English Language Readiness of International Students in Higher Education Institution as Basis for Tailored Language Program
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19002982Keywords:
Cebu Technological University, English language readiness, International students, tailored language programAbstract
This study examined the English language readiness of international students at Cebu Technological University (CTU) as the basis for designing a tailored language program responsive to their academic and workplace needs. This used a descriptive–correlational research design, that involved 100 international students across undergraduate and graduate levels. Data were gathered through validated online survey instruments measuring English language competence in listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The workplace readiness across communication, critical thinking, professionalism, adaptability and linguistic challenges affecting performance were also measured. Results revealed that students perceived themselves to possess high levels of competence in all four macro-skills, with listening and reading emerging as areas of notable strength. Actual performance data confirmed very good receptive abilities, while writing, particularly vocabulary use in academic contexts and spontaneous speaking were identified as areas needing improvement. Workplace readiness indicators also fell within the high range, especially in teamwork, adaptability, and communication, although confidence in job interview preparation was comparatively moderate. Results further reveal a very strong and statistically significant overall correlation between perceived level of agreement in English competence and actual measured competence using Spearman rho and Pearsons r, highlighting that higher English competence contribute to higher career preparedness. Challenges such as limited academic vocabulary, difficulty understanding lectures, and limited confidence in public speaking were also identified. The findings recommend a need for a structured, CTU-specific language program emphasizing academic vocabulary, intercultural communication, oral fluency, and workplace communication. This can support CTU’s internationalization goals and enhance the employability of its international student population.
Downloads
References
Becker, G. S. (1993). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education (3rd ed.). University of Chicago Press.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Multilingual Matters.
Byram, M. (2021). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence (2nd ed.). Multilingual Matters.
Canale, M. (1983). From communicative competence to communicative language pedagogy. In J. Richards & R. Schmidt (Eds.), Language and communication (pp. 2–27). Longman.
Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1–47.
Cebu Technological University. (n.d.). Internationalization and ASEAN integration / CTU internationalization materials. https://www.ctu.edu.ph
Choi, A. L. (2014). Addressing the language needs of industry: Incorporating real-life workplace communication into SGC-based vocational English modules. SpringerPlus, 3(Suppl 1), O6. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-3-S1-O6
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
CTU Internationalization Office. (2024). CTU Internationalization and ASEAN Integration Report. Cebu Technological University.
CTU Strategic Plan. (2023). Cebu Technological University 2023–2028 Strategic Plan. Cebu Technological University.
Deardorff, D. K. (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241–266.
Deardorff, D. K. (Ed.). (2009). The SAGE handbook of intercultural competence. SAGE Publications.
DeVellis, R. F. (2017). Scale development: Theory and applications (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Egitim, S., & Harumi, S. (2026). Developing global competence in world language education: A four-step framework for success. Routledge.
Etikan, I., & Bala, K. (2017). Sampling and sampling methods. Biometrics & Biostatistics International Journal, 5(6), 215–217. https://doi.org/10.15406/bbij.2017.05.00149
Fantini, A. (2009). Assessing intercultural competence. In D. K. Deardorff (Ed.), The SAGE handbook of intercultural competence (pp. 456–476). SAGE Publications.
Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2021). How to design and evaluate research in education (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Huang, L. J. D. (2021). Developing intercultural communicative competence in language education. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.xxxxxx
Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative competence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (Eds.), Sociolinguistics (pp. 269–293). Penguin.
Hynes, G. E., & Veltsos, J. R. (2019). Managerial communication: Strategies and applications (7th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Israel, M., & Hay, I. (2006). Research ethics for social scientists: Between ethical conduct and regulatory compliance. SAGE Publications.
Jaca, C. A. L., & Castañeda Jr., W. D. (2025). Graduate competencies as predictors of the pre-service English teachers’ work-readiness. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 14(1), 45–57. https://ijere.iaescore.com
National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2021). Career readiness defined. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/
National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2023). Career readiness defined. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/
OECD. (2018). The future of education and skills: Education 2030. OECD Publishing.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2020). Education at a glance 2020: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing.
Peersia, K. (2024). Work readiness: Definitions and conceptualisations. Higher Education Research. https://doi.org/10.xxxxxx/tandfonline.xxxxxx
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453–465. https://doi.org/10.1177/1080569912460400
Rosenberg, S., Heimler, R., & Morote, E. (2012). Basic employability skills: A triangular design approach. Education + Training, 54(1), 7–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400911211198869
Simonsen, R. (2021). How to maximise language learners’ career readiness. Language Teaching, 55(2), 156–162.
Strong, M. H., Burkholder, G. J., Solberg, E. G., Stellmack, A., Presson, W. D., & Seitz, J.-B. (2020). Development and validation of a global competency framework for preparing new graduates for early career professional roles. Higher Learning Research Communications, 10(2), 67–115. https://doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v10i2.1199
Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach’s alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53–55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd
Tividad, M. J. (2024). The English language needs of technical-vocational students: A case study. SSRN/Scimatic. https://papers.ssrn.com
UNESCO. (2023). Global education monitoring report 2023. UNESCO Publishing.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2023). Global flow of tertiary-level students. https://uis.unesco.org
Wilberschied, L. F. (2015). Intercultural communicative competence: Literature review. Cleveland State University Engaged Scholarship. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu
Yorke, M. (2016). Employability in higher education: What it is – what it is not. Higher Education Academy.
Yorke, M., & Knight, P. T. (2006). Embedding employability into the curriculum. Higher Education Academy.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
