Abstract
Proficiency in English language skills among graduates that create advantages for the organization is preferred by prospective employers as one of the main criteria for employability. This article provides an overview of undergraduates in higher education and also workplace literacy from the perspective of the employers in the manufacturing industry. The result from the research demonstrates that Malaysian manufacturing industry employers perceive that the graduate employees’ English language proficiency skills are still below their expectations. Therefore, this study recommends that there is a need for intervention into language teaching to improve the English language syllabus level of English proficiency at primary, secondary and tertiary level. At the same time, emphasis on the importance of English in everyday use should be inculcated without neglecting the national language of Malaysia. This will ensure that the teaching of English will be in line with globalization and current workplace demands.
Highlights
The business and corporate world considers English as the language for international communication and for top management meetings and negotiations
Most studies have concluded that graduates are not fully equipped in terms of their English language proficiency to function at the workplace
Findings from the study of Siti Hamin et al (2005) revealed that graduates who applied for jobs in an organization are found to be inadequate and ineffective in terms of ideas, accuracy and presentation as portrayed in their writing samples
Summary
The business and corporate world considers English as the language for international communication and for top management meetings and negotiations. Employers expect employees to possess excellent communication skills apart from knowledge and expertise in their respective technical fields. A lot of studies have been done internationally and locally on the issue of graduates’ language proficiency at the workplace. The studies have looked into the issues such as language needs, language proficiency, employer expectation, etc. Most studies have concluded that graduates are not fully equipped in terms of their English language proficiency to function at the workplace. This conceptual paper will discuss a theoretical framework and research findings on employers’ perception of graduates’ English language skills proficiency. It will provide recommendations to graduates, stakeholders and educators to improve graduates’ proficiency in this area
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