This document discusses the importance of English communication skills in the Malaysian workplace. It begins by noting that many Malaysian graduates struggle to find jobs due to poor English proficiency, despite being highly qualified. The document then reviews several studies that examined language use in government and private sector workplaces in Malaysia. It found that while Malay is the official language, English is often needed, especially for tasks like communicating with foreign clients. The document emphasizes the importance of conducting needs analyses to understand the specific English communication requirements of different industries and jobs. It summarizes several studies that analyzed language and communication needs in various Malaysian and international workplaces. Overall, the document argues that understanding communication needs is essential for developing English language training that prepares students for future careers
Pertukaran dan Pencampuran Kod dalam Kalangan Mahasiswa dan Mahasiswi Univers...Thanushah Soniyasee
Slide presentation ini dihasilkan untuk membentangkan hasil kerja kursus kumpulan yang bertajuk "Pertukaran dan Pencampuran Kod dalam Kalangan Mahasiswa dan Mahasiswi Universiti Malaya".
Memfokuskan kepada:
1) Definisi keluarga
2) Ciri-ciri sebuah keluarga
3) Bentuk-bentuk dan corak keluarga
4) Peranan keluarga
5) Perbezaan antara keluarga barat dan tempatan
Credit To:
Zarif
Firdaus Haris
Di dalam slide ini akan dibincangkan mengenai keutuhan leksikal , keutuhan gramatikal dan keutuhan fonologi. Maksud elemen-elemen juga diberikan dan diterangkan.
Credit To :
Norfilzah Hayati
Jabatan Pengajian Perdagangan
Dalam ini diterangkan daripada mengenai asas perniagaan daripada sudut perkhidmatan, struktur organisasi, dan jenis keuntungan.
Pertukaran dan Pencampuran Kod dalam Kalangan Mahasiswa dan Mahasiswi Univers...Thanushah Soniyasee
Slide presentation ini dihasilkan untuk membentangkan hasil kerja kursus kumpulan yang bertajuk "Pertukaran dan Pencampuran Kod dalam Kalangan Mahasiswa dan Mahasiswi Universiti Malaya".
Memfokuskan kepada:
1) Definisi keluarga
2) Ciri-ciri sebuah keluarga
3) Bentuk-bentuk dan corak keluarga
4) Peranan keluarga
5) Perbezaan antara keluarga barat dan tempatan
Credit To:
Zarif
Firdaus Haris
Di dalam slide ini akan dibincangkan mengenai keutuhan leksikal , keutuhan gramatikal dan keutuhan fonologi. Maksud elemen-elemen juga diberikan dan diterangkan.
Credit To :
Norfilzah Hayati
Jabatan Pengajian Perdagangan
Dalam ini diterangkan daripada mengenai asas perniagaan daripada sudut perkhidmatan, struktur organisasi, dan jenis keuntungan.
It is not enough for one to know 'what' to say. The 'how' to say it plays a greater role in communication. Our intended message can become befuddled and muddled to the minds of our readers or listeners. Messages are conveyed in various forms. Practically everyone is into verbal communication most of the day.
Written communication involves extreme care in its presentation. We and the organisations that we work with are judged according to our written communication in the form of texts, brochures, advertisements, vision and mission statements. Sentence structure is the substance of written communication. Sentences that are monotonous put off any reader easily. Sentences need to be injected with vim and vigour. The variety of sentence structures provides the life that we need in our written communication.
A fancy display of our organisation's achievements are not sufficient to convince our would be customers. Clear cut solutions as to our customers' needs are more important. These solutions must be shown in well thought out written language.
The Effective Communication training programme prepares one with the necessary skills to fulfil that need.
