Multilingual university students’ perceived English proficiency, intelligibility and participation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jmbs.18179Keywords:
multilingual, participation, international students, English proficiency, higher education, intelligibility enhancementAbstract
This paper reports on 137 multilingual students enrolled at 14 English-speaking Australian universities who completed a 27-item online survey investigating the relationship between perceived English proficiency, intelligibility, and their academic, social and vocational participation. Open-ended responses described strategies used to enhance spoken English. Participants came from 44 countries and spoke 49 home languages. Self-ratings of English communication skills were significantly affected by age, English experience, number of languages spoken and home language. Participants reported spoken English proficiency impacted participation; however, results highlighted lack of awareness of intelligibility as an essential component of spoken language proficiency. Although environmental factors (e.g. more time using English in conversations) were associated with higher self-ratings of proficiency, participants preferred using individual strategies (e.g. listening/repeating) to support English intelligibility rather than social interactions with native speakers. The results demonstrate the importance of conversation practice in language learning to increase proficiency and confidence, as well as participation.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2016). 1267.0 – Australian standard classification of languages (ASCL), 2016. Retrieved from www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/1267.02016?OpenDocument
Benzie, H. J. (2010). Graduating as a ‘native speaker’: International students and English language proficiency in higher education. Higher Education Research and Development, 29(4), 447–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294361003598824
Birrell, B. (2006). Implications of low English standards among overseas students at Australian universities. People and Place, 14(4), 53–64.
Blake, H. L., Bennetts-Kneebone, L. & McLeod, S. (2019). The impact of oral English proficiency on humanitarian migrants’ experiences of settling in Australia. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(6), 689–705. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2017.1294557
Blake, H. L. & McLeod, S. (2018). The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Considering individuals from a perspective of health and wellness. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 3(17), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.1044/persp3.SIG17.69
Blake, H. L. & McLeod, S. (2019a). Intelligibility enhancement. In J. S. Damico & M. J. Ball (eds), The Sage encyclopedia of human communication sciences and disorders (pp. 926–8). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Blake, H. L. & McLeod, S. (2019b). Speech-language pathologists’ support for multilingual speakers’ English intelligibility and participation informed by the ICF. Journal of Communication Disorders, 77, 56–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2018.12.003
Blake, H. L., McLeod, S., Verdon, S. & Fuller, G. (2018). The relationship between spoken English proficiency and participation in higher education, employment and income from two Australian censuses. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(2), 202–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2016.1229031
Blake, H. L., Verdon, S. & McLeod, S. (2019). Exploring multilingual speakers’ perspectives on their intelligibility in English. Speech, Language and Hearing, advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/2050571X.2019.1585681
Carlson, H. K. & McHenry, M. A. (2006). Effect of accent and dialect on employability. Journal of Employment Counseling, 43(2), 70–83. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1920.2006.tb00008.x
Chiswick, B. R., Lee, Y. L. & Miller, P. W. (2006). Immigrants’ language skills and visa category. International Migration Review, 40(2), 419–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-7379.2006.00023.x
Choi, M. (1997). Korean students in Australian universities: Intercultural issues. Higher Education Research and Development, 16(3), 263–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436970160302
Clyne, M. (2008). The monolingual mindset as an impediment to the development of plurilingual potential in Australia. Sociolinguistic Studies, 2(3), 347–65. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v2i3.347
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences, 2nd edition. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Couper, G. (2006). The short and long-term effects of pronunciation instruction. Prospect, 21(1), 46–66.
Deloitte Access Economics. (2016). The value of international education to Australia. Canberra: Australian Government.
Department of Education and Training. (2015). International student survey 2014: Overview report. Canberra: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/research-papers/Documents/ISS%202014%20Report%20Final.pdf
Department of Education and Training. (2016). Study pathways of international students in Australia, 2014–2015. Canberra: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/Research-Snapshots/Documents/Study%20pathways%202016%20snapshot.pdf
Department of Education and Training. (2017a). 2016 First half year student summary tables. Canberra: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/node/43241
Department of Education and Training. (2017b). International student data 2016. Canberra: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/International-Student-Data/Pages/InternationalStudentData2016.aspx#Time_Series.
