Achieving English proficiency for professional registration: The experience of overseas-qualified health professionals in the New Zealand context

Abstract

This study explored the experience of a group of overseas-trained health professionals in seeking to meet the English language requirements for registration in New Zealand by enrolling in a specialised course at a university in Auckland. A major focus of the course was preparation for both IELTS and the Occupational English Test (OET), the latter being an ESP test developed in Australia for the assessment of health personnel. The study investigated factors influencing participants’ choice of pathway to re-registration, as well as their study and test-taking strategies and test performance. It was based on interviews undertaken with 13 doctors, nurses and pharmacists who attended the course, supported by data from a journal kept by the course tutor, lesson observations, and an analysis of in-house and external assessment scores from a total of 20 students.