of peers, which
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
can result in underperformance, as does course overloading. The Faculty of
Education, which houses FAL, is discussing an advanced-level, W-designated, FAL
follow-on course for students admitted to SFU with English 12 grades in the 75-85%
range, since their needs are different from students with lower English 12 grades
(or equivalencies). Other academic departments are also considering the
development of post-FAL, lower level courses intended to provide further
development for students in academic English. In any such courses, additive credit
would present a significant obstacle because students needing further instruction
may avoid taking
the course ifit could not be fully counted (eg. as an elective)
toward degree requirements. The additive credit label may also send a mixed
message to students regarding the extent to which SFUconsiders communication
skills in English to be of central importance.
Student Success
Student Services provides retention programs focusing on students at academic
risk. Students in academic difficulty are distributed fairly evenly among Canadian
born, recent landed immigrants, and international students. A major concern
expressed by the stafffrom the Student Success Program (SSP) is that SFU's
messaging to students is inconsistent with our admission requirements; the official
stance ofthe university has been that SFUdoes not provide remedial supports and
services, whereas the student needs observed by advising staffsuggest such
supports are warranted, and would contribute to an improved student experience at
SFU.
From the point ofview of SSP staffand the Associate Vice President, Students, SFU
has seemed unprepared to deal with the magnitude of the challenges related to EAL
students; no stafftraining or continuing resources have been allocated; no regular
data is collected on the non-homogeneous EALpopulation; there is little
understanding ofthe full scope of EALissues, nor a clear idea ofthe specific issues
faced by these students; the university provides only ad hoc efforts to intervene and
provide support; and little direct information is collected from students about the
challenges they face to academic success. SSP staffbelieve there is disconnection for
EAL students between meeting minimum standards and understanding what is
required for competency sufficient for academic success. While some attention is
paid to those students known to instructors or who become known to the university
because they are on academic probation or required to withdraw, there is also a
larger group ofstudents who scrape by academically and do not become known to
service providers. These students choose their programs and courses carefully to
avoid
certain types of assessment, they are strategic with their course loads to allow
themselves time needed for extra study, and they develop other such coping
strategies. The general "student experience" for these students is likely much
different than that of other students and less than the rich experience for which SFU
wishes to be known. They cope academically at a certain level and eventually
graduate, but they do not thrive. For many of these students, SFUco-curricular
programs of student involvement are not an option as they are not able to function
at an academic or linguistic level that would allow them to participate.
13
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
SSP staff members often come across students in the SSP "Back on Track" program
with the FAL exemption (granted at admission based on grade 12 English, adequate
test score, or college transferable college English or W course) but who still have
language challenges for which they cannot find assistance. These students often feel
alienated and disconnected at SFU,and cannot get sufficient help from faculty or
TAs. As with the experience of some international graduate students, the fluency of
these students in English is incongruous with their academic abilities in their home
language. SSP advisors find that many EAL students perceive the biggest challenge
to be gaining acceptance to the university, but are unprepared for the difficulties
they face studying in English once admitted. Language challenges hamper academic
success, and similarly have a negative impact on student engagement and co-
curricular success.
The senior advising staff of SFU International expressed similar concerns. This
group provides transitional support and assistance to help students navigate SFU
once admitted, and act as cultural interpreters and advocates for SFUinternational
students. SFU-I staff frequently encounter communication struggles for some
students, and are often asked to make phone calls or proofread letters because
students are not able or comfortable trying to communicate in English. However,
the staff are frustrated by the SFU community perception that EAL challenges are
purely an international student issue, when many of the EAL students seeking
assistance are technically domestic students.
Staff members are concerned that the value of intercultural communication is not
being recognized and emphasized by SFUadministration, and therefore not
absorbed by other students and faculty, who tend to view international students
with EAL issues as "problems". Some common and concerning student issues are
presenting more frequently to SFU-I staff, such as isolation, engagement difficulties,
self-blame; mental health issues from depression due to isolation and negative
experiences, but students not seeking counseling because of cultural taboos;
language issues that block access to work opportunities; graduate students who TA
in
their first term suffer extreme anxiety and embarrassment when language and
communication in tutorials go awry.