English Quiz - One word substitutes - Manu Melwin Joymanumelwin
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English Language Skill Needs of the Secretarial StudentPremier Publishers
This study explored the perception of Secretaryship and Management students about English Language generally; identified their skill needs in the subject and suggests strategies for improving those skills. A descriptive survey research design was adopted and involved 60 participants. Using the systematic random sampling technique, 20 students were selected from each level of study (Level 100 –300) in the Higher National Diploma in Secretaryship and Management Studies Programme at the Wa Technical University. A total number of 60 questionnaires was administered and the same number was retrieved and used in this study. The data were analysed using Microsoft Excel with the results presented in frequency tables and graphs. The study found that participants perceive English Language as a difficult subject; nonetheless, it is indispensable in their academic and professional lives. They affirmed writing, speaking, reading and listening skills as the most important skill needs and identified speaking as the most challenging skill to acquire. The study also found that surprisingly, majority (57%) of the participants was not conversant with email and related applications in English relevant to the modern secretary. The study recommends the regular practice of speaking, writing, reading, and listening as some of the measures to help improve upon the English language skills of the students. They should also be equipped with some basic knowledge in the use of modern information technological tools like email and PowerPoint to enhance their professionalism.
Reconsidering english language teaching in vernacular medium schools of india...Atiya Khan
Although there have been recurring reforms in the policy of Indian government towards the teaching and learning of English and currently English is taught as a compulsory subject in all schools, students from vernacular-medium schools suffer as apart from total unfamiliarity with the language, the pedagogies used to teach English do not enable them to speak the language fluently. Albeit, the demands in India for better teaching and learning of English are not being met meaningfully in vernacular-medium schools. Vernacular-medium students in India mostly leave school speaking a language that would not be recognised in the job market. This paper is a review of related literature to suggest a reconsideration of English language teaching in vernacular-medium schools of India with an emphasis on employability.
The study aims to explore the problems and difficulties of students speaking
English language for Engineering students hailing from rural background. The study
moreover aims to explore the causes of such difficulties. The researcher designed
certain tasks based on Task based language teaching on the sample of the study.
These tasks are applied for each student to investigate speaking difficulties and the
causes of such difficulties. The results showed and indicated that there are some
difficulties in speaking English due to fear of making mistakes, anxiety, shyness and
lack of confidence. The researcher identified to provide environment support and
encourage the students to speak English frequently
Language Needs Analysis for English Curriculum Validationinventionjournals
This study aims to identify the language needs analysis for English curriculum validation in the tertiary level. The descriptive method is utilized in the study and employed purposive sampling. This is also called judgmental sampling. A deliberate selection of individuals made by the researcher based on the predefined criteria. Three hundred forty nine (349) students were utilized as respondents to test their listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, identifying errors and correct usage. Result showed that identifying errors skills, writing skills, correct usage, reading skills and listening skills were significantly affected by the respondents profile since the computed P-value is greater than the significance level of 0.05. However, speaking skills and vocabulary skills show that they are not significant to the profile of the respondents.
Functional English Design for Domestic Migrant Workersidhasaeful
This paper aimed at: (1) describing the content of Functional English Design (FED) materials and (2) describing the appropriateness of the FEDas the English training materials for the migrant workers' candidates (MWC). This study used ADDIE (Analysing, Designing, Developing, Implementing and Evaluating) model involving totally 200 MWC in the 4 PPTKIS (namely authorized private boards in which duties serves the Indonesian workers' placement and protection abroad).The data were taken from the documentation, the trainees’ English training achievements using the FED and peer-debriefing. The gathered data was analyzed using: Content Analysis and Mean-difference computation of the trainees' test results descriptively. This study found: (1) the content of the FEDthatdeveloped“Imparting and seeking factual information” with “Minimum–adequate language Functions” was matched with the trainees needs and (2) the FED was appropriate to use as an alternative English materials since it was designed based on the result of needs analysis beside the test result in significant improvement i.e. the Mean Difference of the oral pre and post-test was 2.25 within the scoring standard scale of 0-10, while the Md of the written pre-post-test was 13.35 within the scoring standard scale of 0-100. Besides, the peers debriefing stated that the FED was recommended for use in the 4 investigated PPTKIS.
