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A Malaysian professional communication skills in English framework for English for occupational purposes courses
Abstract and Figures
Malaysian employers have considerable reservations when it comes to graduates’ employability skills, particularly their flawed English language competence. Given the challenges faced by higher education institutions in Malaysia to match employers’ requirements, there is a need to initiate holistic and comprehensive research on the curriculum practices of current English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) courses. This study sought to better comprehend employers’ perspectives, expectations and practices in dealing with the English language demands of the workplace environment. The requirements demanded by Malaysian employers will determine the key definition of professional communication skills for successful workplace functions.
The aim of this study was twofold. Firstly, it intended to define Professional Communication Skills (PCS) by looking at the needs and requirements of Malaysian stakeholders, namely employers, the government and academia. This component explores the requirements, suggestions as well as common practices in relation to English language communication carried out at the workplace in the public and private sectors in Malaysia as voiced by the stakeholders. These valuable facts will help to fulfil the fundamental objective of this study, which is to determine the key definition of professional communication skills identified by Malaysian stakeholders for successful workplace functions. A clearly defined Professional Communication Skills Framework in English is aimed for at the end of this study. Secondly, it also aims to produce an informed, impartial and highly valid PCS framework for English by having the stakeholders thoroughly involved in creating meaning and amending the components within the framework during the validation stage of the study. Additionally, in order to make sure that the framework is not only valid but also achievable, a few experts in the field of teaching English in higher education have looked through the framework thoroughly.
This qualitative study sits within the interpretivist paradigm, where data were primarily drawn from in-depth interviews with 24 respondents in the following subgroups: 1) human resource managers from key multi-national industries (10 respondents); 2) government executives who recruit entry-level employees for public sector (4 respondents) and; 3) EOP instructors and HE liaison officers for industrial training (10 respondents). The data were subjected to rigorous deductive and iterative analysis in which soft systems methodology (SSM) was applied. To assure the rigour, integrity and legitimacy of the research process and its worth, trustworthiness criteria were applied all the way through the study.
Key findings of the study centre on the complexities of graduates’ English language workplace literacies, where it was discovered that the balance of breadth and depth of communicative competence should be embedded throughout the system of education, as early as in pre-primary education. Contrary to expectations, the findings illustrate that graduates’ personal attributes were rated more important than communicating fluently in the English language. Stakeholders compellingly proposed that these attributes should be stressed during the teaching and learning process in HE institutions and observable measures should be designed to assess the graduates’ personal attributes that are desired by stakeholders. The findings also stress the dire need to put emphasis on fluency over accuracy in the HE curriculum.
This study has yielded findings that make an original contribution to both the theory and practice of English language literacies since it adds to the broader view of workplace literacies by unveiling the requirements for English language used in a professional setting situated in a Malaysian context. This study has provided conclusive evidence by documenting Malaysian stakeholders’ requirements regarding the workplace literacies of graduates, scrutinising the findings and developing a practical PCS framework for English, using a Communication Competence Model (Morealle, Spitzberg and Barge, 2007) as its point of departure. These outcomes are especially beneficial for informing policy makers’ agendas in producing competent graduates for the future local and global workforce.
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... Local universities need to produce a knowledgeable and skillful workforce that have effective communication skills. Tajuddin and Jauhar (2015) note that poor knowledge of English and oral communication skills are two primary reasons that contribute to the high unemployment rate among Malaysian graduates. In universities, the issue of low English proficiency remains unsolved for many years (Rusli et al., 2018). ...
... Higher education institutions such as universities and polytechnics are tasked with the role to develop a competent workforce that are skilled in their sub-fields and possess high professional communication skills, most often in English. Tajuddin and Jauhar (2015) posit that low proficiency skills in English writing and oral communication are two primary reasons that contribute to the high unemployment rate of Malaysian graduates. According to the Graduate Employability Blueprint 2012-2017 (Ministry of Higher Education, 2012), 54% of the undergraduate from six public universities are shown to have a limited command of English. ...
Although graduates are skilled in their fields, many now face problems getting employment relevant to their specialisations. One reason for this is the lack of good communication skills in English, which is now the international business language. Students in higher education institutions need to have a high propensity of Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in order to gain fluency in English language skills. WTC is seen as an indicator to measure students' propensity in learning English effectively. WTC is also said to be related to confidence, which is an essential variable in communication. However, research shows that WTC among undergraduates in Malaysia is low. This paper examines the relationship between WTC and communication confidence (CC, and the relationship between WTC and self-perceived communicative competence among undergraduates in a public university. This study uses survey to collect data on WTC. 187 undergraduates in a public university in Malaysia were involved in this study. These respondents were selected using stratified sampling and systemic random sampling technique. The correlation analysis was done using the Pearson bivariate correlation analysis. The findings showed that WTC was positively correlated with CC and self-perceived communication competence. The findings also revealed that WTC was negatively correlated with communication apprehension. The implications of this study suggest it is necessary to increase students' WTC as it is related to students' CC and communication competence. Increasing students' WTC enhances the effectiveness of English language learning. In the long run this will help with developing a more competent workforce that has effective and relevant communication abilities.