Staff members in SFU International believe that if international EAL students were
better prepared linguistically, they may still experience cultural and academic
difficulties, but those difficulties would not be further exacerbated by language
challenges. International
students come to SFU expecting to succeed, particularly
when they have been strong students in their home countries. Being accepted to
SFUleads them to believe they will do well in their studies in English, and are
disillusioned when they struggle academically. It becomes difficult to advise them
that they do not actually have the language skills to be successful, nor are there
resources to direct them to.
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
There are also issues of identity and acculturation; students who are recent landed
immigrants may resist assistance and do not see themselves as international
students. This plays out in the problems of domestic EAL students who do not
speak English at home and do not engage in sufficient practice in the English
language. As such, these students may not adequately improve in their English
proficiency thereby sharing international student EAL challenges. Also problematic
is the practice of recruiting international students (on study visas or recent
immigrants) from local high schools and colleges based on an assumption that such
students are acculturated when in fact they are not.
Suggested improvements from SFU International advisors include raising IELTS
levels for admission (this discussion predated the recent Senate approval of higher
levels), providing intercultural training for SFU staff and faculty, and recommending
the Teaching &Learning Centre to take a lead in encouraging the incorporation of
and the benefits ofintercultural learning in the classroom.
Co-op Education and Employment Readiness
The Co-operative Education program regularly encounters students who are
academically qualified to take part in Co-op but linguistically underprepared to
write a cover letter or interview with an employer. Approximately 17% of students
in Co-op are international students; however, up to 60% of Co-op students have
demonstrated EALissues. Time constraints in the turn around for Co-op placements
and course requirements do not allow for work on improving communication skills,
and staff do not have the expertise for this.
Over the past five to seven years, employers who reliably provide placements for
SFUCo-op students, and who subsequently hire SFU students into entry-level career
positions post graduation, have again become increasingly concerned about the
English language proficiency, and therefore the work-readiness, of SFUgraduates.
Such concerns from employers of SFU students and graduands were part ofthe
original motivation for the introduction of SFU'sWcourse requirements. Employers
have communicated their concerns to Co-op, to Faculties, and to the outside
community regarding the quality and language skill levels of SFUstudents. This
creates concern about SFU's reputation broadly, and particularly with continued
placements, sponsorships, and career event support.
The staff of Work Integrated Learning (WIL), the unit in Student Services
responsible for Co-op, Career Services, and Volunteer & Community-Based Learning,
observe a noticeable decline in communications skills, both written and oral.
Cultural differences and the impact on the workplace are significant, particularly
when dealing with clients and customers. Employers welcome a diverse cultural
experience and multiple language proficiency, but they want good communicators.
Employers are now demanding communication skills, not just grades, for Co-op
placements, and will often insist on pre-interview phone calls as a filter. Demand on
SFU stafftime is considerable in terms of trying to provide support without the
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
linguistic expertise to do so. Staff members now find they spend twice as much time
dealing with language issues as employment skills.
Here again there is a problem of students not using English outside of university and
not taking advice to participate in language enhancement programs such as English
speaking clubs or Toastmasters. Students often focus solely on their quantitative
skills and do little to improve their communication skills but cannot be employed
without them; they are often unaware of how poor their communication skills are
and are more concerned with grades, particularly in Engineering Science, where the
mandatory Co-op requirement is often problematic for EAL students.
Co-op staff members try to balance help to students while dealing with significant
language issues
and although staff training in WILwould help for understanding
EAL issues generally, WIL staffdo not regard providing EAL support as an
appropriate part of their job nor are they qualified for this. WILstaffalso often find
themselves in ethical dilemmas around rewriting student communications sent to
potential employers. Business Co-op staff direct much time to communications
coaching
and document editing. Students also have a high need for support
regarding anxiety about interviews, and they may often either inappropriately
overstate or understate their abilities. Many students come to SFUfor the Co-op
program because it is large and accessible to students in all disciplines. Students
want Canadian work experience with large well-known companies, but when they
are not successful in attaining a position, they are left anxious, frustrated, stressed,
and unmotivated. The combined impact of these issues is a negative experience for
staff, employers, and students.