Safeya Habeeb Merza
Public Authority for Applied Education and Training
The Higher Institute for Administrative Services English Department
Abstract: Interest in promoting quality English language teaching in foreign countries has been a long-standing
government priority. English is considered the most important universal language in education and professional
work. However, English teaching is focused on professional teaching and language skills without much emphasis
on aspects of English as a culture and not merely a language. The relation between exposure to English-speaking
cultures, mainly western, and EFL’s competencies is a topic in EFL academic research that requires more
investigation, especially in the context of non-native speakers in Arab countries. In education, the present
advancements in the technology field have resulted in renewed interests to blend conventional teaching and
learning approaches with technologies that improve teaching and learning of language. This research aims to
examine the works regarding blended education challenges as a technology-improved pedagogical instrument that
combines face-to-face and e-learning instructional tasks to develop English skills, including its applications in
coaching English as a new language. Besides, this work explores how blended learning enables students to become
engaged and autonomous in knowledge development instead of acting as a passive observers. It is anticipated that
the article shall contribute to improving the knowledge body which exists in the blending learning area, mainly as
it applies to the experience acquisition issues in EFL. It can be argued that blended learning applications can
support EFL learning and maximize opportunities for EFL students to study English at their convenience freely.
Some challenges should be resolved or addressed, such as ensuring that the designs of blended learning methods
put into consideration learning approaches of learners and the workload needed to be effective, the library
facilities can deliver this kind of method, and e-learning materials are suitably supportive, and learners can easily
access them
Using Computer Assisted Language Learning for English Language Teaching An Ad...ijtsrd
In this modern era of information and technology, CALL is widely regarded as a technique for language teaching and learning. When it comes to learning languages, computers are increasingly being used to aid in the teaching and learning process, particularly for English language teaching ELT . This is known as computer assisted language learning. Using CALL can be more productive in language teaching and learning. When it comes to teaching and learning, ICT is commonly regarded as a tool, but there are still a number of problems with effectively using CALL. Nevertheless, a certain level of sensitivity and knowledge of how the program might be utilised effectively is required for its incorporation into language training via CALL. The goal of this research is to examine the impact of computer assisted language learning in the context of English language teaching and learning, specifically the types of activities that are more likely to be successful. There is an outline of how computers have evolved in the classroom. Discussing the benefits and drawbacks of using CALL in the classroom will be done. Moving forward, this paper will cover a variety of computer based learning activities for English language training with a focus on CALL, the future of CALL, and how it might be further developed in the context of todays rapidly expanding technological landscape. This article will also discuss the complexity of CALL and its adaptive approach with respect to individuals understanding, as well as the contribution of CALL and its success in teaching English and aiding language learning. Amir "Using Computer Assisted Language Learning for English Language Teaching: An Adaptive Approach with its Current Development" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-6 | Issue-2 , February 2022, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd49398.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/english/49398/using-computer-assisted-language-learning-for-english-language-teaching-an-adaptive-approach-with-its-current-development/amir
THE ROLE OF ENGLISH IN SINO-THAI COOPERATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE PEOPLE-TOPE...IJCI JOURNAL
This paper presents the findings of the work in progress on investigation on the role of English used in cooperation between two counterparts, China and Thailand, derived from the Sino-Thai project entitled “People-to-People Exchange”, or known as “Jingshi Project.” This preliminary study aimed to identify a variety of the use of English at work, the data of which were administered by a questionnaire and follow-up interviews were conducted to find out in more detail on particular subtopics. The purposive sampling method was used to select the questionnaire respondents in this study, comprising 30 of both Chinese and Thai staff members working under the project during the Thai academic year of 2022. Four interviewees voluntarily participated in the follow-up interviews conducted afterwards. The data were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while the content analysis was used to interpret the interview data. The findings reveal the importance of English in relation to live meetings, document writing, presentations, business trips, and chatting informally on social media. Communication breakdowns often occur when the staff had difficulties communicating in English effectively via their conversational skills. Of the four macro skills, reading is the most commonly used in the cooperation, while the other three skills of listening, speaking, and writing need more attention for language skill improvement. Implications for the upskill training should put an emphasis on the context where the personnel work, English skills they need to improve, and the type of texts or specific situations they are exposed to in the Sino-Thai cooperation.
