I’m attending the AIEC representing Cambridge and the IELTS partnership. IELTS is the world’s most trusted English language test. We deliver nearly 4 million tests globally every year, used for higher education and for immigration.
At the conference I talked about recently published research that points to a very strong correlation between the quality of English language testing and the outcomes for international students. In a nutshell: better language testing makes for a better student experience.
In Australia, as in other places, there was a shift to online learning and testing during the pandemic. We are now seeing the consequences. The research – which focuses largely on the UK but has valuable lessons for other countries– tells us that the online pivot led to a perceived decline in language standards.
Many lecturers are now worried that international students are not meeting the necessary threshold for successful academic engagement. There are concerns that students admitted for higher education after taking some of the newer, shorter tests may not be equipped to deal with university life and studies in their host countries.
To raise and maintain standards of language testing is in the best interest of students and their host universities. International students comprise over a quarter of all students in higher education institutions in Australia – with some individual universities having a much higher percentage. Admitting students without sufficient English jeopardises their educational experience and places added pressures on institutions and faculty.
The key conclusion to draw from the study is this: we cannot afford to compromise on quality when it comes to English language tests. These are some of the highest stakes exams around, enabling people to migrate and to study. It’s vital that test-takers, universities, employers and immigration authorities can trust them. Decision-making about which tests are used must be driven by evidence.
The latest Education at a Glance report published by the OECD shows the continuing growth of international student mobility in OECD countries, with the number of mobile students as a proportion of total student numbers more than doubling over the past decade. This is good news.
Nearly half of young adults in OECD countries now complete tertiary education. The returns for individuals and societies in terms of employment, earnings and civic participation are substantial. But when attainment in higher education is so valuable, deficiencies in the preparation of students – including inadequate English language skills – can have considerable costs.
At Cambridge University Press & Assessment we are deeply aware of the importance of the pipeline of international talent is essential to our economies and to our wider educational landscape. International students’ ability to fully participate in, and contribute to, their chosen courses is essential not only to their future success, but to our countries’ intellectual, economic and cultural power.
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs recently increased the number of language tests it accepts for visa purposes – and I’m very proud that many tests offered by Cambridge, including IELTS, are among them. We consider it our responsibility to make sure that those globally mobile students seeking paths to higher education – whether it is in Australia, the UK or elsewhere – are equipped with the right skills not only to survive, but to thrive.
Pamela Baxter is Chief Product Officer (English) at Cambridge University Press & Assessment
