Communicative Needs in Professional English Course: Learner Diversity in TVET Education

Abstract

In response to the lack of proficiency in English amongst Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates, various communication courses are introduced in tertiary institutions as part of the curriculum to tackle more authentic and applicable English use in the workplace. Considering the high demand for such courses, it is crucial to identify the specific needs of a diverse range of learners to effectively deliver the courses. This study explores the communicative needs of 112 students enrolling in a communication course in one of public universities that offers TVET programs in Malaysia. The primary objectives of this study are to explore learners’ present and future needs in professional communication in four skills-listening, writing, reading, and speaking and identify the learners’ learning strategies. The findings found interesting trend on TVET students’ preference in receptive skills which are listening and reading. This could be explained by the fact that the nature of TVET courses which primarily centred on understanding instructions and manuals. Moreover, the learner diversity in terms of learning strategies employed by the students when learning English are also explored in present study. The findings provide more effective pedagogical approach for instructors who teach similar courses. Not only that, this study could also provide insights in understanding diverse learners’ needs and strategies in learning a communication course so that successful courses could be designed and delivered.