Lingnan University Revises English Graduation Requirement: Undergraduates No Longer Required to Take External Tests Such as IELTS; Passing Designated Courses Satisfies the Requirement

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Lingnan University (LU) announced yesterday afternoon (the 15th) that it is revising the English graduation requirement for undergraduates with immediate effect. Students who complete the university's designated compulsory English courses and pass them will be able to graduate, and will no longer need to take external benchmark tests such as IELTS or the Password Test.

📋 Revised Requirement: Complete Designated Compulsory English Courses and Pass
Under the revised requirement, students only need to complete the university's designated compulsory English courses and pass them to meet the graduation requirement; this revision replaces the use of a single external examination score as the English graduation requirement. LU stated that it will enhance students' English proficiency through compulsory English courses that count towards credits. In addition, LU's Centre for English and Additional Languages has also launched a new English Language Enhancement course this academic year to provide additional English learning support for students in need. This course groups students according to their English proficiency at admission, covering the university's compulsory English courses, English electives, and discipline-related professional communication courses.

💬 LU: Regularly Reviewing and Optimising Compulsory English Courses
LU stated that the university has always valued students' English proficiency, and regularly reviews and optimises the university's compulsory English courses and graduation requirements to ensure that teaching arrangements meet students' learning needs and ensure they can continuously improve their English proficiency during their university years, preparing them for further studies and entering the workplace after graduation. Since LU implemented the English graduation requirement eight years ago, all graduates have met the English graduation requirement.

🗣️ Cheng Yu-wun Questions "Lowering the Bar"
Images of the relevant revision had already circulated online this morning, sparking heated discussion among netizens. Before LU officially announced it, former Legislative Council Member Cheng Yu-wun had already posted on Facebook regarding the revision that was circulating at the time, questioning whether the revision was "lowering the bar." She said that some LU students had earlier hired surrogate test-takers for TOEFL and got into legal trouble, and similar incidents had occurred more than once; she did not know whether these cases were related to the revision. She continued that Hong Kong is moving towards becoming an international education industry centre, and should have higher requirements for the international lingua franca. She also said that the English examination originally stipulated by LU was not particularly difficult, "if you really study seriously, how hard is it?"