Graduate Students
The Dean of Graduate Studies provided an overview of issues faced by Graduate
Studies with respect to supporting international graduate students. Approximately
50% of applicants to Graduate Studies are international, and 60% of those are at the
PhD level. The Faculty of Applied Sciences has the highest proportion of
international applicants, and currently, the highest number of international
applicants to SFU is from Iran. The proportion of international graduate students is
22-24%, but EAL supports are minimal and the growth of international students
places stress on available services.
Graduate students for whom English is an additional language have unique needs
for support and development, and these tend to be much more disciplinary based
than for undergraduate students. As mentioned previously, while test levels for
admission to graduate study at SFU are higher than for undergraduates, graduate
students may still struggle to develop their English for academic and personal
purposes. The Student Learning Commons offers the "Grad Cafe" group for graduate
students, and many international teaching assistants who are graduate students
have benefited from the International Teaching Assistants Training (ITA) Program,
offered from Lifelong Learning. There is significant overlap in the support needs
between all graduate students for whom English is an additional language with the
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
needs of international TAs. A combined approach utilizing reorganized and
expanded ITAworkshops to include other graduate students has proven beneficial
in piloting, delivered in conjunction with Graduate Studies.
The ITATraining Program began as a small-scale effort in Lifelong Learning (then
Continuing Studies) in the mid-1990s serving a sub-set of the international graduate
student community. The program takes a two-pronged approach working with
international TAs, and international graduate students generally. Budgetary issues
have consistently restricted growth and development, and ITA continues to be a
non-credit optional program. The program is a seminar format, with approximately
12 students per group and runs with no charge to participants.
Changes in graduate student demographics due to university recruitment efforts has
led to a much more diverse groupthan five years ago, which has in turn resulted in a
shift in needs from purely language skills to more academic skills. The ITAProgram
does work on improving language, but at an academic level. It includes an
instructional development component and a pedagogical comparison to assist
students with the shift to a Western style of teaching.
The Director of the ITATraining Program would like to develop better crossover
with other EALservices, with W courses, and with the Teaching and Learning
Centre, although graduate students are a distinctive group with specific needs.
Coordinating
with other units would be beneficial to the program and permanently
expanding the program to all international graduate students (regardless of
whether or not they become TAs) would also be worthwhile. There is increased
demand for the program due to more students being referred to the ITAby graduate
secretaries and departmental managers, with more departments requiring their
international TAs to attend. However, the ITAis not able to increase capacity due to
limited resources, and accommodates approximately 150 students a year. The
program is currently funded with some recurring base funding, and additional funds
provided on an annual basis. This funding model hampers planning and expansion
of the ITATraining program to serve more students and fully promote the program
to all SFU departments, and there are insufficient resources to develop an
assessment process for the program.
Student Learning Commons
In addition to the development of FAL X99 to support preparation for W designated
courses, the Student Learning Commons (SLC) was developed in 2006 and situated
in the SFULibrary. The SLC offers a wide-range of co-curricular, academic supports
to all students, and all of the SLC services support EAL students, with some services
specifically targeted for this group. Some EALservices have been integrated within
courses and academic programs by ad hoc faculty request, while most are optional
and dependent on the student's self-motivation to seek them out.
In the SLC, optional EALservices include individual English language learning plans,
undergraduate and graduate conversation groups (English Conversation Group,
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
Grad Cafe), individual conversation appointments (Conversation Partners), and
grammar and language focused workshops. There is moderate uptake of some
programs, and demand greatly exceeds supply for the Conversation Partners
program, reflecting that many EAL students are aware that regular use of spoken
English has a beneficial impact.
Another optional service open to all students, but heavily used by EAL students, is
the individual writing consultations. This is also popular, and again demand for the
service exceeds supply. This is likely a direct impact of W courses in the
undergraduate curriculum.
