Abstract
This project aims to provide (1) continuous additional information about CUHK undergraduate students’ language needs; and (2) to help monitor these students’ English proficiency over time. By adopting the stratified sampling method, the project team will invite students who satisfy the inclusion criteria to complete the preparatory workshops, to take an IELTS test (academic module), and to report their test results. Focus group interviews will also be conducted to solicit feedback on this initiative and their language learning experience. This implementation cycle with approximately 400 quotas (~10% of the total cohort) will be repeated in each academic year in the 2019-22 triennium. It is expected that students’ awareness of the importance of English and their willingness to make efforts to improve their proficiency will be enhanced through the process of engagement. By the end of each cycle, the project team would be able to obtain the language profiles of the sampled students who are the representatives of their cohort. These outcomes are not only in line with the institutional goal of our University to empower students to “have a high level of bilingual proficiency in Chinese and English” and to “enhance graduates’ global competiveness” (CUHK Strategic Plan 2016-2020), but also contribute to the internal quality assurance processes of the English Language Teaching Unit, which informs curriculum (re)development.
Brief write-up
Project objectives
This project aims to provide (1) continuous additional information about CUHK undergraduate students’ language needs; and (2) to help monitor these students’ English proficiency over time.
Activities, process and outcomes
During the first two cycles of the funding period, a total of 42 workshops were held and attended by 947 eligible students admitted through stratified sampling. As of April 2022, 615 participants eventually completed all the requirements in the two project cycles, including completing the online learning components, preparatory workshops, and reporting the IELTS results reports. By analyzing their IELTS results, the project team has obtained an indicative language profile of CUHK undergraduates during the project period.
Deliverables and evaluation
During the funding period, the following expected evaluation methods were implemented in each cycle to maximise the effectiveness of the project: a) profile of participants by entrance English proficiency level and by Faculty; b) analyses of IELTS results by entrance English proficiency; and c) report of possible language gain over time. Based on the results reported by the participants of the first two cycles in 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, it is observed that a) the language proficiency of CUHK Year 3 students has been enhanced compared to their entry level regardless of their entry attainment levels; and b) students are relatively stronger in Reading and Listening compared to Speaking and Writing.
Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices
Research outcomes have been disseminated and made good use of within the English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) and among concerned parties in the University. Noting that students need more training in Writing and Speaking, ELTU has spared no efforts in providing additional learning opportunities for students to enhance these two modalities in creative ways. The English Across the Curriculum (EAC) project and the Peer Tutoring Scheme (PTS) have been launched to provide alternative and tailored support to students both at programme and individual levels respectively. In addition, extra efforts have also been paid to develop a more positive speaking and writing culture on campus by launching different competitions and informal learning platforms.
