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…

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…

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…

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…

With the goal of enhancing the competitiveness of students in the workplace, nearly two-thirds of technical universities in Taiwan have adopted a variety of standardized English proficiency tests as exit requirements, including the widespread use of TOEIC. However, employers still name "insufficient English proficiency" as one of the…

Employers in the UK recognise that a lack of language skills can limit their company's international growth. Many students on language degrees, however, feel unprepared for working in a business environment. The final year "Working with Languages" module on Leeds Beckett University's language degrees aims to help the students to expand…

To further probe the alignment (or misalignment) of university and industry priorities in terms of English language skills development of future accountants, this study extends the earlier investigation of employers' perception on the communication skills needed by entry-level accountants. Using conjoint analysis, this research examines the…

One of the main concerns of educational specialists is the relevance of their programmes to the graduates' success on today's highly competitive labour market. As a result of these concerns academics at the English Department of the University of Economics in Prague, Czech Republic decided to conduct a survey of undergraduates, graduates and their…

The integration of work experience and learning in tertiary education is a complex issue for different stakeholders, including students, institutions, and employers. The provision of course-related work experience for international students is far more challenging as it involves issues of visa status, different cultural expectations,…

In the second year module "Professional Contexts for Modern Languages" at Lancaster University, students take 20-25 hour placements, and using a multimodal forum, they articulate their challenges, development and understanding of the varying contexts in which they are working. In summative assessment, students across languages and types…

This study explores the challenges experienced by international students during Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in Australia. Student participation in WIL not only enhances individual student employability but also the attractiveness of Australia as a study destination. WIL, in particular work placements, is in high demand by international students…

This article presents the findings of a study catalysed by the outcomes of research into the attitudes and perceptions of UK undergraduate students of tourism management in relation to the need for foreign language skills, reported and discussed in a previous paper in this journal (Leslie et al, 2002). While that earlier study paid some attention…

A study is reported that aimed to: (1) assess perceived needs of Japanese language by students and business faculty; (2) assess Japanese language needs of business professionals who work with Japan; (3) determine what language abilities and levels of proficiency are desired; and (4) identify perceived problem areas and ways that they are handled…