Speaking in English confidently is a challenging task but very crucial for university students. Graduates with good communication efficiency especially in the engineering field are greatly demanded in the current work industry. Performing confidently is not only important for scoring academic tasks but also to help expand the revenue of the companies at workplace. Thus, a pilot study was conducted to investigate the perceptions of a public technical university engineering undergraduates’ confidence level in speaking English. A mixed method design was employed where a survey and semi-structured interview were conducted for data collection. The participants were selected using purposive sampling method where a total number of 50 undergraduates provided valid responses to the online questionnaire and 5 undergraduates participated in the semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics using Statistical Package for the Social Science Version 25.0 (SPSS version 25.0) and thematic analysis were adopted for data analyses. The results revealed three main areas that were identified as important to build the students’ confidence in speaking: applying manual skills, familiarization of vocabulary and correct usage of grammar. The findings also highlighted that the participants felt that more public speaking practices should be provided to them to improve their confidence level further in speaking English fluently.
FACTOR ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH COMMUNICATION COMPETENCY AMONG MALAYSIAN TECHNOLOG...IAEME Publication
This paper aimed to determine factors influencing English communication
competency among Malaysian university undergraduates from technology
departments at Universiti Tun Hussain Onn Malaysia (UTHM). A survey was
administered to a random sample of 102 undergraduates. Factor analysis was applied
to determine the underlying dimensions that influence English competency among the
students. The findings revealed four critical factors: mother tongue interference, lack
of confidence, lack of practice, and home environment. Thus, students need to be
encouraged to communicate in English at the university and home to provide wider
language practice opportunities to master communication skills in English and
perform well in the technology courses.
Similar to English for workplace communication (20)
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
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The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
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http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
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1. 1
__________________________________________________________________
OUMH2203
ENGLISH FOR WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
JANUARY 2016 SEMESTER
___________________________________________________________________
NAMA : MOHD ZAHIRUDDIN BIN AZMAN
NO. MATRIKULASI : 750909016913001
NO. KAD PENGENALAN : 750909016913
NO. TELEFON : 017 522 2973
E-MEL : zahirmuc@yahoo.com
NAMA PENSYARAH : YASHWANORA BINTI YAHAYA
PUSAT PEMBELAJARAN : PERAK LEARNING CENTRE
2. 2
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction 3
2.0 English language in a Malaysian workplace 3
3.0 English as Business Communication 4
4.0 The Importance of Needs Analysis 5
5.0 The workplace Communication Needs of Business 7
6.0 Conclusion 9
7.0 References 9
3. 3
1.0 Introduction
Communication is a key to success. Most of the successful figures in the world are
the heroes in communicating of their respective fields. But, why it is said that many
Malaysians have difficulty in communicating in English especially in business-related
matters whereas there are many successful entrepreneurs in Malaysia? It is true or it is just a
saying without fact. Let’s figure it out.
In 2006, the government of Malaysia revealed that 45,000 college graduates were
unemployed, and this was mainly caused by a poor command of the English language
(Phang, 2006). In addition, the Malaysian Employers Federation [MEF] (2004) stated that
engineering and science graduates were the most sought after graduates due to the
proliferation of these industries both in Malaysia and globally. However, many employers
were hesitant to hire these graduates due to their poor proficiency in the language, although
they were highly qualified academically.
The aim of producing world class graduates to meet and exceed the demands of the
ever changing and competitive world of business and the realization of the status of English
as an International language and its importance as a communication tool brought about our
effort to investigate ways to help and develop communication skills among Malaysians
students. Thus, the need to understand the communication requirements in multinational
companies is indeed essential to ensure that graduates would be able to communicate orally
and in written thus would enhance their capabilities in business industry.
