The Western Australian Association for Academic Language and Learning
(WA AALL) Meeting
Tuesday 22 June, 2010
Meeting date
22 June 2010
Present
Ann Beveridge
Edith Cowan University
a.beveridge@ecu.edu.au
Carmela Briguglio (Chair)
Curtin Business School
C.Briguglio@curtin.edu.au
Kara Jacob
Edith Cowan University
k.jacob@ecu.edu.au
Craig Baird
Curtin Business School
C.Baird@exchange.curtin.edu.au
Maureen Buckingham
Edith Cowan University
m.buckingham@ecu.edu.au
Karen Gaffney
Edith Cowan University
k.gaffney@ecu.edu.au
Kate Gresham
Curtin Business School
c.gresham@curtin.edu.au
Shalini Watson
Curtin Business School
Shalini.watson@cbs.curtin.edu.au
Siri Barret-Lennard
University of Western Australia
siri.barrett-lennard@uwa.edu.au
John Fielder
TLC, Curtin
J.Fielder@exchange.curtin.edu.au
Janine Routledge
TLC, Curtin
J.RUTLEDGE@curtin.edu.au
Grace Conti
TLC, Curtin
G.Conti@curtin.edu.au
Lou Siragusa
TLC, Curtin
L.Siragusa@exchange.curtin.edu.au
Kerry Pedigo
Curtin Business School
Kerry.pedigo@cbs.curtin.edu.au
Anne Harris
Edith Cowan University
a.harris@ecu.edu.au
Maggie M’Alinden
M.McAlinden@exchange.curtin.edu.au
Katherine Bathgate
Curtin English Language
Centre
Public Health, Curtin
Marian Kemp
Murdoch University
M.Kemp@murdoch.edu.au
Colin Beasley
Murdoch University
C.Beasley@murdoch.edu.au
Tina Fleming
Curtin International College
Tina.Fleming@curtincollege.edu.au
Gemma Clarke
Curtin International College
gemma.clarke@curtincollege.edu.au
Keith McNaught
Notre Dame University
kmcnaught@nd.edu.au
Trish Dooey
Curtin Business School
P.Dooey@curtin.edu.au
Apologies
Next Meeting:
Jeanne Dawson
Katie Dunworth
Last week of September
2010
K.Bathgate@curtin.edu.au
j.s.dawson@curtin.edu.au
K.Dunworth@curtin.edu.au
The meeting commenced at 3.00pm.
A call for papers was announced for two publications, with handouts being distributed to interested parties:
 Global Advances in Business Communication (GABC) Journal
 International Journal of Applied Linguistics (2011)
The Chair asked for each university representative to overview their respective university academic support
arrangements:

UWA (Siri)
o Study Smarter program available to all students
o Two English Language skills advisors who are available to assist all students (research/coursework)
o Four learning skills advisors who are responsible for assisting coursework students

ECU (Anne)
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Academic support services were previously centralised but have now been decentralised to the faculties
Two permanent learning advisors (per faculty?)
Academic support sessions delivered on either side of classes along with embedded workshops
Limited one on one sessions
Catering for ‘at risk’ students
One of the objectives of the 2012 undergraduate curriculum framework is to raise the profile of ESL support
There is a study skills unit which commences in week 3
o Cohorts comprise 50% ESL and 50% native speakers
o 30% of the students are firstborns
o Approximately 70 students in first semester and 30 in second semester
o Unit development is driven by teaching staff input.

Notre Dame (Keith)
o Facility is centralised – Academic Enabling and Support Centre (AESC)
o Previously known as the Student Life Office (SLO)
o The brief has expanded with staffing levels of four permanent and 30 sessional staff members
o Academic support program runs twice on Wednesdays – once in the daytime, and again in the evening
o Attendance has grown from 4-5 students to 98 students; although the students who need it the most largely
do not participate
o There is an academic helpdesk available that provides one to ones
o Diagnostic administered in week 9
o Theory modeled on one that has been use in Texas University
o Weak students are highlighted using a flagging system
o First year cohort size is approximately 700.

Curtin International College (Tina Fleming)
o Cert IV and Diploma programs
o Three learning advisors
o Diagnostic upon entry
o English development program (Free)
o Links to discipline specific unit
o Hour long academic master skills workshops conducted weekly – attendance voluntary
o Individual service delivered on a referral basis
o Participation is voluntary in the program
o However, there is an increase in uptake of the English Development Program (EDP) for university
o Data derived from program results are used to monitor entry pathways
o Students sit a 40 minute diagnostic test at orientation time covering grammar/vocabulary and reading
o Feedback is provided within two hours
o Diagnostic samples are taken and compared to students’ writing and found to be highly correlated.

