Valkhof Pers » Bridging the Assessment Gap in English-Medium Higher Education

Mijn klantenprofiel

English is fast becoming a dominant medium of instruction in higher education, not just in Europe but in many countries across the world. English-medium instruction is seen, rightly or wrongly, as a passport to a future career in a wide range of disciplines. Universities believe they can attract more students, staff, and money with English-taught degree programmes. However, can universities assure the quality of their English-taught programmes? In particular, questions arise as to the competences of students and academic staff to study and teach through the medium of English. Do students who are admitted to higher education have adequate competence in English to undertake studies through English? How are they assessed? How can their competences at graduation be assured? And what happens to the student’s mother tongue if studies are only in English? How does an institution assure that the staff are adequately competent to teach in English? ‘Bridging the Assessment Gap in English-Medium Higher Education’ challenges institutions to consider seriously the assessment issues arising from the implementation of English-medium instruction. The chapters offer a broad sweep of language assessment challenges in English-medium programmes not only in European countries, such as the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Wales, but also in South Africa and Thailand. The authors discuss the questions affecting assessment at entry to, during, and exit from English-medium programmes, and the implications for staff. In addition, authors address approaches to and in some cases the neglect of mother-tongue competence in an environment where the linguistic focus of institutions is on English. The book is a timely reminder of a crucial aspect of education, assessment of language competences, the neglect of which universities may come to regret. This book is published on the occasion of the conference ‘Integrating Content and Language in Higher Education’ in June 2006 at Maastricht University. The editors Robert Wilkinson, Vera Zegers and Charles van Leeuwen are affiliated to the University’s Language Centre. The book appears as volume 40 in the series ‘Fremdsprachen in Lehre und Forschung’ of the Arbeitskreis der Sprachenzentren, Sprachlehrinstitute und Fremdspracheninstitute. Meer informatie kunt u vinden op de website van het Talencentrum van de Universiteit van Maastricht: <"http://www.unimaas.nl/iclhe/index.htm" target="_blank">klik hier

• ISBN 978 90 5625 229 1 
• Omvang 298 blz. 
• Formaat 13,6 x 20,6 cm 
• Uitvoering genaaid gebrocheerd 
• Prijs €24,99