Thus, this report is prepared to identify the oral communication skills needed by the
Malaysian’s businessman and the communicative events where English would be required
by the industry. This investigation has contributed to both syllabus design and module
development which could mould and cater for the needs of engineering students as future
global businessmen, and hence, ensure their language development and enhance their
competitive advantage in the job market.
2.0 English language in a Malaysian workplace
Malaysia is a kaleidoscopic society which is comprised of a multitude of ethnic
groups, regions, languages, religions, customs and cultures. Each ethnic group has its own
language; however, Bahasa Malaysia or the Malay language is the official language of the
country, while English is the second language. Yet, how important is the English language in
4. 4
a Malaysian workplace? Karim (1987) states that: Malay faces stiff competition in English
language. While the policy is to use the national language in all official instances, in many
important domains of language. However, English is still the preferred language. (as cited
in Mohd Jan, 2003)
A few studies have investigated the languages used and patterns of interactions in the
government and private sectors in Malaysia. Ting (2002) examined the support staff’s need
to use English in a principally Malay organisation, and how they dealt with the English
language demands of the workplace. The results showed that the support staff faced
difficulties when communicating in English with the public because the nature of their work
did not require them to use English either in reading or writing. As a result, Ting (2002)
highlighted the necessity to emphasize of teaching English as oral communication skills in
schools for students who wish to join the workforce as support staff, so that they have
adequate knowledge for basic communication in the language.
3.0 English as Business Communication
As Malay is the official language of the country, all official functions and written
communication of the government offices are carried out in Malay. However, since most
Malaysians are either bilingual or multilingual, conversations between them are often
characterised by code-switching. Kaur and Singh (1994), in their study on turn-taking,
observed that there was a tendency for Malaysians to code-switch when speaking to a person
from a different ethnic group (as cited in Mohd Jan, 2003).
On the use of language in the government sector, Mohd Jan (2003) investigated
several extracts of formal talk exchange where instances of code-switching between Malay
and the English language occur between working adults in one of the government offices.
The analyses of talk included examining the existence of linguistic power-wielding among
male and female participants, and how they manipulated issues during interactions by using
code-switching to negotiate personal rights and obligations and to take control of situations.
Another study that demonstrated the use of English and its patterns of interactions in
the work place was conducted by Briguglio (2003). The researcher examined the use of
English as a global language in two multinational companies in Kuala Lumpur and Hong
Kong. In the preliminary findings, it was found that in the case of Seacargo International in
Kuala Lumpur, both spoken and written English were seen as important, especially for
5. 5
surveyors, to perform their work effectively. Although face to face communication was
regarded as highly important, high priority was given to written communication, particularly
in the context of an investigation.
4.0 The Importance of Needs Analysis
The impetus to ensure that our business study students are equipped with the
necessary communication skills to face their challenging professional environment is
consistent with the seventh element, of a set of required elements, outlined by the
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) (Engineering Accreditation
Commission, 2007). The university has adopted ABET’s set of requirements in designing its
curriculum. Felder and Brent (2003) state that in order to comply with ABET requirements
the formulation of “program educational objectives and a set of program outcomes which
include knowledge, skills and attitudes that will address the educational objectives” is
essential. It is in this context that the soliciting of necessary information from industry is
deemed significant in designing the curriculum and courses and in preparing our students for
the workplace (Barchilon, 1993). Therefore, a needs analysis to investigate what is required
for students is essential. There are a number of studies of language needs analysis, as well as
communication patterns analysis, in the workplace. In a study of various communication
purposes in different types of Brazilian business organizations,
Barbara, Antonieta, Celani, Collins, and Scott (1996) found that apart from
Portuguese, a great majority of the organizations used English for internal and external
communications. They also reported that large organizations and industries involved in the
study put great emphasis on English and utilized it in a wide range of document-types such
as proposals, prospectuses, reports and projects. Chew’s (2005) study of new graduate
employees in four banks in Hong Kong, on the other hand, revealed a clear divide between
spoken and written discourses, in which Cantonese is used in spoken communication, whilst
English is preferred for the latter.
