Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review

Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi; Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam

doi:doi:10.11648/j.com.20150305.13

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Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review

Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi, Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam

Published in Communications (Volume 3, Issue 5)

Received: 20 July 2015 Accepted: 3 August 2015 Published: 12 August 2015

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Abstract

Literature on Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has shown that individuals working in a particular context have specific needs or are expected to have specific skills in a particular language, and that the language used at work often differs from that used in other contexts. As such, this study tried to review the oral as well as written needs of language users in the context of workplaces. To do this end, an interview protocol was used which consisted of 15 semi-structured questions. In addition to the interviews with graduates, 15 of their workplace supervisors were also interviewed via the telephone to gather details of the company communication profiles and to obtain their views about the graduates' particular communication needs. Furthermore, some authentic workplace texts were collected and several programmed visits to workplaces were undertaken thereof. The findings confirm that foreign language skills are an increasingly important basic component of professional academic skills, particularly in countries which have major business contacts with the world and their native languages are not among the major world languages. The surveys indicated that there were substantial uses of English, but with far greater use of written compared with spoken English. Close co-operation with employers in planning language courses is thus needed in order to tailor language teaching to adequately meet the needs of the future academic workforce

Published in	Communications (Volume 3, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.com.20150305.13
Page(s)	93-101
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

LSP, ESP, Written, Context, Language Skill

References

[1]	G. Crosling, and I. Ward, “Oral communication: the workplace needs and uses of business graduate employees,” English for specific purposes, 21, pp. 41-57, 2002.
[2]	N. Edwards, “Language for business: effective needs assessment, syllabus design and materials preparation in a practical ESP case study,” English for Specific Purposes, 19, pp. 291-296, 2000.
[3]	G. Forey, “Workplace texts: do they mean the same for teachers and business people? English for Specific Purposes, 23, pp. 447–469, 2004.
[4]	H. Kassim, and F. Ali, “English communicative events and skills needed at the workplace: Feedback from the industry,” English for Specific Purposes, 29, pp. 168–182, 2010.
[5]	M. A. Moslehifar, and N. A. Ibrahim, “English Language Oral Communication Needs at the Workplace: Feedback from Human Resource Development (HRD) Trainees,” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 66, pp. 529 – 536, 2012.
[6]	R. Horppu, and R. Niskanen, (eds), “Final Report on the Evaluation of Education in Language and Communication Skills. Evaluation projects of the University of Helsinki,” 23, 2004.
[7]	G. Stivers, J. Campbell, and H. Hermanson, “An Assessment Program for Accounting: Design, Implementation, and Reflection,” Issues in Accounting Education, Vol. 15, No.4, pp. 553-581, 2000.
[8]	D. Blair, and S. Jeanson, “Workplace Oral Communication Curriculum. Winnipeg, MB: Workplace Education Manitoba Steering Committee, Manitoba Department of Education and Training,” Continuing Education Division, 1995.
[9]	N. Fairclough, “Discourse and Social Change,” Cambridge: Polity Press, 1995.
[10]	M. Foucault, “The order of discourse. In M. J. Shapiro (ed) Language and politics,” Oxford: Blackwell, 1984.
[11]	P. Bourdieu, and L. Wacquant, “An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology,” Cambridge: Polity Press, 1992.
[12]	J. Habermas, “The theory of communicative action,” Boston: Beacon Press, 1987.
[13]	A. Cicourel, “The interpenetration of communicative contexts: examples from medical encounters. In A. Duranti & C. Goodwin (eds)”, Rethinking Context: Language as as an Interactive Phenomenon, 291 - 310. Cambridge: CUP, 1992.
[14]	J. Martin, and D. Rose, “Working with Discourse – Meaning beyond the Clause,” London & New York: Continuum, 2003.
[15]	M. J. St John, “Business is booming: business English in the 1990’s. English for Specific Purposes,” 15(1), 3–18, 1996.
[16]	J. M. Swales, “Languages for specific purposes,” Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 20, 59–76, 2000.
[17]	M. Hewings, “Editorial,” English for Specific Purposes, 21(3), 209–210, 2002.

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APA Style

Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi, Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam. (2015). Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review. Communications, 3(5), 93-101. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20150305.13

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Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi; Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam. Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review. Communications. 2015, 3(5), 93-101. doi: 10.11648/j.com.20150305.13

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AMA Style

Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi, Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam. Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review. Communications. 2015;3(5):93-101. doi: 10.11648/j.com.20150305.13