... Numerous needs analyses have been conducted to understand better the language and communication needs of employers in Malaysia to address the challenge of language proficiency affecting graduate employability. Past studies have looked at the importance of the English language for employment (Sarudin et al., 2013;Tajuddin et al., 2015;Zainuddin et al., 2019) as well as specific needs of the industry (Hee & Zainal, 2018;Isnin et al., 2018;Perinpasingam et al., 2015). Past needs analyses have looked into the skills and subskills required to communicate well in the context of workplace and professional communication. ...
... A learning-centred approach to course design (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987, p. 74 Hutchinson and Waters (1987) on the practice of conducting a needs analysis. For instance, Tajuddin (2015), who conducted a qualitative study, found that for speaking skills in the professional context, the main requirement is the ability for graduates to contribute to productive and appropriate verbal interactions. On the other hand, for writing, the main requirement is to contribute to the effective execution of tasks at work and make the workflow efficient. ...
The ever-changing demands of the workforce due to current trends have led to the need for universities to equip their graduates with the necessary soft skills to increase their employability. As a result, the implementation of CEFR in language curricula was emphasised to address this matter. However, research on how CEFR could be implemented into a university''s workplace communication course is severely lacking. Moreover, there is room to further enhance existing CEFR frameworks for workplace communication. Thus, this preliminary study was conducted to investigate students’ perceptions of the use and importance of language productive skills (LPS) at the workplace towards developing a CEFR framework for workplace communication. The study adopted the quantitative approach through questionnaires to gauge students’ perceptions of the use and importance of LPS at the workplace. A total of 354 students from various faculties under the clusters of science and technology, business and management, and social sciences and humanities participated in the study. The responses were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study’s findings show that, generally, students’ perceptions regarding the use and importance of speaking skills in the workplace are congruent to the CEFR scale for formal discussions. However, the use and importance of writing skills do not match the current available scale under CEFR to cater to workplace communication. Thus, future research calls for curriculum developers to identify relevant descriptors needed for written workplace communication.
... Ethiopian TVET programs focus heavily on practical skills, with limited integration of English language instruction, even though English is the medium of instruction at higher levels and is crucial for global employability (Hasan & Karim, 2019). The curriculum's emphasis on local languages and content neglects the industry-specific English skills necessary for trainees to succeed in international markets (Tajuddin & Jauhar, 2015), thereby limiting their opportunities for both academic and professional advancement (Belachew, 2020). ...
This study investigates English language proficiency and difficulties among trainees at Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Technical and Vocational Training Institute (TVTI). As English proficiency becomes increasingly vital for career success, particularly in technical fields like garment and apparel fashion, understanding the specific language needs within the Ethiopian TVET context is crucial. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were gathered from 108 trainees through questionnaires, observations, and interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS 25, and qualitative data with NVivo. Results indicated that writing is perceived as the most challenging skill, with variability in responses influenced by individual factors. Note-taking, technical reports, and understanding instructions were also rated as difficult. These findings align with previous research, emphasizing the impact of cultural and confidence factors on language perceptions. The study underscores the importance of contextualized skill development to meet the technical terminology demands in this context.
... International talents with a good command and competency in English have become the strategic resources for companies to achieve growth and in some cases for students to win international competitions (Yang, Chen, Liu, & Du, 2023). Thus, good ability of using English in specific fields is urgently demanded by employers (Buzarna-Tihenea, 2021) and proficiency in performing workplace tasks through English has evolved into a crucial reference to employ graduates by companies (Ahmad Tajuddin, 2015). Frequent assertions have been made by linguistics scholars that in content-specific domain, a language specific curriculum and assessment will provide more reliable indicators of language skills and communication abilities than a generalpurpose language course (Ahmad, et.al, 2021) To a large extent, the lack of professional skills and communicative competency may probably result in graduates' unemployment and difficulties in career growth. ...
