Undergraduates' Readiness and Confidence in Workplace English Communication: The Influence of English Learning Background, Workplace Exposure and Self-Perceived Proficiency

Effective workplace communication in English has become an essential employability skill in today's globalised labour market. Despite increasing emphasis on communication skills development in higher education, concerns remain regarding graduates' preparedness for professional communication. This study examined undergraduates' readiness for workplace English communication, their confidence in performing workplace communication tasks, and the relationship between selected influencing factors and workplace communication readiness. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed involving 70 undergraduate students from a local university. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring workplace English communication readiness, workplace communication confidence, English learning background, workplace exposure, and self-perceived English proficiency. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's product-moment correlation analyses were conducted using SPSS. The findings revealed that respondents demonstrated a high level of workplace English communication readiness (M = 3.99, SD = 0.88) and a high level of confidence in performing workplace communication tasks (M = 3.92, SD = 0.91). Written communication tasks, particularly email writing and email responses, recorded the highest confidence levels, while oral presentations received the lowest confidence rating. Correlation analysis indicated that English learning background (r = .373, p = .001), workplace exposure (r = .248, p = .038), and self-perceived English proficiency (r = .438, p < .001) were all significantly related to workplace English communication readiness. Self-perceived English proficiency demonstrated the strongest relationship with readiness. The findings suggest that higher education institutions should strengthen workplace-oriented communication training, particularly in spoken communication, while increasing opportunities for authentic workplace experiences to enhance graduate employability and workplace preparedness.

workplace English communication, workplace readiness, communication confidence, self-perceived English proficiency, workplace exposure, graduate employability, undergraduates

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