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@article{10.11648/j.com.20150305.13,
  author = {Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi and Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam},
  title = {Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review},
  journal = {Communications},
  volume = {3},
  number = {5},
  pages = {93-101},
  doi = {10.11648/j.com.20150305.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20150305.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.com.20150305.13},
  abstract = {Literature on Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has shown that individuals working in a particular context have specific needs or are expected to have specific skills in a particular language, and that the language used at work often differs from that used in other contexts. As such, this study tried to review the oral as well as written needs of language users in the context of workplaces. To do this end, an interview protocol was used which consisted of 15 semi-structured questions. In addition to the interviews with graduates, 15 of their workplace supervisors were also interviewed via the telephone to gather details of the company communication profiles and to obtain their views about the graduates' particular communication needs. Furthermore, some authentic workplace texts were collected and several programmed visits to workplaces were undertaken thereof. The findings confirm that foreign language skills are an increasingly important basic component of professional academic skills, particularly in countries which have major business contacts with the world and their native languages are not among the major world languages.  The surveys indicated that there were substantial uses of English, but with far greater use of written compared with spoken English. Close co-operation with employers in planning language courses is thus needed in order to tailor language teaching to adequately meet the needs of the future academic workforce},
 year = {2015}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review
AU  - Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi
AU  - Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam
Y1  - 2015/08/12
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20150305.13
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PB  - Science Publishing Group
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AB  - Literature on Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has shown that individuals working in a particular context have specific needs or are expected to have specific skills in a particular language, and that the language used at work often differs from that used in other contexts. As such, this study tried to review the oral as well as written needs of language users in the context of workplaces. To do this end, an interview protocol was used which consisted of 15 semi-structured questions. In addition to the interviews with graduates, 15 of their workplace supervisors were also interviewed via the telephone to gather details of the company communication profiles and to obtain their views about the graduates' particular communication needs. Furthermore, some authentic workplace texts were collected and several programmed visits to workplaces were undertaken thereof. The findings confirm that foreign language skills are an increasingly important basic component of professional academic skills, particularly in countries which have major business contacts with the world and their native languages are not among the major world languages.  The surveys indicated that there were substantial uses of English, but with far greater use of written compared with spoken English. Close co-operation with employers in planning language courses is thus needed in order to tailor language teaching to adequately meet the needs of the future academic workforce
VL  - 3
IS  - 5
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Author Information

Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi

Faculty of Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam

Faculty of Continuing Education and Training, Seneca College, Toronto, Canada

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APA Style

Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi, Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam. (2015). Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review. Communications, 3(5), 93-101. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20150305.13

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ACS Style

Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi; Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam. Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review. Communications. 2015, 3(5), 93-101. doi: 10.11648/j.com.20150305.13

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AMA Style

Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi, Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam. Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review. Communications. 2015;3(5):93-101. doi: 10.11648/j.com.20150305.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.com.20150305.13,
  author = {Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi and Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam},
  title = {Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review},
  journal = {Communications},
  volume = {3},
  number = {5},
  pages = {93-101},
  doi = {10.11648/j.com.20150305.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20150305.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.com.20150305.13},
  abstract = {Literature on Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has shown that individuals working in a particular context have specific needs or are expected to have specific skills in a particular language, and that the language used at work often differs from that used in other contexts. As such, this study tried to review the oral as well as written needs of language users in the context of workplaces. To do this end, an interview protocol was used which consisted of 15 semi-structured questions. In addition to the interviews with graduates, 15 of their workplace supervisors were also interviewed via the telephone to gather details of the company communication profiles and to obtain their views about the graduates' particular communication needs. Furthermore, some authentic workplace texts were collected and several programmed visits to workplaces were undertaken thereof. The findings confirm that foreign language skills are an increasingly important basic component of professional academic skills, particularly in countries which have major business contacts with the world and their native languages are not among the major world languages.  The surveys indicated that there were substantial uses of English, but with far greater use of written compared with spoken English. Close co-operation with employers in planning language courses is thus needed in order to tailor language teaching to adequately meet the needs of the future academic workforce},
 year = {2015}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Workplace Oral and Written Language Needs for Graduate Students: A Review
AU  - Seyed Mohammad Mohammadi
AU  - Manijeh Masoudi Moghadam
Y1  - 2015/08/12
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20150305.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.com.20150305.13
T2  - Communications
JF  - Communications
JO  - Communications
SP  - 93
EP  - 101
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5923
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20150305.13
AB  - Literature on Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has shown that individuals working in a particular context have specific needs or are expected to have specific skills in a particular language, and that the language used at work often differs from that used in other contexts. As such, this study tried to review the oral as well as written needs of language users in the context of workplaces. To do this end, an interview protocol was used which consisted of 15 semi-structured questions. In addition to the interviews with graduates, 15 of their workplace supervisors were also interviewed via the telephone to gather details of the company communication profiles and to obtain their views about the graduates' particular communication needs. Furthermore, some authentic workplace texts were collected and several programmed visits to workplaces were undertaken thereof. The findings confirm that foreign language skills are an increasingly important basic component of professional academic skills, particularly in countries which have major business contacts with the world and their native languages are not among the major world languages.  The surveys indicated that there were substantial uses of English, but with far greater use of written compared with spoken English. Close co-operation with employers in planning language courses is thus needed in order to tailor language teaching to adequately meet the needs of the future academic workforce
VL  - 3
IS  - 5
ER  -

Copy | Download