Another study conducted in Hong Kong workplaces was by Li and Mead (2000).
They investigated the communication needs of the personnel of textile and clothing
merchandisers who communicated in international business settings. The in-depth study
identified and revealed how communication demands were different from those provided in
traditional English courses.
6. 6
Besides input from workplaces, it is worthwhile for English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
practitioners to collaborate with subject matter experts from specific faculties such as
business or engineering lecturers to better comprehend the complexity and range of the
communication tasks expected from students, as highlighted by Jackson (2005). She
emphasized the need for a comprehensive needs analysis and collaboration with content
specialists in order to avoid or minimise the mismatch between the requirements of faculties
and the ESP courses offered.
In the Malaysian ESP context, a few studies have been conducted to analyse the
language needs of students by going to workplace environments. Ibrahim (1993) focused her
study on a Japanese multinational manufacturing company, Goh and Chan (1993) obtained
data from the commercial sector whilst Leong (2001) looked at small and medium size
business industries. While Goh and Chan administered questionnaires to university
undergraduates (potential employees) and companies (potential employers), Ibrahim and
Leong on the other hand, employed an ethnographic approach which provided researchers
with access to the targeted community so that they could gather insider information (Leong,
2001) and collect “firsthand data that are uncontaminated” (Ibrahim, 1993). Goh and Chan
reported that based on the responses from the companies, English was important for both
recruitment and promotion, with speaking and writing as the first and second most important
language skills to possess respectively.
Meanwhile, in his study, Ibrahim found that “real” world communication is
determined by purpose and dependent on time constraints. He also discovered brainstorming
sessions and meetings were most prevalent in the Japanese organization. Thus, he proposed
the implementation of a project-oriented, task-based syllabus which provides opportunities
for students to practice actual communication and to inculcate team work.
In small and medium industries, Leong found out that the success of sales executives
depends on their ability to display a variety of communication skills in any communicative
event in the sales process.
All the data collected from industry, either via questionnaire or the ethnographic
approach, have given us valuable insights into the actual target community. This firsthand
information can be the basis for setting up ESP programs, pedagogical changes or
developing a new syllabus, materials or tasks (Leong, 2001).
7. 7
Although the number of ESP studies conducted in Malaysia is small, and the focus is
on different disciplines and professions, these studies have helped us to realize the need to
conduct constant and up-dated survey analyses to help prepare our students for the ever-
changing world of professionals.
5.0 The workplace Communication Needs of Business
In today’s most competitive world, businessmen are not only required to effectively
convey technical information, but they also need to have acceptable social and
communication skills in order to excel in the workplace. Unfortunately, there is significant
evidence that shows an inadequacy among graduates to meet these requirements. This was
reported by the Society for Manufacturing Engineers which found that, among the top
“competency gaps” in engineering education, the “lack of communication skills” was one of
the most prominent (Sageev & Romanowski, 2001). This scenario has resulted in a
collaboration between engineering education, the industry and communication educators.
Over the past decade, communication educators have been invited to impart their knowledge
of, and assistance in, integrating speaking and writing in education (Darling & Dannels,
2003). They also reported the results of practicing businessmen descriptions of the
importance of oral communication and formal presentations in their daily work. However,
more time was spent on interpersonal and small group experiences. The practicing
businessmen also considered communication skills such as translation, clarity, negotiation
and listening as vital.