In the midst of the current digital learning era, traditional assessment has gradually shifted over prioritizing summative assessment towards equally emphasizing formative assessment within blended learning mode. However, there are still limited studies that investigate the implementation of formative assessment via blended learning mode in China particularly looking at the situation at Chinese vocational polytechnics. To explore actual formative assessment practices, a qualitative case study was conducted at two vocational polytechnics and experienced ESP teachers were selected as participants. Rich data were collected through rounds of semi-structured interviews and document analysis and emerging themes from the elicited and analysed data show five categories of challenges. The findings revealed that though most ESP teachers perceived formative assessment as an effective and fair way to monitor students’ learning process, there are still challenges that must be mitigated especially when implemented via online platforms. The challenges come in the form of difficulty in following ESP assessment principles, limited training and absence of guidelines, large class size, and students’ lack of motivation influence their assessment practices. This study justifies the need to develop explicit guidelines for best practices in ESP formative assessment for teachers’ reference.
... Even the country's professional agencies like Malaysia Qualification Agency (MQA) and the Malaysian Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) emphasize language mastery and communicative competence as essential traits to be attained by undergraduates. Academic grades produced for undergraduates v assessments will be heavily relied upon by future employers and will be crucial for selection purposes by companies [5]. Albeit the advent of digital education and the growing emphasis for 21 st century graduate traits development that includes English language mastery, graduates' attainment in this area crucial for employability and career growth is still lacking. ...
... The local universities do not merely need to develop competent employees but also employees with high professional communication skills. Poor command of English and oral communication skills are two primary reasons that contribute to the high unemployment rate among Malaysian graduates (Tajuddin & Jauhar, 2015). According to The Graduate Employability Blueprint 2012-2017 (2012) statistics, it shows that 54% of the undergraduate from six universities had a limited command of English. ...
Willingness to communicate (WTC) plays a crucial role in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach at higher education institutions. However, the willingness to communicate (WTC) among undergraduates in Malaysia is low. This paper aims to identify the relationship between willingness to communicate and communication confidence. This study employed a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire from MacIntyre's and Weavers's to collect data from 187 undergraduates. This study employed stratified sampling and systemic random sampling technique. This study used Pearson bivariate correlation to measure correlation analysis. The findings showed that willingness to communicate is positively correlated with communication confidence and self-perceived communication competence. The findings also revealed willingness to communicate is negatively correlated with communication apprehension. This study contributes towards enhancing understanding about willingness to communicate (WTC) and its connections, self-perceived communicative competence and communication apprehension specifically in the field of English Language Teaching in tertiary education in a Malaysian context. This study also suggests that if the effectiveness of English language learning is to be improved, aspects of willingness to communicate and communication confidence should be given special attention.
... The rationale behind the implementation of the new language requirement policy is in line with the Malaysian government's strategy to enrich the English language proficiency further and to equip Malaysian undergraduates in meeting and facing the challenges of globalisation (Ganapathy, 2015;Lee, 2015;Llurda, 2013;Samuel & Bakar, 2008;Shakir, 2009;Tajuddin, 2015). The outcome of such a scheme would result in heightened confidence of graduates and at the same time, prepare them for the workforce upon successful completion of their academic programmes at institutions of higher learning. ...
The goal of this research was to determine the English language writing skills of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) graduating undergraduates based on two linguistic levels; the IIUM English Proficiency Test (EPT) and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), based on two descriptors: IIUM's EPT descriptor, and CEFR's 'General linguistic range' descriptor (Council of Europe, 2001, p 110). The EPT results show that the majority (48 %) of the English language writing skills of IIUM undergraduates were in Band 6, while Band 5.5, Band 5 and Band 4, respectively, ranked 31.3%, 4.9% and 0.4%. On the other hand, Band 8, Band 7 and Band 6.5 were attained by 0.2%, 2.4% and 12.2% of undergraduates. A significant proportion of IIUM undergraduates (46.3 %) were found to be at Level B2 + when assessed against the CEFR scale for the 'General linguistic range.' At the same time, 2.2%, 12.4%, 33.9 and 5.2% of students were at Level C2, C1, B2, B1 +, respectively. The results also showed that a mere 0.2% was at Level B1. This research also showed that despite some inaccuracies and improper uses, IIUM students could write effectively and understand and use reasonably complicated language, particularly in familiar situations. Based on the CEFR scale for 'General linguistic range', the results of this study show that IIUM graduating undergraduates could clearly articulate themselves in their writing.
