By Faiz Hamzah

SERDANG, 5 Oct – Not being fluent in English is the reason why many graduates fail in job interviews as this setback affects their self-confidence, said the vice-chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia, Prof Datin Paduka Dato Dr. Aini Ideris.

She said that the inability to communicate well in English reduces the graduates’ chances in securing a job since many industries or companies place great emphasis on communicative ability.

“Graduates with poor command of English have lower chances of being employed than those who are fluent in the language despite having the expertise required in their field”, she said at the Malaysia International Conference on English Language Teaching (MICELT) 2018.

She added that UPM students are constantly exposed to English in lectures, programmes or activities throughout their studies to build their confidence and thus, are able to impress employers.

MICELT 2018 is a standard platform to safeguard the quality of the teaching and learning of English.  The two-day conference held on the 5th and 6th October 2018 was organised by the Department of Language and Humanities, Faculty of Educational Studies, UPM as a platform to exchange knowledge, skills as well as expertise in fulfilling the needs of English language studies. 

The conference, themed ‘Shaping New Understanding in English Language Teaching’, was divided into 14 sub-themes to encourage more effective discussions that meet current needs.

The Dean of the Faculty of Educational Studies, UPM, Prof. Dr. Aida Suraya Md Yunus, said that English is not only the nation’s second language, but it is also capable of providing practical experiences for one’s future.

She added that English should be mastered, so there is a need to have an awareness of the importance of using the language.

Six prominent figures from different academic backgrounds with extensive experience in English language pedagogy also attended MICELT 2018.

The conference was organised by the Department of Language and Humanities, Faculty of Educational Studies, UPM in collaboration with the Teaching of English as a Second Language (TESL) Unit in UPM and the ELS Language Centre which also sponsored the event. - UPM

Date of Input: 16/10/2018 | Updated: 16/10/2018 | hairul_nizam