university students all write well – right?

So many universities lament having to provide written English support to students to help get them through their course. 

The expectation is that when students make the grade for University, they can write at an academic level. Nurses, for example, are expected to know and use medical terms and be able to recount clear patient observations at the least.

Alas, this is not the case. University students everywhere are a product of many primary and secondary education systems that suffer from a lack of English teaching resources. The problem just moves up the line, or as some universities say, crosses the road from schools.

The key problems faced by Universities include:

1. Needing to provide English writing support and extension classes is a time-consuming and expensive pursuit. Additional English instructors are needed.
2. Tutors spend hours correcting English when it is not their job to do so.
3. The lack of written English skills becomes a bottleneck in student progression. Universities need to get students through courses without compromising standards.