Universities need to capture the current status of graduate employability from both the graduates' and employers' perspectives if they are to effectively respond to industry skill and knowledge requirements. Graduate employability is a concept that is gaining traction in the higher education sector around the world. Therefore, the purpose of this…

This study aimed to investigate essential employability skills for English as a foreign language (EFL) students in the Mekong Delta for the context of the 21st century. It was also to determine the similarities and differences between the important employability skills from the perspectives of the employers and EFL students. In this study, a…

A good command of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) among Czech engineers seems to be of crucial importance since the engineering field has been developing rapidly and the Czech labour market is becoming increasingly international (Eurostat 2020). The authors of this article, who supervise the ESP courses offered to the students of the Faculty…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore employers' views on the current English communication skills of higher education institutions (HEIs) graduates in Oman and to identify the workplace communication challenges encountered by graduates of these institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a mixed-methods approach. In the…

The aim of the study is to verify employers and university students' perception of the importance of professional and soft competencies that is placed on the position of financial accountant in the Czech Republic. The study is based on the international knowledge oriented to the difference between university students and employers in perception of…

Purpose: International student employability has been accorded increased emphasis in the internationalisation agendas, especially in major destination countries as it shapes universities' attractiveness to prospective international students. Having insights into returning graduates' employability in their home country has become critical given…

Using the framework of CLIL for the content and ESP for the language functions, this research investigated and analyzed the needs of current MA students, MA graduates and prospective employers as the basis for designing a textbook for an elective course entitled English for International Business. The results of a survey of 42 MA students, 48 MA…

The research attempts to reveal distinctive features of four basic patterns of the educational paradigm; aims at investigating the role of a teacher in a new language-learning environment and finding a new approach to education for a "Teacher 4.0" to conform to technology-related changes in the society and, consequently, to employers'…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs analysis of English learning from the viewpoints of students and the real needs of employers regarding English usage at the workplace. A questionnaire was administered to 60 participants comprising 30 senior students and 30 employers. After quantitative analysis, the results demonstrated that…

The study is focused on the analysis of business English bachelor's study programs provided by Czech universities, and the self-perceived strengths and weaknesses of the program graduates in practice and their employer's requirements and evaluations. A qualitative-quantitative analysis of the data was done using three research methods: content…

This study examines the perceptions of employers, university authorities, English teachers and students concerning needs to promote English achievement in a Mexican university. By drawing on data collected from focus groups and questionnaires, the evidence suggests that there are several needs which hinder the attainment of English objectives in…

One of the greatest challenges faced by university language centers in Italy is finding ways to motivate students to complete extracurricular language courses offered to help them meet their language proficiency requirements for graduation. It was hypothesized that the root of the problem was that the existing course offerings focus too narrowly…

For native and nonnative English speakers, employment increasingly requires proficiency in communication, given its critical role in employees' ability to successfully carry out work-related activities. Although communicating competently is important for employability, survey findings have suggested that employers believe that colleges are not…

Drawing on the research done for the British Academy's Born Global project, this chapter explores employer demand for the skills graduates in and with languages can develop. The research outcomes raise challenges for Higher Education (HE) professionals to articulate more clearly the nature of language degrees and the transnational profile of their…

This paper outlines the process of the design of an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course in an EFL context based on learners' real-world needs and perceptions of various stakeholders on these needs. The specific course chosen for this study is called "Vocational English Course" (called VEC hereafter) for the department of Electric…