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Best Practice Guides

English Australia regularly prepares Guides to Best Practice in ELICOS (Best Practice Guides), collating information provided by member institutions who represent the full spectrum of provider types, purposes and locations in Australia, and incorporating current TESOL research.

With its overall strategic plan of providing leadership in raising professional standards within English Australia member colleges, English Australia develops these Best Practice Guides to achieve five main goals:

• to ensure that English Australia member colleges are encouraged to reflect on how they deliver quality programs and service to international students;
• to support English Australia member colleges in the development of their policies, practices and procedures;
• to provide a benchmarking tool for member colleges;
• to reassure English Australia member colleges that they are part of a community of best practice; and
• to instill confidence in all stakeholders who have dealings with English Australia member colleges.

English Australia takes compliance with the ELICOS National Standards and the National Code as minimum standards.

The Best Practice Guides are developed through association funding and are available to members of English Australia as a benefit of membership of the association. 

The following Best Practice Guides are available to staff at English Australia member colleges:

Guide to Best Practice in International Student Mental Health - new in 2018 and open access Direct Entry Programs (updated 2017) and its Supplement in Moderation and Validation of Direct Entry Programs Managing Professional Development in ELICOS (2015) Monitoring Student Satisfaction (Updated 2014) Monitoring Student Progress (Updated 2014) Providing Student Support Services (2009) Disaster Management (2012)

A one-page summary of each Guide is available at the bottom of this page.

You can download our Guide to Best Practice in International Student Health without needing to log in. We offer this Guide for free to anyone working with international students.

The complete Guides are also available at the bottom of this page. Member college staff must be logged in to view and access the complete Guides.

Researchers and government bodies may contact the English Australia Chief Executive Officer, Brett Blacker, for access. 

Members wishing support in complaints handling procedures will find a useful document on the website of the Overseas Student Ombudsman together with brochures that may be given to students. 

Queensland Department of Education, Training & Employment have published a comprehensive Best Practice Guide to Agent Management that members may find useful.

English Australia also has a number of useful summaries on the topics of:

• Pastoral Care
• Disciplinary Procedures
• Working with Overseas Representatives
• Working with Local Representatives

Member colleges can contact the English Australia Secretariat for these summaries.

Please note, to view the FULL GUIDES, member college staff must be logged in. When not logged on only the Guide summaries will be available.

However, the Guide to Best Practice in International Student Mental Health is open access and can be viewed by all. This Guide was co-funded by Allianz Global Assistance and Study NSW Partner Projects Program.