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English for International Students The Newcastle Experience

English for International Students The Newcastle Experience. Kevin Conroy Director LANGUAGE CENTRE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE www.ncl.ac.uk/langcen/. Overview. International Student Recruitment: Context International Student Experience: Key Issues

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English for International Students The Newcastle Experience

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  1. English for International StudentsThe Newcastle Experience Kevin Conroy Director LANGUAGE CENTRE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE www.ncl.ac.uk/langcen/

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

  3. International Student Recruitment:Benefits • 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)

  4. International Student Recruitment:Challenge 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)

  5. 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]

  6. 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]

  7. 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

  8. Org StructureSituated within Faculty of HSS

  9. ENGLISH LANGUAGE STANDARDS

  10. 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)

  11. 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.”

  12. 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.”

  13. 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.”

  14. RECOMMENDED PERIODS OF STUDY (Health Warning: this is only a guide and there are many factors that influence rates of progress)

  15. Recommended starting points for programmes offered by the Language Centre

  16. PROGRAMMES OFFERED BY THE LANGUAGE CENTRE

  17. 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

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. 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)

  25. CUSTOMISED COURSES Tailored to specific group requirements. For example: English Language Teacher Education English for Business English for Science and Technology English for Medics

  26. APPROACH TO LANGUAGE LEARNING • Student-centred • Communicative • Task-based • Problem-solving • Pair work / small groups • “Learning to learn”

  27. 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

  28. 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

  29. 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)

  30. 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

  31. Questions ??

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