MIT to no longer consider SAT subject tests in admissions decisions

Re:MIT to no longer consider SAT subject tests in admissions... by thedance on Friday March 20, 2020 @02:49PM (#22640380)

The only criteria for English should be abilities at least as good as the worst teaching assistant in the undergraduate college. This is the lowest possible standard of English language proficiency.

""" WHEN Mark W. Eichin showed up for his course in differential equations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this year, he found that his instructor was a Hindustani whose spoken English was ''almost incomprehensible.'' Along with most of his classmates, the freshman stopped attending lectures. ''People just got their assignments and left,'' he recalled. """

^ Consistent with my own undergrad experience.

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Re:MIT to no longer consider SAT subject tests in admissions... by pbhjpbhj on Friday March 20, 2020 @05:02PM (#22641632)

Wouldn't demanding English language abilities help to reduce instances of this in the future? Like if they're letting students graduate with language deficits then the chance of tutors/teachers/professors having less language ability than desirable would seem to go up?

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Re:MIT to no longer consider SAT subject tests in admissions... by adchari on Saturday March 21, 2020 @12:56PM (#22647870)

The University of Illinois requires TOEFL and in person English language interviews before a TA or professor from a foreign country is allowed to teach any section. Students still face similar issues, due to accents and the fact that fluency in a language guarantees that you can convey an idea, not that you can engage listeners and use idioms which translate well.

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