Understanding multilingualism in internationalised higher education institutions: perspectives on fair assessment

Abstract

This study investigates how multilingualism and internationalisation intersect to shape students’ experiences of assessment in higher education. Focusing on a trilingual Master’s program, the research draws on semi-structured interviews from a co-research project with students. The analysis identifies three dominant assessment scripts that challenge fairness: assumptions of monolingual proficiency, stable competence across communicative modes, and shared familiarity with academic task types. These scripts often disalign with the diverse linguistic repertoires and educational trajectories of plurilingual students, leading to perceived inequities in assessment. However, the study also highlights pedagogical adjustments–such as integrating students’ profiles, scaffolding the assessment journey, and centering content over form–that students perceive as supportive. Framed through the lense of ‘assessment as cultural script’, the findings call for more reflexive, inclusive assessment practices that acknowledge the linguistic and sociocultural realities of internationalised classrooms. The paper contributes to ongoing debates on equity in higher education and advocates for culturally and linguistically responsive assessment design.