While marketing of SLC services is important, the demand for the new Conversation
Partners program demonstrates that students will seek out what appeals to and
works for them. In the view ofthe SLCDirector, the challenge is to encourage
students to make the other commitments necessary to improve their academic
English. Part of the answer may lie in the very strong use by EAL students of the
SLC'score service, individual peer writing consultations. Here there is a clear and
direct motivation in working to improve written work as it will be submitted for a
grade in a credit-bearing class.
There are possibilities for expanding the EAL supports in the Student Learning
Commons, building on the services and expertise already in place, particularly in the
area of Supplemental Instruction for EAL support and writing services. However,
increasing co-curricular supports through the SLCin the absence of curricular
requirements for the development of English language skills will simply continue
the deficit remediation and reactive approach at SFU.
Instruction and Instructional development
Instructors across the university are very concerned about an observed decline in
the level ofpreparedness for study in English amongst undergraduate students.
Faculty report struggling to assess students'acquisition of disciplinary knowledge
because they cannot sufficiently separate the understanding of ideas, facts and
concepts from the poor quality of expression of these in assignments.
Feedback to the review committee indicated that a number of SFU departments are
considering the creation of credit-bearing courses in basic writing skills (eg.
grammar, composition) with a disciplinary focus. Representatives ofthese
departments state that this avenue is not necessarily their first choice, but given the
students'needs for improved communication skills and a lack of alternatives to
which students can be directed for improvement, creating new courses has become
a higher priority. While the committee does not dispute that more such credit
bearing courses will be beneficial, equity of access and consistency of curriculum
across and between Faculties must be considered. A mixed model ofcurricular and
co-curricular opportunities across all Faculties is worthy of consideration, with
credit bearing courses recognized fully as part of degree requirements. Early
intervention and more structured, credited program elements will promote student
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
engagement and commitment to the further development of their communication
skills.
An important piece in understanding the classroom challenges in working with a
multilingual student population is the degree to which instructors feel
knowledgeable and supported for their teaching in the diverse classroom. From
written feedback received by the committee, and in discussions with Associate
Deans from a number of the Faculties, it was clearly stated that instructors do not
feel well prepared for the language challenges students now bring to their courses.
Instructors are also concerned that in struggling with these issues, and assigning
low grades to assignments written in poor English, this may be misconstrued as
being overly stringent, or convey a lack of respect for cultural differences.
Nevertheless, instructors would benefit from being able to access expertise on
teaching EAL students, both for short-term support and assistance, and for longer-
term training and course development. Instructors want appropriate services to
which they can refer students, and improved training and information about EAL
students and issues so that they are better able to make effective referrals.
Other Institutions
From discussions with personnel at other universities, it is clear SFUis not alone in
grappling with how to better teach and support EAL students. In BC, the
metropolitan universities and colleges are uniquely placed in Canada in the degree
to
which international and multilingual populations seek to become students, and
such institutions are impacted similarly by changing demographics amongst
domestic students and increasing enrollments of international students. Service
approaches vary; however, many institutions in BCare offering developmental
courses in written English and communication skills as part of core curricula. The
curricula are supplemented by other forms of co-curricular supports.
Many institutions in North America offer laddered curricula, combining credit and
non-credit opportunities for progressive development and skill building in English
for academic purposes, with credit courses built into program requirements (eg. as
required courses or electives). Programs offer practice for written and oral English,
and for reading skills, and many utilize on-line learning in addition to classroom-
based teaching. Many of these programs and supports are not restricted to EAL
students, but are programs designed to benefit all students. Some local, Canadian,
and international examples are included in Appendix B.
What must SFU do to improve?
In considering the information collected and feedback provided to the review, it is
evident to the committee that the complexity of EAL issues requires a multifaceted
response from SFU. Of paramount importance is the principle of support for those
students admitted to the university; these students have been assessed, deemed to
EAL Supports and Services at SFU
have potential for academic study, and by admitting them SFUhas made a
commitment to provide opportunities for success and credential completion.
