Page 7 - ELG2011 Nov Issue 473

El•Gazette 473.qxp_El•Gazette 473 28/10/2020 18:43 Page 6

NEWS . NEWS

“Unlimited English” for migrants, OECD to introduce new Pisa English test

promises Australian government By Matt Salusbury in 2024 and the first Pisa test

& Melanie Butler including English language
administered in 2025.
A new “Foreign Language The tests, which are currently BIBIPHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK
By Matt Salusbury of developments in “education Assessment” element will be being developed by OECD in
technology” – hinting that more included in the OECD’s global partnership with Cambridge
Permanent residents of Australia offerings would be delivered Programme for International English Assessments, will be linked
and citizens with “poor English” online in the future. Student Assessment (Pisa) for 15- to the CEFR, covering levels A1-
will be offered unlimited English While the exact type of YOUTUBE / CITY OF PARRAMATTA year-olds – initially the foreign C1. The “possible inclusion of
classes for free, acting education technology referred to language tested is to be English. level pre-A1,” is being mooted,
immigration minister Alan Tudge by the minister has not been made Pisa, which is conducted every according to Pisa’s website.
has promised. The minister clear, there are fears that talk of three years, currently assesses Accompanying the testing, Pisa
estimated that “close to a million” flexibility suggests online self- science, maths and reading (first also distributes questionnaires for
residents of Australia, half of study may be on the cards, an language) using two-hour, schools designed to inform
them of working age, do not approach which failed completely computer-adaptive tests for each government policy. Questions on
“speak English well,” based on when it was tried with UK subject. The results have become the use of English in information
2006 and 2016 census data. migrants 20 years ago, although the main metric by which the technology classes and on “use of
New draft legislation will scrap online taught classes may also be success of national education the target language for instruction
existing limits on the $1 billion-a- on the agenda. systems are measured (at least, for in other subjects” are expected to
year Australian Migrant English AMEP expert Dr Sue the 78 countries that choose to be the main focus for the first
Program (AMEP) – currently Ollerhead, of Macquarie take part). round of Foreign Language into the effectiveness of language closely related Germanic
restricted to 510 hours of free University’s School of Education, English will be assessed on Assessment questionnaires. teaching and learning worldwide.” languages, such as Dutch and
English training, with eligibility told the Gazette she had three skills – speaking, listening “There have been many A Gazette analysis comparing Swedish, outperform other
limited to five years after arrival in “reservations” about greater use of Councillor Bob Dweyer, Lord Mayor of Parramatta, hosts a and reading – marking the first attempts to compare language national results from existing Pisa countries on international English
Australia. Migrants will now be technology. She expressed virtual citizenship ceremony time that aural skills will have learning around the world,” tests with indicative test scores on tests.
offered English at whatever level concern that online tuition would been tested in the Pisa suite. The Hanan Khalifa of Cambridge international English language As reported in last month’s
they need to start “vocational mean that, “migrants will the year up to the end of August poor English were vulnerable to, listening and reading assessments Assessment English explained, exams, published on page 18, Gazette, a study of 50,000 learners
training”. effectively be isolated in their 2020 – 200,000 residents became “malign information or will be held in 2021 in Russia, “but none of these has provided a however, suggests that European of Dutch showed that the
Tudge claimed that in its homes, learning English via Australians, many in virtual propaganda… spread through Colombia, Switzerland and Spain, properly systematic approach to countries are likely to outperform strongest predictor of learning
current form, the migrant adult screens, and failing to develop the ceremonies held online. multi-cultural media, including the OECD’s Spencer Wilson told language education in schools most of Asia, largely as a result of outcomes in Dutch was the
English offering was “not having social capital that only comes with In his announcement, Tudge foreign-language media controlled the Gazette. which can help to shape the linguistic distance between student’s first language, with only
sufficient impact.” Most students face-to-face social interaction.” noted that, “This is not to blame or funded by state players.” In 2022, countries will decide education policies at a national non Indo-European language the top 5 per cent of Arabic
using it only complete 300 or so (See full comment below.) anyone whose English language In a separate development, the whether they want to take part in and regional level. It should such as Japanese and the target speakers outperforming the
hours out of the 510 available, Unlimited English lessons will proficiency is poor, but clearly full Australian government the English tests, with “field trials” provide unprecedented insights language, English. Speakers of bottom 50 per cent of Germans.
