Proficiency Preparedness in Defence Workforce: A Survey of Cadet Officers’ English Language Needs

Abstract

Identifying learners' perceived needs can assist ESL practitioners in designing instructional materials more effectively, addressing gaps in language learning. This study aims to investigate the perceived English language skill requirements of cadet officers for their future workplaces and to assess the perceived importance of English in job performance, promotion prospects, and personal life. To achieve this, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to 104 cadet officers from a defence university. Then the quantitative data were analysed descriptively, using SPSS Version 26. The findings indicate that cadets perceive all four English language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—as being essential for their future workplaces. However, when these skills are ranked in terms of priority, reading skills take precedence, followed by speaking and writing skills, which are seen as being equally important. Listening skills are perceived to be less important for cadets’ future workplaces. Additionally, cadets consider English language skills to be crucial for job performance and personal life but less important for promotion. These findings offer significant implications for the improvement of future English syllabus designs, with the goal of successfully teaching all English language skills.