FACULTIES

INFORMATION

OPPORTUNITIES

FACULTIES:
ENGLISH LANGUAGE FACULTY:
DIPLOMA OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

Entry Requirements and Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites required for this course. Entry requirements year 12 schooling completed or its equivalent.

Intake:

Weekly intakes.

IELTS:

IELTS English level 5 English Language Central English Proficiency Course provides pathway

Duration:

The duration of this qualification is 26 weeks Full Time 650 Contact hours

Career Path:

This qualification is at AQF Level 5 (Diploma).

Students of these courses are adult learners from non-English speaking backgrounds who wish to improve their English language skills in order to access a range of social, educational and vocational opportunities. The lower level certificates (Certificates I and II) are generally taken up by migrants/new arrivals who are no longer eligible for courses funded by the Australian Government, but who are not yet ready for work or further vocational study. A further group of arrivals to Australia are people who have been educated to a high level in their own country and who may have held a professional position there. Many of these people wish to gain employment in Australia at a level commensurate with their previous employment, or seek to undertake further training to upgrade their skills and qualifications. In addition, emerging and ever-increasing markets are developing for overseas students who are seeking study options in Australia. These students require some sort of "language preparation" development in order to gain entry to other tertiary or higher education courses. The Certificates III and IV in English Proficiency have been designed to meet the needs of these more advanced learners and those learners aspiring to proceed to university or vocational studies.    However many overseas qualified professionals and business operators need a higher language level to gain employment and operate successfully in Australia. This applies for example to overseas qualified teachers and health professionals who need to fulfil formal language requirements before gaining registration. In addition many students need to develop high level academic English skills, information technology skills, research skills and seminar presentation skills so that they can access courses at tertiary institutions and maximise their chances of success in further education. Participants may also, despite their advanced level language skills, lack vital cultural awareness. The  Diploma of English Proficiency aims to provide students with an understanding of cultural and social attitudes and issues by integrating cultural concepts within the course content. Similarly, it is essential for students to have an understanding of the processes and methods of assessment and selection for various outcomes - employment, further education and training, registration by professional associations - which they are likely to encounter in Australia, as well as knowledge of Australian business, professional and academic systems and structures.

Potential students of these courses undertake a pre-enrolment interview which enables the course coordinator/s to assess their language and other needs. The interview looks at the student's educational history, their learning and life goals, what parts of their learning pathway they have already completed, and any special needs which may affect their learning. The basis for this interview is to obtain a holistic assessment of the language and educational history and capacity of the student. Coordinators undertaking the interview discuss with the students their particular learning goals and devise a study program based around the achievement of these goals. Generally, for students enrolling in the lower level certificates, their goals are language-based: they wish to gain proficiency in spoken and written English in order to function effectively in the community. Other students who are assessed as having a high level of English proficiency prior to enrolment and who are placed in the higher level Certificates, generally aspire to university or other vocational studies. Many students enter at Certificate I and progress through the different levels, gaining a high level of English proficiency by the time they have completed Certificate IV. They may not aspire to further study but wish to have as many skills as possible in preparation for gaining employment.

Ongoing review of the initial pre-enrolment interview is held on a regular basis, so that the course coordinator can track the student's progress and ensure that they are not falling behind with their learning, or conversely, that they are being sufficiently challenged in order to continue making progress toward their end-goal.

Before students commence their certificate/s, an information session/induction day is held to provide students with basic, practical information about studying at the Satellite College English School: what student services are available and where they are located; how the LRC functions and what learning support is provided; the role of the student counsellor and where he/she is located; etc.

Because students of these certificates are migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds, there is likelihood of students presenting with special needs, often related to trauma associated with their family/home background and the reasons behind their re-settlement in Australia. The effects of trauma on how people learn is a major issue for ESL (English as a second language) students with most students experiencing trauma taking considerably longer to achieve their learning goals. In most instances evidence of trauma is detected at the initial pre-enrolment interview; if not it becomes very apparent in the classroom setting. Lecturers take these factors into account when devising learning programs for such students, and the Certificates I, II and III have been structured to allow such students to spend longer on the core skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Such students are referred to the Migrant Health Service or STTARS (Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Service) for counselling and assistance.

Satellite College Career Opportunity

Students who complete this course and enrol and complete the TAA40104 Certificate lV in Assessment and Workplace Training can apply to teach for the Satellite College anywhere in the world.

Minimum 80% class attendance required

On the Monday of each week of a course, the College Director monitors all overseas student attendance.

When an overseas student reaches less than a possible 80% of course attendance, the College Director immediately informs the Department of Immigration, via PRISMS, of a student's failure to meet attendance requirements. A copy of the student's file is made available for the Department. In the event that the less than 80% attendance results from illness supported by a medical certificate, the Department of Immigration is informed that this is the reason for non-attendance.

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