AZLINA BINTI ISMAIL

800206025322

FACULTY OF EDUCATION & LANGUAGE

JAN SEMESTER 2016

OUMH 2203
ENGLISH FOR WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
Many Malaysians have difficulty communicating in English in the workplace, especially
when it comes to business-related matters.

MATRICULATION NO:

800206025322001

IDENTITY CARD NO.

800206025322

TELEPHONE NO.

0125415059

E-MAIL

jyeina51@yahoo.com

LEARNING CENTRE

SUNGAI PETANI LEARNING

CENTRE

AZLINA BINTI ISMAIL

800206025322

TABLE OF CONTENT

PAGE

1. INTRODUCTION

2. POSSIBLE COUSES OF COMMUNICATING IN ENGLISH

AT WORKPLACE
2.1 MOTHER TONGUE

4-5

2.2 ENVIROMENT

6-7

2.3 ATTITUDE

3. CONCLUSION

4. REFERENCES

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AZLINA BINTI ISMAIL

800206025322

1.0

INTRODUCTION

Communication skills in English have been identified as essential workplace

tool for success in business and have been correlated with career and increased in
financial rewards. Not with standing, there is a global concern regarding the widening
gap between the communication skills in English of job applicants and the English
language competency required for employment. That why it has been generally wellknown that most people faced some problems in learning English as a second or
foreign language in non-english speaking countries especially Malaysia. As we know
too, communicating in English is important for new era in workplace, especially when
it comes to business-related matter. According, Kirkpatrick (2010), English language
has not become a language used for communicating with global business partners but
it

also

become

as

lingua

franca

at

workplace.

http://ojs.journals.unisel.edu.my/index.php/ijcbm/article/view/47
In the Malaysian context, the issue of unemployable graduates surfaced in
2005 following a survey report appearing in Malaysian Business that about 60,000
graduates were unemployed. http://idosi.org/wasj/wasj21(SLTL)13/11.pdf . That is
why the findings necessitated employer to urge institutions of higher learning to
relook at their academic programmes in order to produce graduates who have the
communication skills to meet the demand of the job market and to compete in
international arena. In a survey conducted on 3,300 senior human resource personnel,
the main reason for the high rate of unemployable graduates was their weakness in
English proficiency. Even though pro-active measures have been undertaken by
companies, institutions of higher learning and even federal goverments, employers
continue to draw attention to the widening gap between the English competency of
job applicants and the English language competency required for employment.
From this show that why many Malaysians have difficulty communicating in
English in the workplace, especially when it comes to business-related matter whether
in oral or written.

AZLINA BINTI ISMAIL

2.0
2.1

800206025322

POSSIBLE COUSES OF COMMUNICATING IN ENGLISH AT

WORKPLACE

Mother Tongue
As we know, Malaysians has various races also cultures and that why many

Malaysians were not able to communicate well in English because they always use their
mother tongue even at workplace. For Malaysians mother tongue is very important to them,
this because it will show who they are and their identity as Malaysians. Even they know that
English language is very important to them especially when it becomes to their daily life such
as when they want to communicate with people in different countries and mostly being used
at workplace. But this dosent matter to them because for them mother tongue is everything
in their world life.
In the meantime, the consequences of broken English are they depend too much on
their mother tongue. Many culture in Malaysia, they more prefer and comfortable to speak on
their language when communicate with other people even at workplace. Some of they dont
want to feel bother in learn the other language especially English, so that they more prefer
use their own culture language. Thus the effect that they dont know behind their depending
on their mother tongue is they are failing to use English appropriately when they are
communicating with other people. According to David Crystal,(1995), English is the one
diplomacy and international language are used in many country. Therefore, it does prove that
English really important to communicate with other people especially in business.
http://megatnazhif.blogspot.my/2012/09/cause-and-effect-essay.html. So that they have to
learn English for improve their life. As the result, they will more easier to communicate with
other people.
Futher more, the broken English is coused by pronunciation that several people might
use. They tend to use their own accent in their conversation. Malaysia is well know as a
country that has many cultures and races. Therefore there ia a lot of enunciation among
Malaysian that will lead to diverse pronunciation. As an example, Kelantan is the most
renowned region that used their mother tongue frequently. They habitually convert their
accent in English language. Hence, pronunciation is causes of broken English especially
when it becomes at workplace and failure in communication also interaction with customers.

AZLINA BINTI ISMAIL

800206025322

The concentration of the native language is not only harmful but also affected the
Malaysian economy because of the worker cant speak and write in English very well. Hence,
all Malaysians must know when to use their mother tongue and when to use English language
especially at workplace. This is for their goodness to improve their skill work without added
their mother tongue in work time. They also have to mind set that even they using English
language is doest mean that they were foreign, this English language is a used to
communicate but not to change our indentity. So we should know now how much important
English language in workplace especially when it comes to business-related metter. And we
also cant let our mother tongue intrude our daily communication at workplace. Even mother
tongue is the main reason of all Malaysians cant communicate English language but this can
be eliminated from the mind with self-discipline in its use to differentiate work and outside of
work time.