The demographics of the students admitted to SFU have changed over the years, and
in turn SFUhas been and continues to be changed by these students. The culture of
SFUis enriched and internationalized by our students, and the university has
become a leader in Canada in reaching out internationally with education and
opportunity. As a result, the university must shift from the perspective of deficit-
remediation to transitional development as we strive to support and educate our
students. We can mourn the perceived change in "standards" or, as an organization,
appreciate the diversity and new opportunities to learn and grow with our global
student body and alumni.
SFU is committed to producing graduates who are community-engaged, well
prepared global citizens. Excellent communication skills are fundamental to this
outcome, and it is SFU'sshared responsibility with students to further develop their
proficiency in English in support of this commitment. We hope the following
recommendations will assist the university to achieve that goal.
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
Recommendations
1. To guide approaches to EAL issues, SFUurgently needs a current strategy for
internationalization that provides guidance to the recruitment and retention of
academically well-prepared international students, and to support improved
planning of services and academic success.
(Responsibility: Vice President Academic; Vice President External; Associate Vice
President Students; Director, SFUInternational)
2. SFU should ensure there is clear, consistent, and repeated communication to all
applicants and admitted students regarding the standards for English proficiency
and requirements (including the need to practice written and spoken English)
expected for academic success, not simply for admission to the university.
(Responsibility: Associate Vice President Students; Registrar and Executive Director
Student Enrolment; Executive Director Student Affairs)
3. SFU should request the Registrar to review and consider raising LPI levels to
more appropriately screen applicants and place admitted
students in courses,
particularly to ensure domestic EAL students are sufficiently prepared for studies in
English at the university level. At the very least, SFU's LPI levels should be set
consistent with those at other BCuniversities, and used to consistently filter
incoming students into FAL and other academic writing courses, with very limited
exemptions allowed.
(Responsibility: Associate Vice President Students; Registrar and Executive Director
Student Enrollment; Senate)
4. Academically qualified applicants whose LPI and/or IELTS scores fall short of
approved admission requirements should be referred to the English Language and
Culture Program to improve their English proficiency. As students prepare to re
apply for admission to SFU, academically qualified ELCP students would then be less
likely to seek educational options elsewhere. If admitted, their academic progress
should be tracked.
(Responsibility: Associate Vice President Students; Registrar and Executive Director
Student Enrollment; Senate)
5. Foundations of Academic Literacy (FALX99) should become a fully integral
credit course, rather than additive credit, to better ensure student commitment to
the course, and to broaden the appeal of the course beyond FAL-required students.
(Responsibility: Vice President Academic; Dean, Faculty of Education; Senate
Committee on Undergraduate Studies)
6. SFUshould prioritize the development and offering of required courses for the
improvement of communication skills for academic preparedness as a core
curricular
component (required, credit-bearing), not merely as a support service or
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
supplemental (non-credit). To this end, if interested, the departments of Linguistics
and English, and
the Faculty of Education, should be invited to submit proposals
through
the normal curricular approval processes for courses at the 100 and 200
levels intended to provide students from all undergraduate programs with courses
to improve their writing, composition skills, and English for academic purposes.
These courses will be integral credit, and in some cases, eligible for W designation.
Students will be filtered into the courses using their LPI or IELTS scores, as
presented at admission to SFU. The threshold for exemptions would be set high,
and therefore would be limited. Should other departments be considering
disciplinary-focused writing improvement requirements, these should also be in the
form of credit bearing courses, proposed and vetted via the normal curricular
approval processes, and developed in close consultation
with writing and EAL
experts in other academic departments.
(Responsibility: Vice President Academic; Deans)
7. Recurring funds should be provided for enhanced and expanded supplemental
instruction, and supports for writing and EAL services in the Student Learning
Commons. Infrastructure already exists through the SLCin the important core
services and expertise housed there, and a further investment in this area will
leverage significant improvements across all three SFU campuses.