The development of modern society requires highly qualified specialists in different fields of industry, who can communicate effectively and interact productively with foreign colleagues. Proficiency in a foreign language has become crucial for a specialist’s personal and professional growth. This paper aimes to study the impact of communicative foreign language teaching methods on developing undergraduate students' communicative competence at Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University. This research employs general scientific approaches and methods: theoretical for analysis, generalisation of the main provisions of the research and clarifying the essence and features of the process of developing communicative competence; and empirical: a questionnaire, observations, testing and conversations for examining the level of undergraduate students' communicative competence. This paper starts with the analysis of theoretical fundamentals of communicative competence in foreign language learning, its general components. It briefly describes some foreign language teaching methods focused on communication activities in foreign language classes. Due to the data of the survey conducted at Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, the impact of implementing communicative foreign language teaching methods on developing undergraduate students' communicative competence was examined. According to the study's findings, communicative foreign language teaching methods promote students' interest and foster their engagement in the learning process, raise their motivation and improve their communication proficiency in English. The combination of innovative and traditional technologies, such as writing essays or reports, constructing scenarios, modelling communicative situations, role-playing, case-studying, etc., plays a critical role in the foreign language classroom learning. Undergraduate students felt more confident in speaking and writing in English due to the learner-centered approach and numerous interactions and communication activities undertaken in a foreign language class. Key words: communicative competence, foreign language learning, undergraduate students, proficiency, communication.
Gelombang teknologi baharu yang dikenali sebagai revolusi perindustrian 4.0 (4IR) diiringi dengan penggunaan robotik dan pengautomasian menyebabkan perubahan terhadap permintaan tenaga buruh dan bidang pekerjaan. Profesion jurutera awam merupakan salah satu daripada 53 bidang pekerjaaan kritikal bagi membangunkan ekonomi negara dalam mendepani arus cabaran 4IR. Namun begitu, peratusan bilangan jurutera awam baharu yang diterima bekerja masih lagi rendah disebabkan oleh faktor ketidaksepadanan kemahiran generik sekaligus menyebabkan masalah pengangguran dalam kalangan graduan kejuruteraan awam (KA) masih lagi berlaku. Oleh itu, kajian ini dilaksanakan untuk meneroka spesifikasi yang terperinci mengenai kemahiran generik 4IR (KG4IR) bagi graduan kejuruteraan awam berdasarkan perspektif daripada pihak industri kejuruteraan awam. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif melalui temu bual semi berstruktur atas talian terhadap lima orang pakar bidang KA berdasarkan protokol temu bual. Dapatan temu bual dianalisis menggunakan sistem kod untuk mengeluarkan kategori dan tema bagi membentuk spesifikasi KG4IR. Hasil analisis mendapati bahawa sembilan tema KG4IR telah diperolehi iaitu kemahiran komunikasi, penyelesaian masalah, kepimpinan, kepintaran emosi, kreativiti, pemikiran kritikal, kebolehsuaian, digital dan pengurusan bersama perincian daripada kategori untuk membentuk spesifikasi KG4IR yang sesuai bagi graduan KA. Melalui spesifikasi KG4IR yang terperinci ini, ianya dapat dijadikan panduan bagi penerapan KG4IR oleh pihak pemegang taruh (IPT, pihak industri) untuk menghasilkan graduan kalis masa hadapan yang mampu bekerja dalam suasana pekerjaan 4IR selari dengan inspirasi Kerangka Pendidikan Tinggi 4.0 oleh Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia.i Kata kunci: Kemahiran generik; revolusi perindustrian 4.0; kejuruteraan awam; industri;perspektif
ABSTRACT
New technology wave named as industrial revolution 4.0 (4IR) accompanied by the use of robotics and automation caused changes in the demand of labour market and employment. Profession as civil engineer is highlighted as one of the 53 critical occupations to boost economic growth to face the challenges in 4IR. However, the percentage of hired entry-level civil engineers is still low due to the generic skills mismatch factor leading to unresolved unemployment issues among civil engineering (CE) graduates. Thus, this study was conducted to explore the specification of 4IR generic skills (GS4IR) for civil engineering graduates based from the industry's perspectives. This study was done by using qualitative approach through online semi structured interviews with five civil engineering experts guided by an interview protocol. The interview data were analysed by using code system to derive the categories and themes in order to develop the specification of GS4IR. The result shows that nine themes of GS4IR were derived which are communication skill, problem solving, leadership, emotional intelligence, creativity, critical thinking, adaptability, digital and management supplemented with the details from the categories to develop the GS4IR specification that suitable for CE graduates. From the GS4IR specification, it can be used as a guideline to instil GS4IR by the stakeholders (HEI, industries) in order to produce future-proof graduates that able to work in 4IR working environment in line with the aspiration of Higher Education 4.0 Framework by Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.
