Survey of attitudes towards Academic English tests in the Commonwealth

PLEASE READ THEN GO DOWN THE PAGE TO BEGIN- Information for Questionnaire Participants

My study is concerned with how students perform on academic English proficiency tests  and students' subsequent academic performance at university abroad.

These tests are used as proof of English language proficiency for student visas in English-speaking countries. For this reason, they are called 'Secure English Language Tests (SELTs) by the UK Visa & Immigration authorities. "SELTs" include; PTE Academic, IELTS, TOEFL & TOEFL-iBT, TOEIC, CPE, CAE, FCE among others. 

Your answers to this survey will help me to explore how English language proficiency is demonstrated in international students who already have a background in English and will contribute towards exploring the issues around the predictive validity of tests such as PTE Academic, IELTS and TOEFL and student support at university. (predictive validity - whether the test scores have any relationship with how students perform and cope on their chosen university courses)
 
The study is aimed at students from Commonwealth countries (former British colonies in Africa, Asia and the Pacific regions) who have either taken an academic English test or who used their secondary school (high school) qualifications to demonstrate their English proficiency for university study in the UK or other countries.

In this survey, I welcome opinions and views of professionals and students currently  in Commonwealth countries themselves to contribute to the concepts in my study as below.

Many thanks,

Roy Wilson, PhD Student
Centre for Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick

SECTION 1

1) Gender

2) Nationality

3) Year of Birth

4) Current Country of Residence

5) What is your first language? (mother tongue)

6) What other languages can you speak?

Diploma

BA/BSc

MA/MSc

PhD (Doctorate)

Other

Please describe “other” here

8) What is your current occupation?

SECTION 2

PLEASE READ FIRST: A SELT (Secure English Language Test) is an international English language test which the UK Visa and Immigration Service identify as being proof of a student's English language proficiency. Examples of SELTs include IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL-iBT and TOEIC, FCE, CAE and CPE among others

9) Have you ever done a SELT?

PLEASE READ

If you answered "No" go to question 11; if you answered "yes" go to question 10.

IELTS

PTE Academic

TOEFL (or TOEFL-iBT)

TOEIC

CPE

CAE

FCE

Other (please describe in box below)

Please Describe the ‘other’ test here

10a) What was your overall score for the test(s) above and please indicate individual skill scores (if applicable)

10b) To what extent were these scores a good reflection of your academic English proficiency?

10c) Please give reasons for your response in 10b above

a high school English certificate from your country

an international Academic English test e.g. IELTS, PTE, TOEFL etc

a face-to-face interview

a skype interview

a written assignment

a language test offered by the university you applied to

other (please describe below)

Other Method of Admission

12) What was your home country high/secondary school qualification in English?

Please describe “other” home country English qualification here

13) What was the Grade you achieved in your home country English qualification?

14) Do you think this home country qualification can be used as proof of English proficiency if a student from your country wants to study abroad in a country such as the UK, USA for example?

15) To what extent do you think your home country English language qualifications are valued internationally? (Please comment)

SECTION 3

16) Before going overseas to study, to what extent would a student from your country already have appropriate academic English proficiency in order to cope with their studies in English in a country such as the UK, Canada or the USA?

17) How would you define ‘academic English proficiency’?

18) To what extent would a student from your country have difficulties with differences in academic culture in an academic environment in the UK?

Citizens of the following countries do not need to take a SELT before being admitted to University in the UK:

Australia, New Zealand, Canada, The USA, all anglophone Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Belize, The Bahamas, Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Vincent & The Grenadines, St Lucia

19) Is your country on the above list?

20) How do you feel about your country not being included on this list?

21) What do you think are the reasons for your country not being on this list?

22) To what extent do you consider your country to be an English-speaking nation?

SECTION 4

FOR QUESTIONS 23-29 below please read the text on the right

For the next questions please read each of the statements in the table on the left and indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed. There is a chance to comment further in the box below.

"SELT" in the statements refers to the 'Secure English Language Test' that many international students have to take in order to be issued a student visa to enter the UK higher education system. These tests include IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, CPE, CAE, etc...

A 'Commonwealth country' is a country (or territory) which was once part of the British Empire e.g. Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong etc... where the medium of education is likely to be in English

Attitudes

strongly agree

agree

disagree

strongly disagree

23) Taking a SELT is simply a bureaucratic exercise to get a visa

24) Taking a SELT is a useful exercise in measuring my ability in academic English

25) Students who have had all their education in the language of English should not have to do a SELT

26) Students from Commonwealth countries should still have to do a SELT because English is not spoken widely enough in those countries

27) Students from Commonwealth countries should do a SELT because English high/secondary school qualifications from those countries cannot be guaranteed for quality.

28) A SELT test is a better indicator of a student’s academic English proficiency than a high/secondary school English qualification from their home country

29) Being taught all their school subjects in the medium of English is better proof of a student’s English proficiency than a SELT test score

Please comment further on your answers to Q23-Q29 if you wish

30) To what extent should students from your country be required to do an international academic English test (SELT) in order to enter a UK university? Please explain your answer

SECTION 5

I would like to be contacted further (please add your details below)

No thanks, I don’t want to take further part in the study

First Name

Email address

If you have any further comments or opinions you wish to express, or any suggestions, please do so here

Thank you very much for completing this questionnaire

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Survey of attitudes towards Academic English tests in the Commonwealth

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