Getting into an ENGLISH college when you basically can't speak the language

[Always *]

I have a lot of foreign students in my class - like out of 60 people, I think about 15 or 20 of us are foreign students - it's actually a really diverse bunch in general, but I mean there is a huge chunk that are not even from Canada.

One of the girls can't even seem to comprehend basic English skills... I have seen her fail assignments left right and centre because she cannot understand the simple instructions. We might be under a lot of pressure because the program is busy and demanding, but the directions are always really simple and clear. Having to work with her is brutal too because she so obviously doesn't know what to do. Like let's say we have a presentation and I give her the general points on a pretty obvious topic, she is completely incapable of managing a few simple points in her own words, she'll read verbatim off of the slides even if it is painfully obvious more needs to be said I think her English is so poor she is incapable of recognizing the missing thought process so I have to write EXACTLY WORD FOR FUCKING WORD what I want her to say because she can't comprehend how to talk about it on her own

It's absolutely ridiculous!!

I don't even know how she got into the program - it is a graduate level program that requires a high level of English proficiency, yet her proficiency is basic at best.

no one in their right mind would work with her.

But I wonder if she cheated on her English language test to get in or something because I have a hard time believing the language standards for the college are so low. Is it true that this is a thing that people do?

[Thereishope]

I've never been in college nor been in a foreign area, so I'm not familiar with the tests required to get in. I can say though that it is quite possible that she did cheat to get in. How she went about doing so, not sure..but since people cheat on other tests, I don't see how this would be any different. If that is how she got in, she really shouldn't have and is probably kicking herself now for it.

[Kintsukuroi.]

Hey there,

I'm not sure on the exact process of testing but I go to a Canadian university and we have a lot of international students. From what I have gathered they have to either enrol in ESL classes and work their way up the levels or pass several tests that will place them in the correct class. Once they have met the English basic requirements they are able to register for other academic courses. If the professor notices they are struggling and not understanding what is going on then the professor brings it up with the head and the ESL department to be dealt with.
I would imagine it may be challenging to cheat on those tests but that doesn't mean it isn't possible. I know I have worked with international students in my classes and their English skills vary but they at least understand the basics. That said, around campus we have students who will type on an app in their phone and hit translate and it will play the 'English equivalent' of what they are asking/ordering/etc because they do not understand what is being said to them or how to reply or even ask questions.

[Always *]

This girl struggles with basic conversational skills such as "how's it going?" Because even though that's slang it's like she can't differentiate "where" and "how" to rrealize what is being said - even I can recognize the french equivalent of these words when someone speaks to me in French and I can't even carry a conversation. She fails everything. The one time I was made to work with her I did 99% of the work despite repeated attempts to involve her.... Like I don't know what to do. She's not qualified. We are in a professional post graduate program, but there is no way she can pass on her own merit because her English skills are so horrible. And this isn't like a normal bachelor degree - we all have bachelor degrees, although she got hers back in her home country in her own language - so were being prepared for a "real world" career which she is incapable of doing because there's no way she is really getting a lot out or the program seeing as how she can't speak the mother fucking language well enough. I'd shut up if she was passing things, bit she's not. And the other student who stirggles with English goes to these classes that the girl never shows up to - so as far as I know she's not even trying to get better at English. And it infuriates me that she might be allowed to pass and enter a a career where people will think she's wualified because she has the credential saying she knows things when she really isn't not qualified for th job because the barriers she faces with the English langauge prevent her from learning properly. Don't get me wrong I wish her the best, but what I see happening is wrong.

[Azure.]

I have heard about similar things happening in my friend's school. For example, a few foreign students had been put into his advanced english class when their level was no where near even grade level. Maybe people are just more lenient to them because it's not their actual language? I don't know, but it doesn't make much sense to me. I think to get into college for non english speaking people, a lot of them take an english proficiency test of some sort, similar to the ACT, SAT, and other college entrance tests.

[Always *]

They do have to take a test. Anyone in my country who is applying to an English speaking school are made to fake a test before they can get in to prove English proficiency. The exception is if they went to a school where the language of instruction was English. So if I was an Indian foreign student but had already gone to school at a school that instructed in English, I could skip the test, but you'd still have to provide proof of English instruction OR take the test.

[Hiraeth]

Do you need to be working with her? Can you switch teams / partners or work on your own?

Is there a process by which you can bring this issue up with the school or course administrators?

[-Dreamer]

Originally Posted by Always *

The one time I was made to work with her I did 99% of the work despite repeated attempts to involve her....

I could understand your frustration more...if you actually worked with her more. But you only worked with her once. So why are you letting this get to you as much as it is? It seems like a lot of work in involved in your course, and I think you should try focus more on your own assignments and getting your qualification, rather than other people around you.

You said above that what you see happening is wrong, but I don't understand this. What is wrong about this? Nobody can prove here how she got into the course or if she cheated on the test or not. All I can see from this is that she doesn't have great English and is struggling. If you say she is failing everything, I can't imagine that in the end she will pass the course. I wonder if the professors you have know and see that she is clearly struggling with the course and would offer her extra help and probably offer her more English lessons to improve that. But really, that has nothing got to do with you. I'd just advise you to concentrate on your own studies.

While I was in college and even the course I'm doing now, there were/are many foreign students. To be honest, I keep myself to myself and concentrate on my own work rather than worrying how others are doing. If I did see someone was struggling, I'd help if they asked me too. And of course if I was working with someone who didn't pull their own weight for any reason, I'd pull them up on it.