Kim M1
1University of New South Wales, The University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia
Multilingual international students now make up a large proportion of the total student cohort in Australian universities. Such high-level study in English poses challenges for many of them who speak English as an additional language. While universities offer support services, these often fail to adequately address students’ diverse language needs. In response to this issue, I developed the Personalised English Language Enhancement (PELE) program, applying the Personalised Autonomous (PA) model devised to enhance bilingual language proficiency among translation and interpreting students (Kim, 2014, Kim and Jing 2019). The PA model encourages students to personalize their learning independently, identifying linguistic needs, developing personal projects, implementing them, and evaluating progress. Research findings demonstrate that PELE has significantly impacted students’ confidence in language skills, self-efficacy in learning, emotional well-being, and sense of belonging across all academic levels (UG, PG and HDR) and faculties (Kim, 2023). This paper discusses international students’ English language proficiency needs and how PELE meets the needs, drawing on recent studies that compare two groups: those who took PELE and those who did not. The results strongly suggest the need to re-evaluate existing approaches to supporting international students’ ongoing English language development. The impact of language proficiency extends beyond academics and plays a crucial role in various aspects of students’ lives. It is hoped that this paper will spark valuable dialogues and opportunities for collaboration in addressing the language challenges international students face.
Biography:
Mira Kim is an Associate Professor in Translation and Interpreting Studies at UNSW. Her research interests encompass translation studies, Systemic Functional Linguistics, and personalised autonomous learning, which synergistically empower students as autonomous life-long learners. She developed the Personalised English Language Enhancement (PELE) program in 2016. Since then, she has been teaching students at all academic levels (UG, PG, and HDR) across various faculties at UNSW through the program. Her recent monographs include Systemic Functional Linguistics and Translation Studies, co-edited with Munday, Wang, and Wang (2021), and Korean Grammar: A Systemic Functional Approach, co-authored with Martin, Shin, and Choi (2023).