In the globalized labor market, skills gaps between industry expectations and university preparation are becoming more prevalent. English communication skills (ECS) are vital soft skills in all workplaces, particularly in international business, where English is commonly used as a lingua franca. This case study examined the nexus between academia and industry regarding the instruction of ECS and their applicability to meet the requirements of the globalized business landscape by collecting data from 43 personnel in the international ready-made garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh. The research reveals that English courses in higher education do not adequately address the communication needs of the international RMG business, which requires practical experience in the workplace, trade-specific vocabulary, intelligibility, and clarity rather than a high level of fluency. The study recommends promoting the teaching of English for general business purposes in Bangladesh by integrating theoretical and practical learning in the classroom and workplace as part of the curriculum.
AhmadM. H.MoshoodT. D.NawanirG. (2023). The influence of industrial revolution 4.0 in the implementation of the learning factory at the University of Malaysia Pahang. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/jarhe-06-2022-0179
2.
Al-TarawnehM. Q.OsamU. V. (2019). Tourism English training at the tertiary level in Jordan: Reality and expectations from a university context. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 24, 155–167.
3.
AnsareyD. (2012). Communicative language teaching in EFL contexts: Teachers attitude and perception in Bangladesh. ASA University Review, 6(1), 61–78.
4.
BegumM.RoshidM. M.BanuM. S. (2005). Developing English language skills. Media Wave.
5.
BensonP. (2011). Language learning and teaching beyond the classroom: An introduction to the field. In BensonP.ReindersH. (Eds.), Beyond the language classroom (pp. 7–16). Palgrave Macmillan.
6.
BerndtssonI.DahlborgE.PennbrantS. (2020). Work-integrated learning as a pedagogical tool to integrate theory and practice in nursing education—An integrative literature review. Nurse Education in Practice, 42, 102685.
7.
BouzidiH. (2009). Between the ESP classroom and the workplace: Bridging the gap. English Teaching Forum, 47(3), 10–19. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ923455
8.
BraunV.ClarkeV. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
9.
BrownJ. D. (2016). Introducing needs analysis and English for specific purposes. Routledge.
10.
ÇalA.AdmiraalW.MearnsT. (2022). The what–how–why of English in the workplace: perspectives from Turkish engineers. European Journal of Engineering Education, 47(2), 333–352.
11.
CanaleM.SwainM. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1–47.
12.
CappelliP. H. (2015). Skill gaps, skill shortages, and skill mismatches: Evidence and arguments for the United States. ILR Review, 68(2), 251–290.
13.
ChanC. S. (2018). Proposing and illustrating a research-informed approach to curriculum development for specific topics in business English. English for Specific Purposes, 52, 27–46.
14.
ChanC. S. (2019). Long-term workplace communication needs of business professionals: Stories from Hong Kong senior executives and their implications for ESP and higher education. English for Specific Purposes, 56, 68–83.
15.
ChanC. S. (2021). Helping university students discover their workplace communication needs: An eclectic and interdisciplinary approach to facilitating on-the-job learning of workplace communication. English for Specific Purposes, 64, 55–71.
16.
ChanM. (2014). Communicative needs in the workplace and curriculum development of business English courses in Hong Kong. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 77(4), 376–408.
17.
CheongA. L. H.binti YahyaN.ShenQ. L.YenA. Y. (2014). Internship experience: An in-depth interview among interns at a business school of a Malaysian private higher learning institution. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 123, 333–343.
18.
ChewK. S. (2005). An investigation of the English language skills used by new entrants in banks in Hong Kong. English for Specific Purposes, 24(4), 423–435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2005.02.004
19.
CooperL.OrrellJ.BowdenM. (2010). Work integrated learning: A guide to effective practice. Routledge.
20.
CreswellJ. W.MillerD. L. (2000). Determining validity in qualitative inquiry. Theory Into Practice, 39(3), 124–130.
21.
DoizA.LasagabasterD.SierraJ. M. (2011). Internationalisation, multilingualism and English-medium instruction. World Englishes, 30(3), 345–359.
22.
DoizA.LasagabasterD.SierraJ. (2013). Globalisation, internationalisation, multilingualism and linguistic strains in higher education. Studies in higher education, 38(9), 1407-1421. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.642349
23.
Dudley-EvansT.St JohnM. J. (1998). Developments in English for specific purposes: A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge university press.
