Reflecting on the contribution of post-admission assessments

Abstract

This chapter examines a number of issues arising from the earlier contributions to this volume. It considers the decision by a university about whether to introduce a post-admission language assessment in terms of the positive and negative messages such a decision may convey, as well as the costs versus the benefits. There is some discussion of the need to develop professional communication skills as attributes to enhance the employability of graduates and how such skills can be fostered, along with the development of academic literacy in the disciplines, through various forms of collaboration between English language specialists and academic teaching staff. Finally, it explores ideas related to the concept of English as a lingua franca and what implications they may have for the assessment of university students from different language backgrounds.