Illustrations

Figure 1.1. Factors known to have a negative effect on student completion

Figure 1.2. Factors associated with course attrition, as identified from the literature

Figure 2.1. Comparison in the enrolment patterns of a Social Science major and two language majors

Figure 2.2. Apparent progression rates from Level 1 in 2008 to Level 3 in 2010

Figure 2.3. Comparison in the enrolment patterns of two Language majors when all students are considered and only the 2008 cohort of students is considered

Figure 2.4. Graphical representation of the figures used to calculate the Semester Level Retention Rate. The rate is calculated using only the levels of Language & Culture study shown.

Figure 2.5. Graphical representation of the figures used to calculate the Global Retention Rate. The rate is calculated using all three levels of Language & Culture study shown in all semesters.

Figure 2.6. Some factors affecting the calculation of retention rates

Figure 2.7. Retention rates based on 2008 Enrolment Year Student Cohort—Languages

Figure 2.8. Retention rates based on 2008 Enrolment Year Student Cohort—Languages compared with Sciences

Figure 2.9. Retention rates based on 2008 Enrolment Year Student Cohort—Languages compared with other disciplines 1

Figure 2.10. Retention rates based on 2008 Enrolment Year Student Cohort—Languages compared with other disciplines 2

Figure 2.11. Schematic representation of two types of undergraduate majors

Figure 2.12. Comparison of enrolment patterns by language spoken at home and gender—All ANU languages

Figure 2.13. Comparison of enrolment patterns for international students who enrolled in first and second semester 2008—All ANU languages

Figure 2.14. Global Retention Rate for domestic and international students, discriminated by the type of LOTE spoken at home. Only students who enrolled in 2008 and report to speak a LOTE at home are considered. The figure provides load for all ANU languages studied.

Figure 2.15. Comparison of enrolment patterns for domestic and international students in general and domestic and international students who speak a Chinese language at home—All ANU Languages

Figure 3.1. The issue of learning to speak the language

Figure 3.2. Graphical representation of the Canonical Discriminant Functions—Full ANU study sample

Figure 4.1. Basic characteristics—Student characteristics

Figure 4.2. Basic characteristics—Freedom to study languages

Figure 4.3. Basic characteristics—Perceptions of being forced to study or to discontinue studying a language

Figure 4.4. Reasons for studying the language 1

Figure 4.5. Reasons for studying the language 2

Figure 4.6. Family and peers

Figure 4.7. Previous exposure to language learning

Figure 4.8. Perceptions of difficulty of language studies

Figure 4.9. Difficulties in the language learning process

Figure 4.10. Perception of workload in learning the four basic skills

Figure 4.11. Perception of teachers

Figure 4.12. Perception of the learning environment

Figure 4.13. The effect of grades/marks

Figure 4.14. Reasons to continue studying the language 1

Figure 4.15. Reasons to continue studying the language 2

Figure 4.16. Reasons to continue studying the language 3

Figure 4.17. Reasons to discontinue 1

Figure 4.18. Reasons to discontinue 2

Figure 4.19. Reasons to discontinue 3

Figure 4.20. Reasons to discontinue 4

Figure 5.1. Interest in learning the four language skills—discriminated by grouping of languages

Figure 5.2. Perceptions of how well students report they have learned the four language skills at the time of the data collection. All students

Figure 5.3. Perceptions of how well students have learned the four language skills, discriminated by language groups and propensity to discontinuation

Figure 5.4. Perceptions of how much students have learned about the culture associated with the language and the four language skills, discriminated by propensity to discontinuation. All students