A Needs Analysis on the Demands of Malaysian Industries for Spoken English Communication Skill at the Workplace - A Concept Paper

Abstract

English Spoken Communication (ESC) is a skill that is very much needed at the workplace in Malaysia. It’s a skill that is currently in demand by most local businesses from our graduates. This concept paper seeks to propose a qualitative phenomenological research study which employs semi-structured interviews in conducting a needs analysis involving local industries, and undergraduates, specifically interns, with regards to their demands on the ESC skills needed from our local undergraduates upon graduation. At the present, most locally written academic papers on needs analyses are inclined to a quantitative approach or of a mixed-method approach which are heavier on the quantitative aspect which is aimed at a specific industry only. There is a scarcity of research employing a full qualitative approach on the needs analysis which focuses on multiple industries. This concept paper aims to bridge that gap and also in identifying the relevant and lacking thereof ESC skills, at the Malaysian workplace, the usability of said skills, and the expectations of future graduates with regards to ESC. The proposed analysis method will be thematic analysis, codifying and organising the data in order a conclusion can be drawn. It is hoped that with this concept paper, a clearer picture on the English language needs relative to the Malaysian tertiary education sector can be addressed.