(Responsibility: Vice President Academic; University Librarian; Director, Student
Learning Commons)
8. Supports for international graduate students should be expanded. The current
International Teaching Assistants program should be reorganized, funded, and
expanded to provide training and assistance for
the unique disciplinary support
requirements of graduate students. As with the SLC, this will leverage existing
resources in a cost-effective way.
(Responsibility: Vice President Academic; Dean, Lifelong Learning; Dean, Graduate
Studies)
9. The Teaching and Learning Centre should provide instructional development and
support for instructors to keep them abreast of the issues impacting EALstudents,
and pedagogical issues related to teaching in the multilingual and multicultural
classroom.
(Responsibility: Dean, Lifelong Learning; Director, Teaching and Learning Centre)
10. There is a need for improved and ongoingtracking of EAL students and more
nuanced data that includes domestic and international EAL students, and a full
scoping of EAL student issues including in-class and out-of-class experiences. There
is an opportunity to add questions to national surveys that SFU already participates
in, such as the Canadian University Survey Consortium, to collect data on our own
students and benchmark against other Canadian universities, in addition to regular
in-house survey work through the office of Institutional Research and Planning.
Without full data on the ongoing impact on EAL students during their university
experience, SFUwill not be able to create and maintain effective approaches to
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
policies and services. This has an impact from recruitment through to graduation,
and possibly an impact on our engagement with our students as alumni.
(Responsibility: Associate Vice President Academic; Associate Vice President Students;
Director, Institutional Research and Planning)
11. There is a need for improved and ongoing coordination of services and supports
for EAL students, including oversight of focused communications about these
services. The coordinating function, through the appointment of a standing
committee of EAL stakeholders and service providers, should have an
administrative aspect to it, provide quality control, improve linkages between
services, address service gaps, and some expertise on EAL issues should reside with
it as a centralized resource. As credit-bearing courses are established, these would
also be monitored by the committee to ensure consistency of standards across
courses. We are not recommending reorganization of current units or changing
distributed authority unless there are other reasons for doing this, but rather
oversight and a committee mandate to ensure coherence, consistency, and quality.
This will in turn assist in finding administrative efficiencies, and improve services to
students.
(Responsibility: Vice President Academic)
12.
The new EAL standing committee should identify and coordinate ongoing
assessment of the impacts resulting from implementation of these
recommendations. Assessment would include, but not be limited to, the following:
establishment of initial baselines; annual survey of retention and completion rates
where communication issues are critical factors in academic success; survey of
faculty and staff opinion on levels of student communication skills; use of student
focused surveys to assess student satisfaction communication indicators; surveys of
Co-operative education employers.
(Responsibility: Vice President Academic, Associate Vice President Students)
13. SFU should consider adopting and publicizing a policy similar to Griffith
University's "Good Practice Principles for English Language Proficiency for
International Students", as
listed in Appendix C.
(Responsibility: Vice President Academic, Associate Vice President Students)
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
Appendix A
Consultations with the committee, and/or the Chair
Louise Legris, Director,
Admissions
Kate Ross, Registrar and Executive Director, Student Enrolment
Wendy Steinberg, Director, International TA Training Program
Wade Parkhouse, Dean, Graduate Studies
Tim Rahilly, Associate Vice President Students
Annette Santos, Manager, Student Success Programs
Rummana Khan Hemani, Director, Student Success
Carolyn Hanna, Senior International Student Advisor, SFU International
Muriel Lemetski, Director, Work Integrated Learning
Shauna Tonsaker, Program Manager, Business Co-operative Education
Jo Hinchliffe, Assistant Registrar and Academic Integrity Coordinator
Tim Mossman, Coordinator, EAL Services, Student Learning Commons
Elaine Fairey, Director, Student Learning Commons
Bev Hudson, Director, Fraser International College
Duncan Knowler, Associate Dean, Faculty of Environment
Craig Janes, Associate Dean, Faculty of Health Science
Malgorzata Dubiel, University Teaching Fellow, Faculty of Science
Robert Cameron, Associate Dean, Faculty of Applied Science
Andrew Gemino, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Program, Beedie School of
Business
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
Appendix B
University of British Columbia:
Laddered first-year English curriculum, including
specific courses for students outside the Faculty ofArts, and those not intending to
major in English. In Continuing Studies, the Writing Centre provides services for
those seeking to improve their written English, including two non-credit courses
focusing on
grammar and composition, on-line courses for disciplinary writing, and
a course for graduate students. International House at UBC also offers English
language classes for international students and their families.
