Developing General English Instruction at Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya with Reflections on the Use of English for Work by New Graduates

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the instruction of General English Courses at Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RUTS) and to investigate the use of English for work by new graduates. Research data were collected by questionnaires gained from the new 580 graduates of RUTS in academic year 2019. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics: frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. It was found that (1) the four aspects of General English instruction at RUTS including instructional materials ( =3.90), course contents ( =3.89), instructors ( =3.85), and instructional practices ( =3.80) were at a high level of appropriateness from the new graduates’ perspective and (2) three skills in the use of English for work: reading ( =3.80), writing ( =3.80), and conversation ( =3.74) were also at a high level of use by the new graduates. Based on the eight groups of their study fields, inferential statistics, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to inspect the difference among means of appropriateness of General English instruction and the use of English for work attained by the eight groups. The study found significant difference at the 0.01 level among means of the two issues. The findings used for curriculum development suggested that next revising General English Courses at RUTS should be considered by both English Foundation and English for Specific Purposes which relate to the contexts of communication in particular study fields. This is to encourage the learners’ practicing English for communication in particular contexts and to drive learning University English into communicative pratices more relating to their study fields.