Proficiency Tests vs. Written Syntactic Complexity Measures as Predictors of GPA of Multilingual International Students

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: L2 Writing Research Across Contexts: From the Primary School Years to Ph.D. Studies (Table 12)

Abstract

Standardized proficiency test scores are often used as critical gatekeepers in multilingual international students’ (MIS) admission into English-medium universities. This study explored if MIS’ overall proficiency, writing subtest scores (IELTS), and written syntactic complexity indices (subordination, coordination, length of production, and degree of phrasal sophistication) predicted their GPAs in graduate school. 112 participants’ IELTS scores, GPAs, and asynchronous discussion postings (224) were analyzed through three linear regressions models. Results confirmed that while IELTS composite and writing subscores do predict (weak) academic success of graduate MIS, writing scores are better predictors, with some complexity indices also explaining a considerable amount of variance in GPAs after the effect of language proficiency is mitigated. Equity implications for the admissions of MIS are considered.

Authors

• Nihat Polat, University of Maryland

• Laura J. Mahalingappa, University of Maryland

• Rae Mancilla, University of Pittsburgh