It comes as something of a surprise to many to realise that the IELTS test is not in fact the principal gateway through which non-native speakers of English enter our universities. Many different paths ( Coley, 1999) may be open to them, of which IELTS is only one (see, for example, Monash University's English Language Requirements Policy ), and in fact IELTS scores contributed directly to only 10% of admissions to award courses at Monash in 2004.

Nonetheless, IELTS frequently gets the blame for language-related difficulties in our universities, so in this section we explain what the IELTS test is, and what an IELTS rating actually means; and Professor David Ingram, one of the creators of IELTS, discusses the use and abuse of IELTS in Australia.

We also look briefly at two other tests used to assess academic English proficiency, the TOEFL and the DELA.

A language is a cognitive system of enormous complexity, embedded in a similarly complex system of cultural meanings and rules. It takes years to acquire these systems, and to learn to use them effectively.

Any teacher does well to consider the obstacles to using English effectively that non-native speakers in their classrooms have to learn to overcome.

It is also worthwhile to consider the pros and cons of allowing these students to use their native language in class.