with only one in five participants also be tied to stricter citizenship participation in the community is announced in the October budget
having a “functional level of test requirements for difficult when there are language that applicants for a spousal visa,
English” at the end of their naturalisation, including a barriers. Without English needed to move to the country in TikTok teachers to GoGo? Chain slashed as Covid hits
studies. “strengthened” statement on language skills, migrants are less order to marry a citizen or
He added that the current “liberal democratic values” that likely to get a job, less likely to resident, would have to first pass
classroom-based provision isn’t new Australians will have to sign. integrate, and less likely to an English language test (see By Matt Salusbury By Melanie Butler School, which has been dropped
flexible enough for “employers The move comes after record- participate in our democracy." Global News on page 8 for from the list.
and parents,” nor does it make use breaking naturalisation figures for He added that migrants with details). Around 4,000 US teachers British-owned EFL giant Instil Other schools in the chain to
working online with Chinese Education, best known for its go from the list are the OISE
branches in Bristol, and London
students in China have become
Regent and OISE school brands,
The downside to unlimited English lessons “collateral damage” in the Trump SOLEN FEYISSA / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS may have closed up to 14 of its and Regent schools in Brighton,
Edinburgh and Oxford. Regent at
UK schools, based on the latest
administration’s trade war with
the People’s Republic. British Council list of accredited Scanbrit in Bournemouth has
Dr Sue Ollerhead comments on Australia’s “Unlimited English” programme The teachers were working for language centres. also gone, as has Sherbourne
online ELT platform GoGoKid, Five of the group’s schools are Priors, though information on
part of the China-based tech which was only expected to go still trading under their original the OISE website suggests that
While these changes are historic strength has been its ability to provision will fail to account for empire ByteDance, which also into full force after the November names, according to the list of they may be used as summer
and positive in allowing learners combine language teaching with the diverse factors that drive owns the hugely popular video presidential election, meaning it summary statements issued on 22 centres. Central School of
greater and more flexible access activities that help migrants to learners to acquire a language in platform TikTok. However, on 6 may be lifted if a new President October: OISE Oxford, Regent English in London, the
to English classes, I have make concrete connections with their adult years. Language August the President issued an comes into office. London, Pilgrims year-round, the Edinburgh School of English and
reservations about the everyday social situations, such learning is difficult and executive order banning “any As we went to press before year-round young learners centre Harven in Woking are no longer
government’s intention to make as visits to banks or health demanding work, and there are transaction” with TikTok and any election day, a shutdown of Newbury Hall and Basil Paterson on the British Council list.
greater use of technology… to clinics. many other pressing matters on of ByteDance’s subsidiaries. TikTok in the US – and possibly in Edinburgh. We have tried to contact Instil
either replace or supplement My concern is that, in the adult migrants’ minds, such as MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF EDUCATION American citizens who break the GoGoKid – was still looming. Two centres have been merged Education for clarification, but
classroom learning. interests of providing unlimited financial security, housing and ban may face fines of up to Court action has delayed a ban on to become “Regent and OISE have had no response.
Australia’s Adult Migrant hours of flexible English tuition, family wellbeing. Dr Sue Ollerhead is secondary $300,000. the sale of the app on Apple’s App Cambridge,” while the junior Since the beginning of the
English Program has never been aimed largely at preparing To be successful, programmes education programme director at GoGoKid’s English teachers are Store and TikTok was awaiting an summer schools have been pandemic, the Gazette has noted
only about language learning. It migrants for the workplace, the need to fully understand and tap Macquarie University’s School of anxiously awaiting developments. export licence from the Beijing merged as “Pilgrims and OISE that 35 UK private language
has been a vital bridge between humanistic functions of the into those approaches that Education and author of the The US Department of authorities that would allow the Language Centres”. It is not schools and summer operations
frequently isolated and AMEP will be superseded. engage adult migrants, and set forthcoming Migrants as Lan- Commerce has yet to rule on transfer of a 20 per cent stake in known whether this includes the have been removed from the
marginalised migrants and the The proposed “one size fits all” them up for successful guage Learners (Springer). which parts of the ByteDance the company to Oracle and centre at Stowe, previously British Council website (see page
Australian way of life. Its approach to mass English citizenship. empire will be covered by the ban, Walmart in the US. accredited as Regent Summer 15).
6 November 2020 editorial@elgazette.com 7