The Role of English Proficiency Admission Requirement in English-Only Higher Education

• In Event: 77.057 - MTCC Roundtable Session 35
  In Roundtable Session: 77.057-10 - Professional Development Through an International Lens

Abstract

I estimate the effect of establishing an English language proficiency admission requirement on academic outcomes and on access to English-only higher education for less advantaged students. Using data from a selective English-only university in Central Asia and differences-in-differences estimation, I find that an English proficiency admission requirement does not yield expected positive effects on academic outcomes; yet it reduces access to English-only college education for less advantaged students. Specifically, third year retention, average grades in the first two years, and the average grades in English-only courses are unaffected by weeding out applicants whose English skills are below the admission threshold. At the same time, screening college applicants based on their English proficiency decreases the proportion of admitted rural students.

Author

• Aizat Nurshatayeva, University of Pittsburgh