Business communication is the sending and receiving of verbal and non verbal
messages within the organizational context (Roebuck, 2001; Ober, 2001; Murphy,
Hildebrandt, & Thomas, 1997). Hanna and Wilson (1998) expanded on this definition,
indicating business communication is a process of generating, transmitting, receiving, and
interpreting messages in interpersonal, group, public, and mass communication contexts
through written and verbal formats. Hynes (2005) stated effective business communication is
the key to planning, leading, organizing, and controlling the resources of the organizations to
achieve objectives, and may be formal or informal in nature. Argenti (2007) discussed
business communication functional aspects and found that over half of the heads of
corporate communication departments oversee business communications functions that
include media relations, online communications, marketing, special events, product/brand
communications, crisis management, employee/internal communications, community
8. 8
relations, and product/brand advertising. The expanse and importance of business
communication underscores the need for business education and business to collaborate in
preparing business majors for the workplace.
English is widely used for communication in business sectors and the term ‘language
needs’ is used by researchers to describe studies which investigate in detail the nature of
language needed by certain employees in workplaces (Kaewpet, 2009; Kassim & Ali, 2010).
English language needs for engineers can be studied and analyses from engineers’
involvement in communicative events in engineering workplaces (Kawpet, 2009;
Bhattacharyya, Nordin & Salleh, 2009; Kassim & Ali, 2010; Moslehifar & Ibrahim, 2012).
Language and workplace communication researchers began to analyze communicative
events where engineers need to use English language in order to execute their workplace
responsibilities. For instance, Kassim and Ali (2010) distributed questionnaires to engineers
working in 10 Malaysian multinational companies to investigate the types of communicative
events where engineers need to have sound English oral communication skills. Events such
as teleconferencing, formal discussion of work related matters, giving oral presentations,
networking, instructing, explaining and demonstrating were rated with highest frequency
mean. They speculated that in most of these communicative events, the engineers will need
to “sell ideas and to convince another person of their own ideas” (p. 177).
Like Kassim and Ali (2010), Kaewpet (2009) in an attempt to link classroom
syllabus to English language needs in target situations in Thailand’s context, studied the
communicative events as stated in the course description of ‘Technical English 1’ subject
and questioned whether such communicative events listed in the course description
‘continued to be significant in the current situations of engineering workplace
communication (p. 267). Based on an extensive review of literature on engineering reading
articles which were published in international journals such as English for Specific Purposes,
IEEE transactions on professional communication and research reports in Thailand, Kaewpet
drew 33 communicative events in which engineers (civil engineers) and engineering students
might be involved in. Table 1 shows a summary of communicative events where engineers
need to use English language in engineering workplaces as reported by researchers in
Thailand (Kaewpet, 2009), Malaysia (Kassim & Ali, 2010) and Taiwan (Spence & Liu,
2013).
9. 9
The findings are unequivocal signals for communication and language educators to
adapt new approaches to teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP). These findings also
corroborate the view proposed by Splitt (1993), that the challenge is to provide better ways
for faculty to work with students and to help them enhance their people-related skills as the
industry needs people who can work with other people, communicate, be inventive, creative,
and have ideas and the courage to see them through. Talking from the same perspective,
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the previous Prime Minister of Malaysia, also raised
the importance of industry’s involvement in the development of the curriculum.
The curriculum needs to be more relevant to industry because this will help enhance
human-capital development in the country. It is also seek recommendations from the private
sector on what to include in the curriculum, so that it can equip students with the knowledge
and skills that are needed. (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, The Star, May 21, 2007)
6.0 Conclusion
As per conclusion, I must say that oral and written communication in English are
really important to ensure our businessmen are the fighters who would be able to converse
well and win the game of business. If our businessmen could not converse in English well,
their chances to dash with better opportunities would be seen as out of date and they may fail
in business battle. However, Malay Language should not be portrayed as conventional
language which supposingly able to draw future businessmen in global market too.
Cooperation between responsible parties, namely the engineering employers, the universities
and the technical English language trainers must be established at a more meaningful and
reciprocal level. The existence of such a level of cooperation will establish an effective flow
of the changing nature of industry needs and the review of the existing English language
curriculum. The reciprocal nature of the cooperation can guarantee the needs of the industry
is met and followed by the universities.
7.0 References
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Othman, Hasyamudin. (2007). Adopting problem-based learning in the teaching of
10. 10
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