Faculty Perceptions of Communication Skills and Needs of Business School Undergraduates in Singapore

Abstract

In Singapore in 2000, the government launched a Speak Good English Movement to improve English language skills and to limit the use of Singlish (a local variety of English) by promoting the use of (Standard) English among the general popula tion. This campaign was motivated by govemment perception and media reports of a decline in English language skills. Using a 40-item questionnaire, this study investigated whether faculty at a large Singapore business school shared similar perceptions of inadequate communi cation skills, in this case among undergraduates, and also sought to explain their perceptions. The findings indicate that the faculty perceived undergraduate com munication skills to be in need of improvement, thus lending support to employer and government criticism. An analysis of survey responses revealed some probable underlying causes for faculty perceptions, including an apparent lack of real com mitment to the improvement of such skills.

The written communication skills that matter most for accountants

“…While the domain of our inquiry is the United States, our results can be used by faculty in other English-speaking countries. For example, Wharton (2002) found the English language skills of undergraduates in Singapore to be in need of improvement. 4.…”

Using Online Studio Groups to Improve Writing Competency: A Pilot Study in a Quality Improvement Methods Course

“…Successful integration of communication skills within other courses, however, can be difficult when the course is taught by someone who has not had training or experience in teaching communication skills. Wharton (2002) suggests that while faculty may perceive that students’ communication skills need to be improved, they often lack the specific knowledge or commitment to help students do so at the course level and beyond. For example, teaching writing within a specific content‐based course requires subject matter knowledge as well as knowledge about the teaching of writing (Beaufort, 2007).…”

Needs analysis: stakeholders’ perspectives and practices, and collaboration between English and accounting lecturers

“…Descriptive statistics were then presented to provide a detailed description of the respondents' perceived needs (see e.g. Bosuwon & Woodrow, 2009;Crosling & Ward, 2002;Wharton, 2002).…”

“…To check the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was employed. Means and standard deviations were calculated and ANOVA and independent t-tests were used to test any differences among variables of stakeholders in their perceptions of the importance and the development of English language skills (Wharton, 2002).…”

“…Questionnaires have been widely used in needs analysis to gain numerical data about English language needs from numerous stakeholders' perspectives (see e.g. Bosuwon & Woodrow, 2009;Crosling & Ward, 2002;Taillefer, 2007;Wharton, 2002). In this study, they were used to survey representative samples of stakeholders in the Accounting Department to understand the perceived needs of English language skills for the accounting students.…”