The Wellbeing Barometer: English Proficiency as a Foundation of International Student Success

Well-being and mental health have become significant focal points in today's society, but how can we develop effective policies and practices to support well-being, especially for international students?

Marianne Schlickeisen (Menius) recently presented on this topic during the 2024 NAFSA conference. The poster fair session poster reviews the 2021 research produced by Wake Forest University faculty who?were awarded an IELTS Joint Funded Research Grant.?

Their longitudinal study took place over three semesters across 14 US universities and included students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The researchers set out to examine the interplay between English language proficiency (as measured by IELTS) and factors like English confidence, first language educational experience, academic stress, domestic student social support, and overall well-being for international students.?

The findings confirm that pre-enrollment IELTS scores of international students at US universities are linked with:

1. Higher English confidence
2. Higher social support from domestic students and
3. Lower academic stress during a student’s university experience.?

These findings demonstrate that confidence in English encouraged social engagement, which reduced feelings of isolation and improved overall mental health. Ultimately, this type of research provides insights into just how important pre-enrollment proficiency assessment can be to long-term international student success.?

So, what are the implications of these findings for universities??

1. It’s important to set appropriate English proficiency score requirements that match the demands of the English language in your programs.?
2. Identify students who may be entering with lower English proficiency and, therefore, lower English confidence?before enrollment.
3. Create orientation programming that focuses on well-being and helps students identify stress in themselves and others.?
4. Develop alert systems or processes so that faculty and staff can help identify students who may need additional English language support.
5. Embed well-being and mental health policies and practices in institutional strategic plans

How are you supporting English proficiency confidence and well-being on campus??

Connect with your IELTS USA rep if your institution is interested in or in the process of re-evaluating English proficiency as a strategic asset for enrollment management.