“How can we expect a student to demonstrate their content knowledge without appropriate language?” asks Dr Robert McMurtrie, Senior Academic Coordinator at UTS College and the driving force behind the Language Embedding Initiative.
Currently working with his team to embed language skills across coursework, Robert says, “We want to make sure all diploma students – whether international or domestic – have a certain level of English proficiency. This infuses equality, flexibility, and relevance throughout the curriculum. We want to make sure that when they enter UTS, every student has the English language skills they need to succeed.”
While still in progress, the project has been announced as a finalist in the Innovation in Education category of the NSW International Education Industry Awards. “It’s a bold shift in how we teach, assess, and value English language development. Research shows that when you embed language support, rather than creating a separate ‘remedial’ program, you reduce stigma. It benefits all students – not just international students,” Robert says. “It feels incredible to be selected as a finalist for this award. It means our vision has been recognised.”
He's grateful for the support the project has received from UTS College. “Both our CEO and Dean encouraged and gave us the freedom to explore and enact this idea. Our Learning Experience team, Learning Quality Manager and Program Managers helped embed language into different disciplines and adapt assessments. And so much was made possible by the Academic Coordinators who engaged with this approach.”
A shift in language education
Robert entered the program in the ‘innovation’ category because he believes it provides a replicable model for other higher education institutions. He says, “I think the fundamental language subject is flexible enough to be useful to students of all levels. And it’s adaptable to all content subjects.”
The recognition has come at an important stage of the project. “We’ve reached a stage where every subject has some embedding,” Robert says. “Now we can get into the classroom to see what’s happening from the ground up. I’ll go into tutorials and co-teach. So, there’ll be support with understanding what the program is all about, support with moderation and grading, and support in class.”
Progressing stage by stage
The program is now at stage four. Goals at Stages 1, 2, and 3 were:
Stage 1. To create an all-embracing, generalised academic subject to ensure every student develops general, transferrable language and communication skills, regardless of their English language background
Stage 2. To embed language learning outcomes into all Stage 1 diploma subjects
Stage 3. Embedding language learning outcomes into Stages 2 and 3 of the diploma program
Robert and his team took a ‘reverse curriculum’ approach, starting with the desired language learning outcomes (LLOs). “After thinking long and hard about what students need to succeed at university, we settled on four LLOs. These are academic discussions, giving a presentation, writing an academic text, and learning to read and evaluate an academic text,” he says. “Students become familiar with these LLOs because they’re repeated throughout their diploma subjects. At Stage 1, they may not see the connection, but by the time they get to Stage 3, they understand what’s expected.”
Getting everyone talking
One of the prompts for the initiative was some feedback from UTS. “They told us some of our students weren’t participating in class. They weren’t talking. That’s why two of our LLOs involve speaking. In my Stage 1 subject, every activity is spoken, whether it’s an academic conversation or an informal chat. And while participating in class is a must, we know students get their information mainly through reading. We want them to understand the text, but also to evaluate it. They learn how to understand the main ideas and how to investigate whether there’s bias – how to identify opinions, for example.”
Next came assessments, tutorials, and the resources to support students. Robert says, “We’ve embedded resources in the assessment pages. For example, there might be a pop up that says, ‘Do you know how to write a thesis statement? Here’s some material to help with that.’ Anything they’re being assessed on, they have access to the support they need.”
Results, even in the early stages, are promising. “Even when some students don’t understand the relevance, we as teachers can see at the end of each stage how far they’ve progressed with their language skills,” Robert says, “Where once they wouldn’t be able to write a sentence or two sentences, they’re producing paragraphs. They’re talking more confidently in presentations. We can see the progress.”
Some early success
Preliminary feedback from UTS confirms this progress. Robert says, “When students graduate from the College and start at UTS, they do an entrance test. It’s called an OPELA (Online Post-Enrolment Language Assessment). This test determines their level of English language proficiency. It identifies students who need extra help. Before we started the project, a high percentage were assessed at basic level. In 2022 it was at 59 percent. But after we introduced my Stage 1 subject, that basic level dropped to 16 percent. At the same time, intermediate and good levels rose to 41 percent and 43 percent respectively. Now we have ongoing assessment and language embedding across all subjects, we hope to see a further drop in basic levels. We’re monitoring those results. If there’s any language criteria that needs work, we’ll create activities to address that.”
Lessons for the teacher
Looking back at how the project has influenced his thinking, Robert says, “Ironically, considering that my background is in meaning-making and communication, I’ve learnt that I need to communicate more clearly and simply. No matter how innovative or clever an idea might be, it’s worthless if there’s no uptake. If people don’t understand what we’re trying to do, they won’t engage with it. Imagine a dinner party where every course you make is innovative and unfamiliar. Your guests would approach it with trepidation. But if you start with something more familiar – just slightly different – you can build from that. You don’t want to put all the innovation out there at the start. I’ve learnt to pull back a bit.”
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