Strategic competence refers to the use of both verbal and nonverbal communication to (1) compensate for breakdowns in communication, (2) manage insufficient competence in communication, or (3) enhance the effectiveness of communication (Canale, 1983). In the teaching and learning of English as a second or foreign language, such strategies are useful to ensure that messages are communicated accurately despite limitations in vocabulary or grammatical competence. In the context of higher education, these strategies are especially useful for fresh graduates who wish to seek employment in an English-medium workplace. However, very little research has examined the acceptable strategies that can be used by fresh graduates to minimize breakdowns in communication that result from existing language barriers. Hence, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 employers in Malaysia to uncover different strategies that are used in the workplace to avoid breakdowns in communication. The findings show that metacognitive strategies through observing others to improve communication as well as cognitive strategies such as obtaining direct feedback on specific terminologies, formats or wordings are among the strategies that fresh graduates could utilize to improve their competence in communicating at the workplace. Thus, the findings of this research are especially valuable for educators and fresh graduates to develop communicative competence to communicate effectively in the workplace.
The objective of this study was to assess the acquisition of employability skills among Malaysian community college students. The sample size of the present study 325 students selected randomly. Employability skills were measured using an instrument developed by the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS). The overall mean of employability skills among community college students was 3.63 (S.D. = 0.47). Thus, we consider the employability skills of community college students to be moderately high. Of all measures of employability skills, students scored the highest on personal qualities (Mean= 3.86, S.D. = 0.59). The lowest score was identified inthe area of resource skills (M =3.52: S.D. = 0.55). Three aspects of employability measures were abovethe mean: basic skills (M = 3.66, S. D. = 0.59), interpersonal skills (M = 3.72, SD. = 0.71) and personal qualities (M = 3.86, SD. = 0.59). The three aspects of employability that were below the mean were thinking skills (M= 3.61, SD. = 0.62), resource skills (M = 3.52, SD. = 0.55) and informational skills (M = 3.55, SD. = 0.59). We also tested whether employability skills among students differed as a functionof gender and work experience. The result of an independent t-test showed that there was no significant difference in employability skills by gender or work experience. We presented some recommendations for improve the employability skills acquisition among community college students.
The objective of this study was to assess the acquisition of employability skills among Malaysian community college students. The sample size of the present study 325 students selected randomly. Employability skills were measured using an instrument developed by the Secretarys Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS). The overall mean of employability skills among community college students was 3.63 (S.D. = 0.47). Thus, we consider the employability skills of community college students to be moderately high. Of all measures of employability skills, students scored the highest on personal qualities (Mean= 3.86, S.D. = 0.59). The lowest score was identified in the area of resource skills (M =3.52: S.D. = 0.55). Three aspects of employability measures were above the mean: basic skills (M = 3.66, S. D. = 0.59), interpersonal skills (M = 3.72, SD. = 0.71) and personal qualities (M = 3.86, SD. = 0.59). The three aspects of employability that were below the mean were thinking skills (M= 3.61, SD. = 0.62), resource skills (M = 3.52, SD. = 0.55) and informational skills (M = 3.55, SD. = 0.59). We also tested whether employability skills among students differed as a function of gender and work experience. The result of an independent t-test showed that there was no significant difference in employability skills by gender or work experience. We presented some recommendations for improve the employability skills acquisition among community college students.
Higher education in Malaysia has a relatively short but interesting history. This article examines the development over the course of six decades in terms of the state–university relationship, actors and stakeholders, and the ecosystem in which universities, higher education institutions and ministries operate. To enable a systematic analysis of the higher education system, the developments were characterized into five distinctive eras: 1959–1969, 1969–1996, 1996–2004, 2004–2013, and 2013 and beyond, where each era was marked by a watershed event. Importantly, the analysis based on these distinctive eras also helped to put in place the socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-historical context into understanding the development of higher education in this country over the past six decades. With this understanding of the past and present, we will be better informed to understand and make sense of the future development of the higher education in Malaysia.
Problem statement: In order to be able to manage its own information within its operating environment with minimal human intervention, a selfmanaging information system ought to identify and make use of information from the resources avai lable in its environment. The development of requirements for selfmanaging information systems s hould start with an appropriate analysis model that can explicitly show the collaborating entities in the environment. The traditional forms of analy sis in systems development approaches have not focused on computing systems environments and ways to identify environment resources. Approach: This study discusses the analysis activities in th e development of selfmanaging information systems. Results: We propose an SSM based analysis model, which is able to examine the requirements fo r selfmanaging information systems. We describe the analysis of one particular system, the inventor y management system and illustrate how this system fulfils certain desired selfmanaging properties. Conclusion: The SSM based analysis model is able to address the actuation capabilities of the systems a nd considers internal and external resources in the environment. The analysis model not only takes into account the information from the environment but is also able to provide support in determining the requirements for selfmanaging properties.
