Local News

“Mix with others, students told”

(The Star, Monday 17 July 2006)

“They should not only research on the types of courses and universities available but brush up their English and equip themselves with some knowledge of the culture and lifestyles there,” Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat.

“It is important to be able to work as a team and to have good communication skills besides scoring good grades. No employer wants to hire someone who has poor communication skills and with no confidence,” Harvard Club of Malaysia president Tan Sri Dr Lin See-Yan.

“Grads need more than hard skills”

(The Star, Sunday 21 May 2006)

IN a multi-racial society like Malaysia, there are always opportunities for people to acquire more than one language. For businesses to thrive in some countries, being able to speak in a foreign language is always an advantage.

Even developed countries doing business with other countries find it an asset to have employees who are proficient in foreign languages.

Foreigners doing business with China, for instance, would find it to their advantage if they can speak Mandarin in their negotiations with local partners.

Being able to communicate in English would be an asset if developing countries are doing business with developed countries where English is widely used.

There are numerous Malaysian-based companies doing business in Indonesia and the Arab countries and most negotiations are made in the local language.

In our setting, thousands of graduates seek jobs in the public and private sectors annually. Many were not successful partly due to language inadequacy, especially in the private sector.

Besides the hard skills graduates have acquired while studying at the university, prospective employers dealing with international businesses would, as expected, seek candidates who are proficient in the English language.

To these companies, the English language is just indispensable.

In a recent survey done by a local university on 74 companies in the country – both national and international – prospective employers invariably look for at least 12 most important areas of skills when English is most needed at the workplace.

To these companies, their employees should be able to talk resourcefully to convince clients, negotiate effectively to win business opportunities, communicate impartially to resolve differences in opinions, speak convincingly over the phone, converse with proper etiquette or manners and adjust to formal and informal situations when communicating.

They should also be able to draft and write proper letters to clients, write short reports on business dealings and events, understand and report what others have discussed, understand and clarify information, letters and reports received, present facts in a clear and plain manner to an audience and conduct meetings in a brief and effectual manner.

Looking into these criteria, are our present graduates competitive enough to join the workforce in the private sector?

Graduates who can express well during interviews are more inclined to impress their prospective employers. Proficiency in a foreign language helps our graduates a lot more.

Graduates should not be complacent with only the hard skills they have. They should also make effort to be good in the English language.

Local Events

Talks

On 23^rd & 24^th July 2005, Pro-TEST Consultancy had organised a talk on “How to Manage Your English Proficiency” at MPH 1 Utama and MPH Mid Valley Kuala Lumpur.

Seminars

During the seminar at Genting - "Interaksi Minda : Membesar Dan Membimbing Remaja Masakini". Pro-TEST Consultancy Sdn. Bhd Executive Director, Ms. Song Hooi Ling with Associate Consultant, Datuk Dr. Ismail Noor.

Genting Talk - Karnival Keluarga Bahagia Penyayang 15th till 17th April 2005 Seminar - "Interaksi Minda : Membesar Dan Membimbing Remaja Masakini". Ms Song giving the plenary paper.