24.
EhrenreichS. (2010). English as a lingua franca (ELF) in international business contexts: Key issues and future perspectives. In MurataK. (Ed.), Exploring ELF in Japanese academic and business contexts (pp. 147–167). Routledge.
25.
ErautM. (2000). Non-formal learning and tacit knowledge in professional work. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 70(1), 113–136.
26.
ErlingE. J.WaltonA. (2007). English at work in Berlin. English Today, 23(1), 32–40. doi:10.1017/S026607840700106X
27.
EvansS. (2010). Business as usual: The use of English in the professional world in Hong Kong. English for Specific Purposes, 29(3), 153–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2009.11.005
28.
FerreiraC.RobertsonJ.PittL. (2023). Business (un)usual: Critical skills for the next normal. Thunderbird International Business Review, 65(1), 39–47.
29.
FujitaR. (2019). English for tourism and hospitality. In TerauchiH.NoguchiJ.TajinoA. (Eds.), Towards a new paradigm for English language teaching (pp. 172–180). Routledge.
30.
GallowayN.KriukowJ.NumajiriT. (2017). Internationalisation, higher education and the growing demand for English: An investigation into the English medium of instruction (EMI) movement in China and Japan (ELT Research Papers 17.02). British Council.
31.
GarcíaO. (2011). Bilingual education in the 21st century: A global perspective. John Wiley & Sons.
32.
GarcíaO.KleynT. (2016). Translanguaging theory in education. In GarcíaO.KleynT. (Eds.), Translanguaging with multilingual students: Learning from classroom moments (pp. 9–33). Routledge.
33.
GarcíaO.LinA. (2017). Extending understandings of bilingual and multilingual education. In GarcíaO.LinA.MayS. (Eds.), Bilingual and Multilingual Education (pp. 1–20). Springer.
34.
GerritsenM.NickersonC. (2009). BELF: Business English as a lingua franca. Edinburgh University Press.
35.
GilbuenaD. M.SherrettB. U.GummerE. S.ChampagneA. B.KoretskyM. D. (2015). Feedback on professional skills as enculturation into communities of practice. Journal of Engineering Education, 104(1), 7–34.
36.
GimenezJ. (2006). Embedded business emails: Meeting new demands in international business communication. English for Specific Purposes, 25(2), 154–172.
37.
HamidM. O. (2010). Globalisation, English for everyone and English teacher capacity: Language policy discourses and realities in Bangladesh. Current Issues in Language Planning, 11(4), 289–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2011.532621
38.
HamidM. O.JahanI.IslamM. M. (2013). Medium of instruction policies and language practices, ideologies and institutional divides: Voices of teachers and students in a private university in Bangladesh. Current Issues in Language Planning, 14(1), 144–163.
39.
HeckmanJ. J. (2000). Policies to foster human capital. Research in Economics, 54(1), 3–56.
40.
HellekjærG. O.FairwayT. (2015). The mismatch between the unmet need for and supply of occupational English skills: An investigation of higher educated government staff in Norway. Higher Education, 70(6), 1033–1050.
41.
HradilováA. (2018). Soft-skill based syllabus in Legal English courses. Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 6(2), 235–243.
42.
HsuJ. Y. T. (2002). Development of collocational proficiency in a workshop on English for general business purposes for Taiwanese college students. Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
43.
HurrellS. A. (2016). Rethinking the soft skills deficit blame game: Employers, skills withdrawal and the reporting of soft skills gaps. Human Relations, 69(3), 605–628.
44.
HüttnerJ. (2009). Fluent speakers–fluent interactions: On the creation of (co)-fluency in English as a lingua franca. In MauranenA.RantaE. (Eds.), English as a Lingua Franca: Studies and findings (pp. 274–297). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
45.
HylandK. (2007). English for specific purposes. In CumminsJ.DavisonC. (Eds.), International handbook of English language teaching (pp. 391–402). Springer.
46.
IslamM. A.JantanA. H.HashimH.ChongC. W.AbdullahM. M. (2018). Factors influencing female progression in leadership positions in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh. Journal of International Business and Management (JIBM), 1(1), 1–13.
47.
JacksonD. (2014). Business graduate performance in oral communication skills and strategies for improvement. International Journal of Management Education, 12(1), 22–34.
