Students’ prior English language learning experience has an impact on how well they can cope
with the academic requirement of the Australian university.
• The data indicate that students did not have sufficient exposure to English language
conversation either in classroom or outside class, prior to coming to Australia.
• Classroom practice was not only largely didactic (one-way) rather than conversational in form,
but was largely confined to the teaching of grammatical rules.
• This classroom practice appeared to have shaped some learner’s beliefs that grammar was the
most important part of English language learning.
• It appeared that this belief had then become manifested in their communication behaviour, so
that they were not able to communicate effectively, socially and academically, and the learning
of conversational skills was retarded.