Department of Social Services. (2015). Building a new life in Australia: The longitudinal study of humanitarian migrants. Wave 1 data users’ guide. Canberra: Australian Government.
Derwing, T. M. & Munro, M. J. (2015). Pronunciation fundamentals: Evidence-based perspectives for L2 teaching and research. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Devos, A. (2003). Academic standards, internationalisation, and the discursive construction of the international student. Higher Education Research and Development, 22(2), 155–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360304107
Edele, A., Seuring, J., Kristen, C. & Stanat, P. (2015). Why bother with testing? The validity of immigrants’ self-assessed language proficiency. Social Science Research, 52, 99–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2014.12.017
Elliot, D. L., Baumfield, V. & Reid, K. (2016). Searching for ‘a third space’: A creative pathway towards international PhD students’ academic acculturation. Higher Education Research and Development, 35(6), 1180–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1144575
Eysenbach, G. (2004). Improving the quality of web surveys: The checklist for reporting results of internet e-surveys (CHERRIES). Journal of Medical Internet Research, 6(3), 34. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.6.3.e34
Gatwiri, G. (2015). The influence of language difficulties on the wellbeing of international students: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse, 7(5). Retrieved from www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1042
Grech, H. (2019). Impact of forced migration on communication and social adaptation. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica, 71(4), 137–45. https://doi.org/10.1159/000497057
IBM. (2016). Statistical program for the social sciences, version 24.0. Armonk, NY: IBM.
IELTS. (2017). IELTS: The world speaks IELTS. Retrieved from www.ielts.org/default.aspx
Khawaja, N. G. & Dempsey, J. (2008). A comparison of international and domestic tertiary students in Australia. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 18(1), 30–46. https://doi.org/10.1375/ajgc.18.1.30
Khawaja, N. G. & Stallman, H. M. (2011). Understanding the coping strategies of international students: A qualitative approach. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 21(2), 203–24. https://doi.org/10.1375/ajgc.21.2.203
Khurana, P. & Huang, E. (2013). Efficacy of accent modification training for international medical professionals. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 10(2), 1–11. Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol10/iss2/4.
Levis, J. M. (2005). Changing contexts and shifting paradigms in pronunciation teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 369–77. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588485
Mak, A. S., Bodycott, P. & Ramburuth, P. (2015). Beyond host language proficiency: Coping resources predicting international students’ satisfaction. Journal of Studies in International Education, 19(5), 460–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315315587109
McCrocklin, S. & Link, S. (2016). Accent, identity, and a fear of loss? ESL students’ perspectives. Canadian Modern Language Review, 72(1), 122–48. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.2582
Munro, M. & Derwing, T. M. (2015). Intelligibility in research and practice: Teaching priorities. In M. Reed & J. Levis (eds), The handbook of English pronunciation (pp. 377–96). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
O’Loughlin, K. (2008). The use of IELTS for university selection in Australia: A case study. In J. Osborne (ed.), International English Language Testing System (IELTS) research reports 2008 (vol. 8, pp. 1–98). Canberra: IELTS Australia.
QSR International. (2015). NVivo. Retrieved from www.qsrinternational.com/products_nvivo.aspx
Sawir, E. (2005). Language difficulties of international students in Australia: The effects of prior learning experience. International Education Journal, 6(5), 567–80.
Smith, R. A. & Khawaja, N. G. (2011). A review of the acculturation experiences of international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(6), 699–713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.08.004
Training Council for International Education. (2016). National strategy for international education 2025. Retrieved from www.education.gov.au/national-strategy-international-education
Ward, C., Masgoret, A.-M. & Gezentsvey, M. (2009). Investigating attitudes toward international students: Program and policy implications for social integration and international education. Social Issues and Policy Review, 3(1), 79–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-2409.2009.01011.x
World Health Organization. (2001). International classification of functioning, disability, and health: ICF. Geneva: World Health Organization.