48.
JenkinsJ. (2009). English as a lingua franca: Interpretations and attitudes. World Englishes, 28(2), 200–207.
49.
JoeY.LeeH. K. (2013). Does English-medium instruction benefit students in EFL contexts? A case study of medical students in Korea. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 22(2), 201–207.
50.
JoffeH.YardleyL. (2003). Content and thematic analysis. In MarksD. F.YardleyL. (Eds.), Research methods for clinical and health psychology (pp. 56–68). Sage.
51.
KabirA. H. (2012). Neoliberal hegemony and ideological transformation of higher education in Bangladesh. Critical Literacy: Theories and Practices, 6(2), 2–15.
52.
KabirA. H.ChowdhuryR. (2021). The privatisation of higher education in postcolonial Bangladesh: The politics of intervention and control. Routledge.
53.
KankaanrantaA. (2008). Business English lingua franca in intercultural (business) communication. Language at Work – Bridging Theory and Practice, 3(4), 1–10.
54.
KankaanrantaA.Louhiala-SalminenL. (2010). “English?–Oh, it’s just work!”: A study of BELF users’ perceptions. English for Specific Purposes, 29(3), 204–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2009.06.004.
55.
KankaanrantaA.PlankenB. (2010). Belf competence as business knowledge of internationally operating business professionals. The Journal of Business Communication (1973), 47(4), 380–407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021943610377301
56.
KankaanrantaA.LuW. (2013). The evolution of English as the business lingua franca: Signs of convergence in Chinese and Finnish professional communication. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 27(3), 288–307. https://doi.org/10.1177/1050651913479919.
57.
KankaanrantaA.Louhiala-SalminenL.KarhunenP. (2015). English in multinational companies: implications for teaching “English” at an international business school. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 4(1), 125–148. https://doi.org/10.1515/jelf-2015-0010
58.
KankaanrantaA. (2019). ELF (English as a lingua franca) in business: Dynamics of teaching for business interactions. In TerauchiH.NoguchiJ.TajinoA. (Eds.), Towards a new paradigm for English language teaching: English for specific purposes in Asia and beyond (pp. 41-53). Routledge.
59.
KassimH.AliF. (2010). English communicative events and skills needed at the workplace: Feedback from the industry. English for Specific Purposes, 29(3), 168–182.
60.
KirkpatrickA. (2014). The language(s) of HE: EMI and/or ELF and/or multilingualism?Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 4–15.
61.
KlecknerM. J.ButzN. T. (2022). Developing entry-level communication skills: A comparison of student and employer perceptions. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 85(2), 192–221.
62.
Komori-GlatzM.Schmidt-UnterbergerB. (2018). Creating the international managers of tomorrow, today? Stakeholder perspectives on English-medium business education. English in Business and Commerce: Interactions and Policies, 14, 310.
63.
KönigL. S.Maškarin RibarićH. (2019). Is there a mismatch between employers’ and university teachers’ perceptions on graduate employability in Croatia?Management: Journal of Contemporary Management Issues, 24(1), 87–102.
64.
LaveJ.WengerE. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.
65.
LewisG.JonesB.BakerC. (2012). Translanguaging: Developing its conceptualisation and contextualisation. Educational Research and Evaluation, 18(7), 655–670.
66.
LiM. Y.WuT. C. (2017). Creating an EMI program in international finance and business management. In TsouW.KaoS. M. (Eds.), English as a medium of instruction in higher education (pp. 21–38). Springer.
67.
LincolnY. S.GubaE. G. (1985). Establishing trustworthiness. Naturalistic Inquiry, 289(331), 289–327.
68.
LittlewoodW.YuB. (2011). First language and target language in the foreign language classroom. Language Teaching, 44(1), 64–77.
69.
Louhiala-SalminenL.CharlesM.KankaanrantaA. (2005). English as a lingua franca in Nordic corporate mergers: Two case companies. English for Specific purposes, 24(4), 401–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2005.02.003
70.
Louhiala-SalminenL.KankaanrantaA. (2011). Professional communication in a global business context: The notion of global communicative competence. IEEE Transactions on professional communication, 54(3), 244–262. https://doi.org/10.1109/tpc.2011.2161844
71.
