In view of the English language proficiency issues brought about by the impact of internationalization and widened participation across the higher education sector, the Australian education department has developed six standards for effective language support that would apply to all Australian universities.

The standards are explained under the document “English Language Standards in Higher Education”, which also offers examples of good practice and brief explanations. In general, this national framework emphasizes the development of English language proficiency throughout students’ studies. “Language and academic support should be embedded within curricula, monitoring, evaluation and, if necessary, action to ensure that students maintain adequate English competence during and at the end of study,” said Alex Barthel, member of the steering committee which oversees this initiative.

To download the document “English Language Standards in Higher Education”, please click here.

To find out more about this framework, read this article written by Alex Barthel.