This paper explores the perceptions of Iraqi students of three different English Programs (a general English for academic purposes program, a pre-enrolment English program and the English component of a disciplinary bridging program) at an Australian University as reflected in their language learning narratives. It focuses specifically on the students' experience of academic spoken register in the aforementioned programs and how their experiences are affected by Australian English higher education policies. Data were collected through narrative interviews and thematically analysed using an inductive approach of open and axial coding. The data reveal that the acquisition of appropriate register by this cohort was impacted by their backgrounds as mature-aged, Arabic Muslim learners and by the nature of the programs they participated in. They valued programs with a varied range of tasks allowing them to practice academic and non-academic registers within the relevant contexts. They also valued programs that took cognisance of their family responsibilities, learning needs and disciplinary backgrounds. In terms of policy, we show how the programs that followed the Good Practice Principles for English language proficiency for international students – a document that underpins Australian higher education English language policy – were highly valued by this cohort because of an increasingly disciplinary focus and explicit instruction.

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Language assessments are tests used to evaluate student communication ability. They are employed to source information critical to making decisions for education programs. Furthermore, language assessment can indicate a person’s level of ability to acquire, learn and use a new language (Bachman 1990 p. 94). The current article aims to design an English language assessment test to assess the language skills of listening and writing of fourth year students in a senior public secondary school in Iraq. First, the teaching context in which the assessment is designed for will be explained. Next, an illustration of the test’s purpose in language evaluation will be given.  Following, the rationale underling the assessment will be addressed, with reference to theory of language and language learning. Furthermore, construct validity of the test through analysis of the outcomes of the test will be presented. Finally, the detailed procedures and the rubrics of the assessment shall be summarized.

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