Importance of English for Interview

English is immensely important wherever you are in the world. In countries where English is not a native or official language, over two-thirds of employers say that English is important for their business. English is the language of international business, so increasingly it is just as important for businesses in native and non-native English-speaking countries. The survey shows that English language skills are important for over 95% of employers in many non-native English-speaking countries. So the importance of English for the interview has to be understood.

Employers say it is important to have proficiency in all four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening). So the importance of English for an interview is gradually increasing. The most important language skill is reading (in 11 industries), followed by speaking (in nine industries). Reading in English is essential for maintaining professional knowledge, as it is the language most often used in international journals, contracts, and instructions. Speaking tends to be the most important skill in service industries such as Travel, Leisure and Hospitality, where social interaction is a big part of the job.

English Language’s Competency:

There is a wide range of English requirements in countries where English is not a native or official language. 7% of job tasks require native-level English and 49% requires advanced English, 33% requires intermediate English and 8% requires basic English. The highest English language requirements are in business sectors, such as Banking, Finance, and Law, where business publications tend to use complex and technical English. Language requirements are lower in Travel, Leisure, Hospitality, Transportation, Distribution and Utilities, possibly because customer-facing roles tend to use more everyday English, and issues in understanding can be resolved with relatively simple English.

98.5% of employers have at least one method of assessing English language competency. The most common method is to interview applicants in English. In addition, over a quarter of employers use an externally created English language test. The use of external, expert-created English language tests indicates how important English language skills are to employers and the need to assess language skills in a thorough and reliable way.

Exact Pattern of Studies:

The first four questions aimed at understanding the confidence levels of students in dealing with the challenges they have to face during group discussions and interviews. It was found that many students had little knowledge of group discussions and presentation skills as there was no proper feedback or training. Asked about group discussions in first year English classes, it was found that there was no formal group discussion and students were asked to form teams of 5 or 6 members and discuss a topic. After the discussions, which were not monitored by the teachers, one student from each group made a presentation to the whole class and the rest remained silent spectators. The silent ones were not encouraged to speak or given special attention.

Response to question number five indicates that the teachers spent more time teaching grammar i.e. tenses, voice, preposition, etc. And the methodology of teaching grammar was quite mind-numbing and the students felt that they didn’t learn anything new as they had studied grammar in their school education. After the teacher completed a topic, the students were asked to fill up the blanks in their workbooks. It was also found out that more number of students didn’t participate in the learning process as many students felt the topics such as Tenses and active/passive voice were rudimentary. Moreover, many students felt that there wasn’t much discussion about communication skills in the workplace except on the first day of class.

Importance of English in Employability Skills:

Communication means the exchange of information, ideas, feeling, and thoughts. Communication skills are very important for one’s career growth. The ability to express effectively in both oral as well as the written form of language is very much important for career growth. Depending on the job, communication is about being a good speaker or a good writer. It includes being confident about speaking to people, it may be face to face or over the phone. It is also important for the candidates to write well and to understand emails and memos. Here are some important tips for learning to communicate more effectively. You may refer to Youtube to have a look at the importance of good communication.

1. Writing assignments and reports as part of your studies
2. Blogging or using social media
3. Making presentations as part of your classwork
4. Working in customer service (face to face or on the phone)
5.  Volunteering to host a community radio programme

Some ways to improve your English:

     The knowledge of English is one of the most important employability skill

1. Take English as a second language course.
2. Go to places where you can speak English.
3. Try to spend as much time as possible speaking English.
4. Watch television, listen to the radio and read the newspaper in English.
5. The news is an especially good choice because you will learn about new forms of communication.
6. Join a club, a social organisation or a conversation circle.
7. Ask friends and family members to help you if you use an improper word or phrase.
8. Ask them to correct your pronunciation in grammar.

Engconvo has launched a dedicated course for Interview & Placement training. Engconvo is already on the verge to be the best online institution that is offering Spoken English Classes in India.

Enroll for a Job interview & Placement Training Course and get training in order to get placed in your dream organization.