Universities in anglophone countries responded to soaring numbers of non-traditional enrolments by expanding student support services. They have done so without being able to guarantee that international students will develop in their English language during a university degree (Humphreys, 2022, The need for English language development in Anglophone higher education settings: A case study from Australia. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 59, 101156, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2022.101156). Some universities have addressed the need to formalise language improvement by formulating English language policies. This article assesses the effectiveness of two Australian university English language policies – one focusing on language support, and the other focusing on language development. By synthesising the capability approach with critical discourse analysis (CDA), the article presents a qualitative evaluation of the linguistic capabilities and practical argumentation of these policies. The article argues that the development-focused policy appears more likely to maximise English improvement since its larger set of linguistic capabilities stands a greater chance of fostering freedom of choice, and its coherent practical argument could establish a clearer understanding among all policy stakeholders. The article considers the implications of this finding for university policy making.
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