ERIC Number: EJ1091911
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1356-2517
EISSN: N/A
Integrating Written Communication Skills: Working towards a Whole of Course Approach
Harris, Anne
Teaching in Higher Education, v21 n3 p287-300 2016
Australian universities, through their graduate attributes, claim that graduates have the ability to communicate, an attribute encompassing, at the least, written and oral literacies. Despite this claim, Australian universities have been criticised over the past decade for their lack of rigour in assessing this attribute; a criticism generally linked to perceived weaknesses in graduates' English language proficiency (ELP). Indeed, evidence suggests that programmes designed to develop students' English language skills are invariably add-ons, despite ELP being a significant facet of the ability to communicate. This paper explores the development, over a six-year period, of wide-ranging ELP policy and strategies within one Australian university. Basing decisions on research pointing to good practice, evidence collected through various trials, dialogue with stakeholders, and ongoing evaluation of all actions, this paper illustrates key factors in moving towards the integration of ELP within courses.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Foreign Countries, Writing Skills, Academic Discourse, English (Second Language), Language Proficiency, Language Tests, Second Language Instruction, Foreign Students, Undergraduate Students, Undergraduate Study
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A