An institution-wide strategy for ongoing, embedded academic language development: Design, implementation and analysis

Abstract

Widening participation and the internationalisation of universities have led to initiatives to more explicitly develop academic practices, including language and literacy practices, which students need to successfully undertake their degrees. However, for some students for whom English is an additional language, more support is required. This paper builds on previous literature and presents a university-wide program implemented at a large metropolitan university in Australia that not only incorporates compulsory language screening and follow up language development for identified students, but also includes ongoing explicit assessment of students’ academic language within their degree programs. This paper outlines the theoretical underpinnings of this program’s design, its implementation and an analysis of the associated factors underpinning both the successes and challenges experienced to date. In doing so, we discuss implications for other universities wishing to implement institution-wide strategies to support students’ ongoing academic language development.