Free Report on English Language: Key to International Job Market Success

Introduction

In the present day education system, the majority of universities across the globe have English as the primary communication language in their curricula. In the European Union, the Bologna System and the ERASMUS Mobility Programme are developing plans and policies to ensure that students learn English, which will be a significant boost, especially in accessing the labor market in other countries (Parey & Waldinger, 2011). By learning English, students have the advantage of working in any part of the world due to communication effectiveness.

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Positive Perception

In a study conducted by Kantavong (2015), to determine the capacity of comprehending English, reports suggest that students demonstrated a positive perception concerning learning of English through cooperative strategies. The cooperative strategies stimulate learners to develop learning and dismiss their pressures by using the English language. On the other hand, a research by Vinke et al. (1998), notes that there are some researchers that implement teaching experiences through the English related to internalization by observing the experiences of non-English teachers and how efficiently they can teach. The study shows that teachers who have never taught in English and those in unpredictable environments are likely to experience difficulties in switching from their native language to English. Therefore, English learning may prove to be a hard task.

Not all universities offer classes in English, as this depends on the individual lecturer. Therefore, in attempts to improve the situation, some universities have developed strategies to start offering English classes for local and international students to support their interaction. By using a common language of interaction, learners can share ideas and experiences on such matters as labor market and complex projects performed by international teams on multiple disciplines (Medina-Sanchez et al., 2014). A survey from the engineering students calls for the combination of different teaching approaches to promote teamwork among international students and improve technical English all the students.

English Medium Instruction

English Medium Instruction (EMI) denotes the usage of English language in teaching purposes in jurisdictions or nations where it is not the mother tongue for the inhabitants. Therefore, more attention is given on academic subjects than the language itself (Macaro et al., 2018). Questions have raised concerning the effectiveness of EMI on content learning and developing English proficiency. Though being an inevitable issue, there is little evidence to ascertain the advantages of EMI in learning school content and language. However, according to a study by Baker & Hüttner (2019), findings indicate increasing EMI in tertiary learning institutions across Asia and Europe.

More countries and learning institutions embrace the use of English at different management levels and develop a positive attitude towards multilingualism ideologies. The study by Baker & Hüttner (2019) shows the application of English Medium Instruction is critical in content learning and language proficiency. The study on the effectiveness of EMI is supported by definition from Dafouz and Smit (2016). The authors emphasize on the usage of a multilingual approach as an academic language and a channel to boost international communication in higher institutions. Also, these authors stress on the vibrant nature of EMEMUS (English-Medium Education in Multilingual University Settings) in internationalizing tertiary education.

In modern-day schooling systems, EMI is considered to be a growing concept in the majority of universities across the globe. Kantavong (2015) conducted broad research in a bachelors’ course by applying English as a mode of teaching. The research aimed to determine useful methodologies in increasing the students' ability to comprehend English and stimulate an affirmative outlook towards the usage of English language for teaching purposes. The research outcomes hold that the English language competence in some nations like Thailand is quite unfortunate since the language is barely used in the education system.

The use of English as a teaching method is fast-moving worldwide in fields as maths, medicine, geography, and science. English as a teaching language is growing popular in primary, secondary and even tertiary institutions (Dearden, 2015). EMI has significant impacts on the education of teenagers and youth as well as in policy-making resolutions in non-Anglophone jurisdictions as it enhances international mobility and the international market. The study by Agai-Lochi (2015) examines the use of language policies in tertiary institutions, specifically in multilingual nations such as Macedonia. The study compares the language objectives and learning outcomes. Findings indicate that the use of English allows for combination communicative performance and linguistic competence, thus ensuring better learning for multilingual students.

The Implementation

The implementation of EMI in international environments and tertiary institutions affects education and requires consideration of some important factors to ensure effective learning and teaching for both learners and lecturers. Only those professors who are proficient in English can teach. On the other hand, those proficient in English may not be proficient in the target courses, while the learners may not have reading resources published in English (Goodman, 2015). Such elements lower the interaction confidence of both teachers and learners. Therefore, in implementing EMI, the concerned bodies need to offer additional English courses and assistant programs to facilitate the English language learning process. Therefore, institutions should prioritize training the local educators on usage of the English language when introducing EMI.

By contextualizing the usage of English in learning practices, this paper presents English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) and whose chief goal is to offer a positive contribution to the learning of English language through a technical approach that concerns Product Development and Industrial Design Engineering (Sachis et al., 2017). One of the primary objectives of this study is to combine the precise proficiencies of the "Mechanics of Materials" and "Foreign Language II" with the transverse proficiency of effective communication.

On one side, the attainment of these competencies plays a crucial role in improving the learning outcomes while, on the other side, they improve the learners’ interests during the learning process. Teachers are entitled to the responsibility of developing strategies for evaluating the EMI competencies (Sachis et al., 2017). In a specific case pertaining to the Degree in Industrial Design Engineering and Product Development, the EMI competencies are included in the syllabus, to allow for consideration in the harmonization of the contents offered through the different courses in different tertiary institutions across the globe.

Conclusion

The development of harmonized contents in the education curriculum plays a significant role in ensuring that learners can share ideas and experiences regardless of their native language. Moreover, the implementation of EMI promotes the internationalization of education, whereby people can attend school in any country without the fear of the language barrier (Rahman & Singh, 2019). In the long run, students have the power to work to access the labor market anywhere in the world due to a mutual language of communication that eliminates cultural barriers (Kirkpatrick, 2014). People and learning institutions across the globe need to approve English as a mutual language and develop a positive attitude towards multilingualism ideologies.

References

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