ERIC Number: EJ1204313
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0729-4360
EISSN: N/A
Access to Languages Other than English in Australian Universities: An Educational Pipeline of Privilege
Higher Education Research and Development, v38 n2 p307-323 2019
This article explores factors contributing to unequal patterns of access to languages other than English (LOTE) in Australian universities. A critical analysis of qualitative and quantitative data generated through interviews, surveys and document analysis reveals that underrepresentation in LOTE courses in Australian universities is attributable to: (a) unequal access to LOTE learning areas at the school level; (b) low tertiary entrance scores that do not grant access to elite universities that offer broad LOTE course options; (c) differential prior international learning experiences that inform dispositions towards intercultural competence, including proficiency in LOTE; and (d) limited provision of LOTE courses in regional university campuses. We conclude that access to foreign language courses in Australian universities is not equitable, and in the context of globalisation opportunities, this poses a risk of reproducing social disadvantage alongside other structural factors such as socio-economic status and regional background.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Universities, Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Socioeconomic Status, Prior Learning, Access to Education, College Entrance Examinations, Scores, Disadvantaged, Risk, Institutional Characteristics, Language Proficiency, Selective Admission, Cultural Awareness, Learning Experience, Equal Education, Global Approach
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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