Quality assurance and foreign language programme evaluation

Abstract

The global higher education market is changing quickly as increasing numbers of institutions are entering the playing field. Higher education is no longer solely the province of universities funded by governments. The result of this present condition is that higher education institutions are seeking ways to distance themselves from their competitors. Many are doing so by offering English-medium instruction, which often entails the establishment of an EFL programme for all incoming students who will eventually study in the University's English-medium programmes. These EFL programmes are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate their value to external and internal stakeholders. Thus, quality assurance and evaluation are becoming critical activities for EFL programmes wishing to demonstrate their worth. This paper examines the design and implementation of a quality assurance initiative at an English-medium university in Istanbul, Turkey. Qualitative and quantitative data is used to evidence the success and challenges of establishing this effort.