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2.2

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Enviroment
Malaysia is an Asian country that the majority of people of different races with

diverse native languages. Therefore, the environment is one of the couses difficulty in
speaking or writing English. As we know too, all Malaysians were committed in their
own languages as their everyday language. That is why, environment is the most
common problem for Malaysians who use English as a second language in their
communication. They afraid when or if mispronunciation and misinterpretation of
their communications of their communications in English. Even if employee feels he
or she will be judged or made fun of for not using grammatically correct English, or if
he or she will be reprimanded for less than perfect written reports, there may be a
breakdown in communication.
Another couses of the broken English is less exposure to native English. It is
because we did not use the English language frequently. As we know, Malaysians
always use their own language for their conversation such as, Malay language,
Chinese language, Tamil language and even Javanese. When they used their own
language habitually, they will use less English language. This is why when it becomes
to workplace, many Malaysians cant communicated in English very well. The
environment of Malaysians have been effect the employee to use more their own
language either than English language at workplace.
For Malaysians if we were using a lot of English language we will be
considered arrogant and show off in surrounded communities. This is not the way of
Malaysian environment, that why many Malaysians would not use English language
even at workplace. For them losing working its doest matter than losing their own
identity in communities. This again comes back to the social element on why English
proficiency is declining in Malaysia. Many Malaysians see English like a foreign and
that why they wont able to use English language.

AZLINA BINTI ISMAIL

800206025322

Another thing there is a lack of support to use English in the home

environment and the community. This is the main factor of Malaysians people have a
lot trouble by using English in their life even at workplace. While they know how was
important English language at workplace especially when it becomes in businessrelated matter. But in fact, they are more concerned with their society community
either than their work. This shows that the Malaysian environment play a role use of
English does not matter in the world of work or not. Malaysia environment that use
the native language to some extent reduced the use of English in the world work and
has led to many workers were not able to speak and write well in English language.
Hence, this situation must be dammed so that quality can improved and Malaysian
workers can compete with other developed countries in improving the countrys
economy. With this also, their a lot of opportunity in the world of work among the
people of Malaysia will be wide open, especially related to business.

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2.3

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Attitude
An attitude is generally defined as the way person responds to his or her

environment positively or negatively. Our attitude are shaped by our experiences, and
as we experience more, our attitudes can change. And that why, attitude are the way of
thinking, and the way you shape or how you relate to the world even in work or
outside of work. Attitude and behaviors displayed in the workplace can directly affect
the atmosphere and productivity within an organization. As an employer, you want to
create an environment thats professional and safe. This keeps your employees
motivated, wherein theyre likely to work hard and successfully complete each
assignment. But if your employees begin to develop a negative or bad attitude, this
might translate into poor behavior.
From that we know how much attitude play a role in using English language at
workplace. If employees have set in their mind English is regarded as a difficult
subject to learn, the employer cant changes his mind set. And that why, all
Malaysians worker cant effort in business-related matter at workplace. In the
meantime, for them there is no reason for learning English language because Malaysia
is a country were not using usually English language. This mean that English
language at workplace today not necessary for them and this mean too that their
attitude were manipulate their mind. For example at factory industries their a lot of
Malaysians worker than foreign worker and that why for Malaysians worker dont
using English language because they have a choice to choose to speak at their
language.
In mean while too, their a lack of motivation for learning or negative attitude
towards the English language. This because, Malaysians doest see how important
English language at workplace. They still believe that their own language is more
important to indentify their race or culture. This attitude will affect the daily lives of
their work, but for them this doest matter cause they were surrounded by the same
guy in their community environment. That is why Malaysia is experiencing a high
number of unemployment among graduates who have good qualifications but not the
ability to communicate in English in oral and written. This is due to the attitude of
employees who are not concerned about the use of English in communication in the
world of work.

AZLINA BINTI ISMAIL

800206025322

3.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, many of Malaysians have difficulty to communicated in
English language in workplace, especially when it comes to business-related matter.
This because even have some Malaysian people intend to use broken English rather
than perfect English but their still lack in pronunciations skill when using English
language, a lesser amount of exposure towards English native and their too much
depend on their mother tongue. Nowdays, English has become the second language
all around the world and broken English not accepted around the world. Thus,
Malaysian people must take precaution step on broken English, so that they can learn
a perfect English language and improving their English language skill. We should
never take too lightly the usage of perfect English language.
In mean while, all Malaysians must not depend too much at their own mother
tongue and Malaysia environment. This because , in new era global English language
is the most usaged especially when it becomes to work and mostly investors were
foreign. So this mean to communicated with this investors of course we have to use
English language properly to tempting for invest. In mean while too, all Malaysians
have to trought away a mind set English language is difficult to learn and not nessary
in workplace. This attitude should not been in our mind today because English
language is important to communication with other people not even at workplace but
every where on our environment now.
Hence, English for occupational is an essential ingredient to be cultivated in
the higher education agenda to educate and produce young Malaysians as potential
human resources to fulfill the needs of local and international workforce. Besides, in
order to accomplish more, it is a practical necessity for Malaysians people to be able
to communicate effectively, not only for the execution of their daily tasks, but also for
career advancement.

References

AZLINA BINTI ISMAIL

800206025322

Assoc Prof Dr Alias Mohd Yatim et.al (Dicember 2012), OUMH1203 English For Written
Communication, Open Universiti Malaysia, Meteor Doc. Sdn. Bhd.
Dato Dr Zaiton Osman et.al (November 2011), OUMH1103 Learning Skills For Open
Distance Learners, Open Universiti Malaysia, Meteor Doc. Sdn. Bhd.
Jaya Pushani Ponnudurai et.al (Dicember 2012), OUMH2203 English For Workplace
Communication, Open Universiti Malaysia, Meteor Doc. Sdn. Bhd.

http://megatnazhif.blogspot.my/2012/09/cause-and-effect-essay.html

http://www.christopherteh.com/blog/2013/12/bella-english/

http://idosi.org/wasj/wasj21(SLTL)13/11.pdf

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