Predictive Validity of English Proficiency Levels for Academic Achievement

Studies on English language teaching (ELT) in Iran suggest that it is not successful enough in producing proficient language learners. University students’ low English proficiency limits their exploitation of academic resources and raises concerns about the quality of their educations. The current study is an attempt to find out the predictive validity of English proficiency level for academic achievement in the fields of English literature and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). To do so, a twofold procedure has been adopted. In the first phase, 83 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the above-mentioned courses of state universities in Iran were selected by convenience sampling. The correlation of their English proficiency level in three language skills of listening, reading, and writing, measured by an IELTS test, and their academic performance, measured by their current semester grade point averages (GPAs), was examined. Statistical data analysis disclosed a significantly positive correlation between the two variables under scrutiny. In the second phase, 155 students majoring in the same courses selected by convenience sampling were asked to fill out an already established 4-point Likert scale questionnaire in order to investigate the students’ perception about the effect of English proficiency on academic performance compared with other important factors. Statistical data analysis of the questionnaire revealed that ‘English proficiency’ was the eighth important factor among 35 factors influencing academic performance. The findings of the present study suggest that English proficiency functions as a cluster encompassing predictive validity for educational success as well as significant impact on students’ academic achievement. Thus, stricter measures regarding students’ English proficiency filtering should be applied for admission to the Iranian universities.