Omani graduates’ English communication skills: employers’ perspectives

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore employers’ views on the current English communication skills of higher education institutions (HEIs) graduates and to identify the workplace communication challenges encountered by graduates of these institutions. To achieve this, the study has been conducted using a mixed-method design using quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interview) methods to present a holistic picture. The number of the participants was 50 for the questionnaire and 15 for the interview. Descriptive statistics were used for the quantitative data and thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data. The study revealed that Omani graduates have low English proficiency and are capable of using the language to perform low order thinking. They are not capable of using the language for high-order thinking such as summarising, synthesising and evaluating. Also, the study reveals that Omani graduates encounter many difficulties when using the language to support their arguments and conduct research. The study concludes with the presentation of a recommendation to develop students’ English communication skills related to changing the curriculum, establishing an appropriate infrastructure, improving teaching practices and establishing policies that ensure graduates’ capabilities to use English in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach The study has been carried out using a mixed-methods approach which involves “a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches” (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007, p. 5), to get a better understanding of the job market’s perspectives of graduates’ English communication skills. In the first phase of the study, a questionnaire was distributed to 50 employers in different government and private sectors. The questionnaire was comprising three parts. The first part included general questions on background, such as the type of organisation, qualifications required in the organisation and a general view of the English communication skills of graduates. The second part included a rating scale in which participants responded using a five-point Likert scale (from “totally agree” to “totally disagree”) to 17 statements that focussed on the linguistic skills of graduates. The third part also consisted of 23 items with a five-point Likert scale for responses ranging from “totally agree” to “totally disagree”. The 23 items focussed on the professional communication skills of Omani graduates. The items of the questionnaire were inspired by the pertinent literature and the questions of the study. In the second phase of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 employers to get clarification on some of the issues that were raised in the questionnaire and get the employers’ opinions about how to improve the communication skills of Omani graduates and what initiatives HEIs can take to achieve that. These 15 participants worked in different public and private sectors, such as an oil and gas company, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Manpower, banks, an electricity company, a telecommunication company, an insurance company and a construction company. Findings The findings of this study reveal that Omani graduates generally lack English communication skills. These findings overlap other research conducted in Oman (Al-Issa & Al-Blushi, 2011; Al-Mahrooqi, 2012; Tanveer, 2013). This study also shows that Omani graduates are capable of using the language to fulfil lower-order thinking, but they lack the ability to use the language for high-order thinking such as summarising, synthesising and solving problems. The study also reveals that Omani graduates are not capable of writing reports or research proposals. Regarding the employers? perceptions of graduates? English professional skills, the findings reveal that Omani graduates are not capable of interpreting clients? needs. They also lack writing skills and verbal negotiation communication skills. They are also unable to resolve conflicts or disagreements. The findings reveal that Omani graduates encounter many challenges in the workplace, including low proficiency in English, lack of research skills and persuasive skills and inappropriate use of language during meetings and events. Research limitations/implications The research has limited participants. Practical implications Based on the results of this study, the following recommendations are drawn: HEIs should foster a relationship with the job market through continuous meetings to seek their feedback on English courses so that they can improve them to cater to specific job requirements. HEIs should offer a special course on communication skills, in which learning becomes meaningful and contextualised. The curriculum must include sample workplace scenarios that enable students to use the appropriate language for different situations. HEIs should enhance English for Specific Purposes (ESP) support courses to equip students with the necessary language for their specialisations. HEIs must activate the role of a Career and Employment Centre to prepare students for their future jobs by offering special courses on how to react in interviews, construct a CV and behave in the workplace. HEIs should get rid of the „one size fits all? Approach and attempt to cater to students? Needs in their future careers. Originality/value In recent decades, the higher education system in Oman has achieved substantial growth in terms of quantity, including the number of institutions, enrolled students, hired teachers and specialisation diversities. This expanding growth of HEIs corresponds to the necessity of qualifying Omani citizens who are capable of participating in ongoing development in Oman. Every year, hundreds of Omani students join HEIs to continue their first degrees, where English is used as a medium of instruction. These students aim to develop their English and obtain professional skills and knowledge which will enable them to be competent in a market economy, as English is considered the gatekeeper to finding jobs and accessing technology and modernity (Al-Issa, 2002; Al-Jadidi, 2009; Al-Jardani, 2011). However, there is a lively discussion about the quality of graduates of these HEIs, including their English communication skills (Al-Issa & Al-Bulushi, 2011; Al-Mahrooqi, 2012; Tanveer, 2013). For instance, Al-Mahrooqi and Tuzlukovap (2014) state that “higher education students continue to graduate with very weak oral and written communication skills, thus making them unfit for employment in many types of jobs” (p. 473).