MacaroE. (2009). Teacher use of codeswitching in the second language classroom: Exploring “optimal” use. In TurnbullM.Dailey-O’CainJ. (Eds.), First language use in second and foreign language learning (pp. 35–49). Multilingual Matters.
72.
MacaroE.CurleS.PunJ.AnJ.DeardenJ. (2018). A systematic review of English medium instruction in higher education. Language Teaching, 51(1), 36–76.
73.
MahboobA.DutcherL. (2014). Dynamic approach to language proficiency—A model. In MahboobA.BarrattL. (Eds.), Englishes in multilingual contexts: Language variation and education, 117–136. Springer.
74.
ManutiA.PastoreS.ScardignoA. F.GiancasproM. L.MorcianoD. (2015). Formal and informal learning in the workplace: A research review. International Journal of Training and Development, 19(1), 1–17.
75.
MerriamS. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. Revised and Expanded from “case study research in education.”Jossey-Bass Publishers.
76.
Ministry of Education. (2010). National education policy 2010. Ministry of Education, Bangladesh Government.
77.
MooreT.MortonJ. (2017). The myth of job readiness? Written communication, employability, and the “skills gap” in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 42(3), 591–609.
78.
MoslehifaraM. A.IbrahimN. A. (2012). English language oral communication needs at the workplace: Feedback from human resource development (HRD) trainees. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 66, 529–536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.11.297
79.
MusaS. F. P. D. (2023). Preparing the youth for the future of work through apprenticeship programme in Brunei. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 13(1), 113–130.
80.
NationP. (2003). The role of the first language in foreign language learning. Asian EFL Journal, 1, 35–39.
81.
NickersonC. (2022). English for specific business purposes in the United Arab Emirates. World Englishes, 41(4), 532–544.
82.
NowellL. S.NorrisJ. M.WhiteD. E.MoulesN. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1609406917733847.
83.
O’ConnorC.JoffeH. (2020). Intercoder reliability in qualitative research: Debates and practical guidelines. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940691989922
84.
PiekkariR.WelchD.WelchL. S. (2014). Language in international business: The multilingual reality of global business expansion. Edward Elgar Publishing.
85.
PitzlM. L.EhrenreichS. (2015). Teaching ELF, BELF, and/or intercultural communication?—Introduction. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 4(1), 1–7.
86.
PullinP. (2015). Culture, curriculum design, syllabus and course development in the light of BELF. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 4(1), 31–53.
87.
QiufangW. (2012). English as a lingua franca: A pedagogical perspective. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 1(2), 371–376. https://doi.org/10.1515/jelf-2012-0024
88.
RafiA. S. M.MorganA.-M. (2022a). Linguistic ecology of Bangladeshi higher education: A translanguaging perspective. Teaching in Higher Education, 27(4), 512–529.
89.
RafiA. S. M.MorganA.-M. (2022b). Translanguaging as a transformative act in a reading classroom. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2021.2004894
90.
RahmanM. M.SinghM. K. M.KarimA. (2020). Distinctive medium of instruction ideologies in public and private universities in Bangladesh. Asian Englishes, 22(2), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/13488678.2019.1666493
91.
RäisänenT. (2020). The use of multimodal resources by technical managers and their peers in meetings using English as the business lingua franca. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 63(2), 172–187.
92.
ReindersH.BensonP. (2017). Research agenda: Language learning beyond the classroom. Language Teaching, 50(4), 561–578.
93.
RhewN. D.BlackJ. A.KeelsJ. K. (2019). Are we teaching what employers want? Identifying and remedying gaps between employer needs, accreditor prescriptions, and undergraduate curricular priorities. Industry and Higher Education, 33(6), 362–369.
94.
RyanF.CoughlanM.CroninP. (2007). Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 2: Qualitative research. British Journal of Nursing, 16, 738–744. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2007.16.12.23726
95.
RoshidM. M. (2009). Performance of teachers in implementing the communicative approach in English classes at the secondary level: An evaluative study. Teacher's World, 33, 177–186.
96.
RoshidM. M.WebbS. (2013). From workplace learning to work integrated learning for English communication skills: Professional development in the international business sector. In GreenwoodJ.EverattJ.KabirA. H.AlamS. (Eds.), Research and educational change in Bangladesh (pp. 115–134). University of Dhaka.
97.
