Challenges and Strategies in Workplace English Communication: Undergraduate Accountant Internship

Abstract

Competency in occupational English is crucial among university graduates in Malaysia. Nevertheless, there have been constant concerns regarding the graduates' need for English communication skills. In order to overcome the challenges and become competent, they need to employ strategies that would assist them to remain relevant and sustainable during their internship. This paper presents the challenges and strategies in workplace English Communication among undergraduate accountant internships. Attempts undertaken by the accounting interns in overcoming the challenges in English language communication during their six-month internship experiences at respective companies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are also discussed. The study employed a qualitative research method using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with five (5) interns from the Faculty of Economics and Management of a public university in Malaysia. Interviews with two managers and a supervisor who were the persons in charge of the interns were also carried out. The interview data was transcribed verbatim and analysed using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis. The interns’ data was triangulated with the supervisor and managers' views and later validated by three independent coders using Cohen's Kappa Reliability Test. The strategies employed by the accounting interns in overcoming the English language communication challenges included speaking English with non-Malay colleagues, seeking help from the supervisor, consulting colleagues or seniors’ expertise, and reading work-related documents. The implications of the findings focus on university administrators to strengthen the teaching and learning of the English language and help undergraduates improve their communication skills in English are also discussed in this paper.