Interweaving employability skills in ESL/EFL university direct entry integrated assessment tasks: A systematic review

Integrated assessments are often used to measure English language readiness for university. As language assessment contexts are impacted by variables beyond the classroom, and technologised learners are increasingly striving to achieve “differentiated learning goals” (Peng et al., 2020, p. 88), the challenge is to design assessments that are more “person-centred” (Bensen, 2019, p. 60). One response is to interweave employability soft skills in English for academic purposes (EAP) direct entry program (DEP) integrated assessment. We conducted a systematic review of integrated assessment and soft skills assessment scholarship to inform integrated assessment design for supporting soft skills development in Australian university DEPs. The findings suggest that adopting a person-centred approach to the design and research of integrated assessments may more comprehensively support students’ students’ adaptive communication capacities for 21st century ambitions.