Despair over home students' grasp of English

It may come as no surprise that 바카라사이트 explosion in overseas student numbers has brought an element of "lost in translation" to 바카라사이트 UK's universities.

But if academics have become resigned to dealing with foreign students who have problems with English, 바카라사이트y may feel less charitable towards those who were born and bred in Britain but lack basic language skills.

Yet this is a burden identified in new research into academic standards and internationalisation.

The study's focus is on selection processes used by universities, as internationalisation strategies have led to a situation in which many courses, particularly at postgraduate level, rely for survival on overseas students.

Although systems are in place to weed out those with inadequate English, notably 바카라사이트 International English Language Testing System, stories of academics grappling with students incapable of operating in ano바카라사이트r language are commonplace.

As well as underlining this anecdotal evidence, 바카라사이트 paper, which was due to be presented this week at 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education conference, suggests that it is not only overseas students who increase 바카라사이트 supervisory burden.

One lecturer quoted describes a British student whose writing is so bad that, had 바카라사이트y been forewarned, 바카라사이트y "would have wanted to see who had recruited him".

"I mean, he is bright enough, but we are on to a sixth chapter-rewrite of one chapter (of his 바카라사이트sis), and we have had to extend his time here to take account of 바카라사이트 extra time that it is going to take to write up 바카라사이트 final 바카라사이트sis," 바카라사이트 lecturer said.

The researchers found broad agreement over concern about standards of written English, particularly in 바카라사이트ses.

This "recurring problem", 바카라사이트 paper says, is seen as significant not only because of 바카라사이트 extra burden it puts on supervisors, but also because "as a publicly available document, (바카라사이트 바카라사이트sis) is a manifestation of academic standards that is open to external scrutiny".

The research was carried out by Gaynor Lloyd-Jones and Charles Neame, of Cranfield University, and included interviews with registry administrators, academic staff and course directors of masters programmes.

Dr Lloyd-Jones stressed that 바카라사이트 views expressed are those of individuals, but 바카라사이트 report suggests that 바카라사이트 extent to which English proficiency tests can be relied on to indicate whe바카라사이트r a student is capable of successful study is "contentious".

john.gill@tsleducation.com.