RoshidM. M. (2014). Pragmatic strategies of ELF speakers: A case study in international business communication. In ChowdhuryR.MarlinaR. (Eds.), Enacting English across borders: Critical studies in the Asia Pacific (pp. 45–71). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
98.
RoshidM. M. (2018). English, empowerment and economic development: A study in an international business. In ChowdhuryR.SarkarM.MojumderF.RoshidM. M. (Eds.), Engaging in educational research: Revisiting policy and practice in Bangladesh (pp. 315–331). Springer.
99.
RoshidM. M. (2020). Belf competence for professional communication in the ready-made garments industry in Bangladesh. In SultanaS.RoshidM. M.HaiderM. Z.KabirM. M. N.KhanM. H., (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of English Language Education in Bangladesh (pp. 382–396). Routledge.
100.
RoshidM. M.ChowdhuryR. (2023). Power dynamics in business English as a lingua Ffranca discourse. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906231165275
101.
RoshidM. M.Le HaP. (2023). Higher education as public good, sustainable development goals, and crisis response in neoliberal political economy. Research in Comparative and International Education, 18(2), 317–347. https://doi.org/10.1177/17454999231174137
102.
RoshidM. M.SultanaS. (2023). Desire and marketizing English version of education as a commodity in the linguistic market in Bangladesh. The Qualitative Report, 28(3), 906–928. DOI:10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5873
103.
RoshidM. M.WebbS.ChowdhuryR. (2022). English as a Business Lingua Franca: A Discursive Analysis of Business E-Mails. International Journal of Business Communication, 59(1), 83–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488418808040.
104.
SeidlhoferB. (2001). Closing a conceptual gap: The case for a description of English as a lingua franca. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11(2), 133–158.
105.
SeidlhoferB. (2005). English as a lingua franca. ELT Journal, 59(4), 339–341.
106.
Singh DubeyR.PaulJ.TewariV. (2022). The soft skills gap: A bottleneck in the talent supply in emerging economies. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 33(13), 2630–2661.
107.
So-muiF. L.MeadK. (2000). An analysis of English in the workplace: The communication needs of textile and clothing merchandisers. English for Specific Purposes, 19(4), 351–368.
108.
StakeR. E. (2010). Qualitative research: Studying how things work. Guilford Press.
109.
TaguchiN. (2013). Production of routines in L2 English: Effect of proficiency and study-abroad experience. System, 41(1), 109–121.
110.
TakinoM. (2019). Becoming BELF users: The learning process of business users of English and its conceptualization. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 8(2), 235–267.
111.
TalaueF. G.KimM. K. (2020). Investigating the advantages of English medium instruction (EMI) in the Indonesian workplace. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 13(2), 321–334.
112.
TanakaH. (2006). Emerging English-speaking business discourses in Japan. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 16(1), 25–50.
113.
TanveerM. (2013). The Factors causing English language and study skills gaps between foundation and undergraduate programmes; an exploratory study at Majan College. Asian EFL Journal, 15(3), 161–200.
ThomasA.PiquetteC.McMasterD. (2016). English communication skills for employability: The perspectives of employers in Bahrain. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, 13(1), 36–52.
116.
TomlinsonM. (2008). “The degree is not enough”: Students’ perceptions of the role of higher education credentials for graduate work and employability. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 29(1), 49–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425690701737457
117.
TsouW. (2015). From globalization to glocalization: Rethinking English language teaching in response to the ELF phenomenon. English as a Global Language Education (EaGLE) Journal, 1(1), 47–63.
118.
TsouW.KaoS. (2017). English as a medium of instruction in higher education. English Language Education. Springer Nature.
WangY.JenkinsJ. (2016). “Nativeness” and intelligibility: Impacts of intercultural experience through English as a lingua franca on Chinese speakers’ language attitudes. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, 39(1), 38–58.
121.
WengerE. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press.
122.
XieQ. (2016). Business communication needs of English major undergraduates and curriculum development in a Chinese University. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 25(4), 667–676.
123.
ZhangZ. (2007). Towards an integrated approach to teaching Business English: A Chinese experience. English for Specific Purposes, 26(4), 399–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2006.10.006
124.
ZhangY. Z. (2014). Business English curriculum development based on needs analysis [Ji Yu Xu Qiu Fen Xi de Shang Wu Ying Yu Ke Cheng She Zhi Yan Jiu]. China After School Education, 10, 102–103.