University of Victoria:
Laddered first-year English curriculum, including non-
credit and credit courses focusing on grammar, composition, and writing and
reading for university purposes. The English Language Centre in Continuing Studies
provides social and cultural programs, and a "Conditional Acceptance to Degree
Programs" preparation program.
University of Northern BC:
Credit and non-credit courses in English for academic
purposes, and general university study skills courses.
Thompson Rivers University:
Pre-admission EAL programs, some with
disciplinary focus, language labs, ESL Learning Centre, first-year English
composition courses, and a Writing Centre that includes tutoring and on-line
resources.
Ryerson Polytechnic Institute:
English communication supports and practice
opportunities, support with written English through peer programs, on-line
modules, and language workshops, and labs for reading and listening skills. There
are also specific services for graduate students. All EAL services are published in
one consolidated website as "English Language Support" linked from Student
http://www.rverson.ca/studentservices/eIs/index.html
York University:
University English Language Institute offers non-credit pre-
academic and academic preparatory programs at various levels, "Skills for Everyday
English"
program, and pre-graduate school preparatory programs.
http://www.yueli.yorku.ca/about/index.php
The ESL Open Learning Centre offers a range of supports to EAL students registered
in
credit courses, including workshops, tutoring, a resource library, and
http://www.vorku.ca/eslolc/keele/default.asp
The York Library houses a Learning Commons that includes services such as
learning, research and writing skills. The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional
Studies houses the Writing Department, which provides credit courses in writing, e-
tutoring, and a writing centre.
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
Griffith University
(Australia): Similar in structure and demographics to SFU, and
also partnering with a Navitas pathway college, Griffith offers the Griffith English
Language Institute, implementing the Griffith English Language Enhancement
Strategy. This is a consolidated pre-entry-to-completion approach utilizing a
Learning Centre, language and computer laboratories, non-credit English language
programs and test preparation, and a credit bearing English enhancement course
for degree program students. International students at Griffith are required to
retake IELTS as an exit test, and students completing a full degree pay 50% of the
normal fee. Griffith adheres to "Good Practice Principles for English Language
Proficiency for International Students in Australian Universities" (see Appendix C).
University College London
(UK): UCL Language Centre offers non-credit
programming such as English for academic purposes and foundational courses, a
diploma in English for Academic Purposes, and disciplinary university preparatory
programs.
Stanford University
(USA): Stanford offers the English for Foreign Students
program in the Stanford Language Centre. Credit and non-credit programming is
available to international students for English language improvement, and testing
services and international TA screening are also housed here.
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EAL Supports and Services at SFU
Appendix C
Griffith University; Good Practice Principles for English Language Proficiency for
International Students in Australian Universities
1.
Universities are responsible for ensuring that their students are sufficiently
competent in the English language to participate effectively in their
university studies.
2.
Resourcing for English language development is adequate to meet
students' needs throughout their studies.
3.
Students have responsibilities for further developing their English
language proficiency during their studies at university and are advised of
these responsibilities prior to enrollment.
4.
Universities ensure that the English language pathways they approve for
the admission of students enable these students to participate effectively in
their studies.
5.
English language proficiency and communication skills are important
graduate attributes for all students.
6.
Development of English language proficiency is integrated with curriculum
design, assessment practices and course delivery through a variety of
methods.
7.
Students' English language development needs are diagnosed early in their
studies and addressed, with on-going opportunities for self-assessment.
8.
International students are supported from the outset to adapt to their
academic, sociocultural and linguistic environments.
9.
International students are encouraged and supported to enhance their
English language development though effective social interaction on and
off campus.
10. Universities use evidence from a variety of sources to monitor and improve
their English language development activities.
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