Murdoch University
o Essay workshops and drop in centre
o Credit bearing units TLC 100 and TLC 120
o Seven discipline specific Foundation Units with emphasis on communication skills
o Diagnostic testing carried out e.g. reading/comprehension/summarizing - First two weeks of semester
(retention driven initiative).

Curtin University
o Several services available :
 UniEnglish is a web based diagnostic tool that assists with major aspects of English language proficiency
 CBS Communication Skills Centre provides workshops, seminars, online assistance and individual
consultations to business students.
 The Learning Centre offers academic support programs to Curtin students
 Starting University Confidently and Competently English Support Scheme (SUCCESS) Online is an
English language development module that can be integrated into discipline specific units as required.
o There are no credit bearing units at the present time although two were offered as electives in the past.
o Communication in Business 100 was offered as a credit based unit for business students but the unit has
undergone some major changes, resulting in the communication/academic skills component being removed
from the syllabus.
The Chair commented that the academic/language skills initiatives undertaken by each university reflect an emphasis
on the set of good practice principles which are to govern the development of student English language proficiency in
Australian universities. Draft standards have been sent out for consultation. Members were informed that Associate
Professor Katie Dunworth is a member of the steering group and to contact her on K.Dunworth@curtin.edu.au if they
wish to make any recommendations. The final version will be released next month upon conclusion of the consultation
process. Full details of the Good Practice Principles are available at:
http://www.deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/Publications/Pages/GoodPracticePrinciples.aspx.
The Chair invited impressions on the acceptance of the use of ‘not for mark’ language diagnostics. The general
consensus was that students do not mind having their language skills diagnosed. At UWA, every major will have a
communication skills unit by 2012. Tina (CIC) expressed the view that it is important to reward students for their
participation in English development programs by awarding marks. Furthermore, Katherine (Curtin) who teaches a
communication unit in the Health Sciences department reported that her communication students have appreciated
the feedback from their writing diagnostic exercise (administered in week 1 of semester).Students falling below a
certain level have been required to attend language support classes. Attendance was made compulsory this
semester, which did not result in any negative feedback from the students.. Anne added that a 100 word diagnostic
tool is to be rolled out at the business faculty at Edith Cowan, with information planned for distribution with enrolment
documentation.
Members were asked to comment on the effectiveness of one-on-one sessions:
 Murdoch – very effective and a big demand for the service
 CBS – very important. Trish has found these valuable to help illuminate the range of issues that students face.
 UWA – Very important. Conditions are attached specifically that it is not an editing service; issues/problems are
to be put in writing; submission must be made at least 48 hours before the actual appointment. Appointments are
for 1 hour. Arrangements for 5 – 10 minute ‘drop in’ appointments also have been made.
 ECU – Students are required to attend workshops (academic writing, APA referencing, quoting and paraphrasing,
punctuation) prior to being eligible for attending one-on-one meetings.
Concerning the use of online services to assist with editing of students’ work, it was mentioned that the CBS is
currently using Smart Thinking, a US based text editing service. In order to use the service, the student is required to
register with the service, and upload their assessment. This will be forwarded to one of a number of geographically
dispersed ‘markers’ who will administer electronic feedback. This was trialed at Murdoch University some years ago
but was not implemented on a large scale as there were some concerns.
The Chair added that the CBS Communication Skills Centre also conducts academic skills sessions for the larger first
year units with large enrolments (more than 1200 students) to assist with the skills required to complete the
assessments.
Members were notified that the AALL position statement is close to finalisation and will be released shortly.
At the recent ABC conference attended by the Chair some of the current trends in European business schools were
highlighted:
 Languages departments are very much embedded in European business schools
 Stronger employer connections are being cultivated
 Stronger emphasis on professional, interpreting and intercultural communication skills
 The move from text analysis to context analysis and inter-discursivity (Vijay Bhatia)
Siri informed everybody about the Teaching and Learning forum for 2011 (January) which will focus on English
Language Development at Universities and encouraged everybody to be involved. She advised of the AALL
requirements for grants involving cross university collaborative resources to assist with assessment and urged
members to work together to obtain the $2000 - $3000 grants.
There being no other business, the meeting ended at 4.30pm and was followed by drinks, nibbles and networking.
Minutes taken by Shalini Watson
CBS Communication Skills Centre