ALSA (Academic Language Skill Assessment) for Law postgraduate coursework students
The Faculty of Law is asking all commencing postgraduate coursework students enrolled in LAW5000 and LAW5081 to complete an ALSA - (Academic Language Skill Assessment). The assessment gives students and staff information about the student’s current Academic English language needs. Students will receive an invitation to do the ALSA test in week 1 of your first unit.
The reason that you should undertake the ALSA is to provide you with valuable information about your English language skills, and to give you access to English language development support services which will support your learning. This will help ensure you get the most from your postgraduate degree.
Please note that:
- Your ALSA results will not affect your marks or grades at all. Your individual results will not be provided to markers of your assessments in your units.
- Academic Language Skills Assessment is important because it will allow us to give you access to appropriate English language support services as early in your degree as possible, so that you can enhance your language skills to support learning and improve your performance.
- You do not need to do anything to prepare or study for this assessment - just attend your session online on the day.
- ALSA is not just for students with English as a second/other language - all commencing students should complete the assessment. The assessment will provide you with valuable information about your English learning needs within and beyond your degree.
- ALSA is purely used after enrolment. It does not replace other English language tests used to screen applicants such as IELTS or TOEFL.
What is ALSA?
ALSA is the Academic Language Skill Assessment. It was developed as a way to give students and staff information about the current Academic English language needs of students enrolled in University studies.
The assessment is specifically designed for academic environments and for use post entry. It is not a replacement or alternative for other English language tests used to screen applicants such as IELTS or TOEFL.
Why do I have to complete the ALSA?
From Trimester 3 2020, all postgraduate coursework students commencing the units LAW5000 ALRM (JD) and LAW5081 ALRM (non-JD), should complete the ALSA. This diagnostic assessment will give you information about your current academic and professional English language development needs and the most appropriate support services you can access at Monash.
The results will also give us (faculty and program directors, unit leaders and support services staff) an accurate picture of the needs of our students. We can use this information to develop more effective and tailored programs of support.
I am a native speaker of English - do I have to complete the ALSA?
Yes, even if English is your first language, we are asking you to complete the ALSA. This will ensure that we have a complete picture of the English language learning capacity and needs of our current cohort.
Law courses are particularly demanding in terms of English language proficiency, therefore even domestic students may need support.
How do I complete the ALSA?
You will receive an email inviting you to do the testing. The email will contain a link to register for the testing. You then need to register for a session. The session will be held in Week 1 or 2 of your first unit. When you register you will be given a specific ZOOM meeting link - full instructions will be given in the ZOOM session. The ALSA takes approximately 40 minutes to complete - you will book in for a session of one hour. Please join the ZOOM session for which you have registered on time to ensure all students are able to complete the ALSA efficiently.
How can I study or prepare for the ALSA?
While we understand you will want to do well on any test - you do not need to study or prepare for the ALSA - just do your best on the day. It is a diagnostic assessment that is intended to give both you and us an up to date indicator of your English language development needs for Academic study at post-graduate level.
The best result you can get from this assessment is an accurate reflection of where you are right now, without any special preparation, practice or study. You need to do your best on this assessment to give yourself an accurate picture of your needs at this time.
When are the ALSA sessions?
Times, dates and registration information will be available in the email you receive inviting you to do the assessment.
Do I need any specific equipment to complete the ALSA?
The ALSA is completed online (no pen or paper required). Ensure that you have a stable internet connection, and have set up to use ZOOM previously (joining via your Monash account). You will receive instructions to undertake ALSA on Moodle,
The session is supervised under test conditions, which means that your camera must be on. Please ensure that you have access to a webcam as you are requested to turn your webcam on during the session.
Please make sure that you have access to your Monash student ID number.
Does ALSA count as part of my assessment for the degree?
NO! ALSA is not part of the formal assessment you will complete. The result of your ALSA will not have any impact on your assessment in units - except indirectly by helping you to improve through accessing support programs.
Your individual ALSA result will not be published or made available to markers. It will not appear on any transcript or results statement. For this reason, you do not need to worry about preparing for the ALSA, getting tutors or support during the test - it is only going to be helpful for you if you complete the diagnostic by yourself.
When will I find out my result from the ALSA?
You will receive your result via Moodle shortly after completing the assessment. You will also receive relevant links to support available to you at Monash.
Who else will see my ALSA results?
Apart from you, your individual ALSA result will only be visible to the following within the Faculty of Law, who are responsible for the English language support services programs within the Faculty: Learning Skills Advisors; Director and Deputy Directors of the JD & LLM; Director and Deputy Director Indigenous, Equity and Diversity; and Associate Dean of Education, additionally Student and Academic Services team members will not see your individual score only the band of your result.
Academic staff in your units (unit coordinators, lecturers, tutors, markers) will only be able to see generalised and de-identified cohort data from the ALSA.
Monash procedure and policy on privacy and retention of data will apply to ALSA. Read more here about what Monash does to ensure your privacy.
Who can I contact to find out more about ALSA?
If you have any questions about ALSA testing, please contact the Student Academic Success team at studentacademicsuccess@monash.edu