International Journal of Social Science And Human Research

ISSN(print): 2644-0679, ISSN(online): 2644-0695

Volume 05 Issue 07 July 2022
DOI: 10.47191/ijsshr/v5-i7-38, Impact factor- 5.871
Page No: 3063-3067

English Ability Students Faculty of Economics in the

Competition of the World of Work
Ika Nuriyanti1, Muhammad Agus Salim2, Ratna Nikin Hardati3
1,2,3
Islamic University of Malang Indonesia

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine the English language skills of students of the Faculty of Economics in
competition in the world of work. The ability to speak English at this time is very much needed, especially in facing the era of global
competition. As we know English is one of the glue tools between nations or often referred to as an international language. This
triggers the necessity for every individual who wants to compete in the era of globalization to be able to speak using English. This
necessity is one of the motivations for someone to be able to speak English as an effort to be categorized as an individual who is
able to compete with other individuals across countries. This research method uses a qualitative descriptive approach, and the type
of research used is literature, namely collecting data or scientific papers related to the object of research or collecting data that is
library in nature. As well as a study carried out to solve a problem critically and deeply on library materials that are relevant to the
research.
Research results in countries where English is not the official language: 67% of employers have an English skills gap. In English-
speaking countries: 22% of employers have an English skills gap. The size of the English skills gap demonstrates how prevalent the
English language requirement is - across all industries, all sizes of organizations and at all levels of management. English skills
must be further trained and developed to be more applicable to the world of work. Competence in English if you want to stay
competitive and collaborative in the world of work. Even in an academic context, university graduates (PT) are required to be
proficient in English, in addition to other languages. Because currently the opportunities for students to take part in international
mobility between countries are increasingly wide open. This opportunity, of course, only applies to students with good English
skills.
KEYWORDS: ability, student, english, competition, work

INTRODUCTION
English is one of the important aspects possessed by students. Apart from being an international language that will support
communication with other people, especially now there are many references to supporting lectures that use English. So students
need to improve their English language skills. starting with basic things, such as providing material about the Simple present, the
use of nouns, and the use of verbs. It is a Fundamental and most basic material that must be introduced in the first semester, because
later there will be English material at the next level which will be more complex. English is not only used to communicate directly
but also supports students to improve their knowledge and lectures [1]. English should be one of the skills that every student must
have, why is that? Because at this time we are heading to the era of globalization, especially in this digital era, era 4.0 and we want
to enter the era of 5.0, English is a bridge for us to enter the realms, both digitally and in other fields, especially in the competition
to enter the world. Work [2].
Even though its position is not as a second language, nowadays almost every day we can find English being used either in
the environment around us or on social media. The ability to speak English at this time is very much needed, especially in facing
the era of global competition. As we know English is one of the glue tools between nations or often referred to as an international
language. This triggers the necessity for every individual who wants to compete in the era of globalization to be able to speak using
English. This necessity is one of the motivations for someone to be able to speak English as an effort to be categorized as an
individual who is able to compete with other individuals across countries [3].
Some individuals are not aware of the importance of being able to speak English. They still think that we should uphold the
mother tongue and second language in this country without any interest in learning English [4]. Moreover, there is a fear of the entry
of foreign cultures that are contrary to the existing culture in Indonesia. This increasingly makes some people feel that English
language skills are not needed. In fact, Indonesia as a developing country still really needs help and cooperation from other countries,
especially developed countries where most of the developed countries use English [5]. The mindset as described above is one of the
mindsets that must be changed. If we realize that these thoughts are not only owned by individuals with old age, some of the

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English Ability Students Faculty of Economics in the Competition of the World of Work
teenagers, especially students in Indonesia, still have a lot of narrow thinking as above. Likewise with students who are in the scope
of students in economics, there are still lots of students with very weak English skills, this is influenced by the lack of motivation
and interest of students to master English. What happened in the classroom during the English learning process was that some
students chose to remain silent when asked questions using English [6]. They do not have a good vocabulary and understanding of
grammar in English so they feel afraid and nervous when asked questions [7].
As a common market arena, it certainly demands the competence of human resources and quality products so that they can
compete and not lose competitiveness. So, it is very contradictory if foreign workers from an early age have prepared the quality of
industrial products and self-competence including active mastery of English, while at home they are complacent and do not rush
seriously to improve their competence and English. ASEAN free trade, which started on January 1 2015, provides a separate note
for us, in the blueprint of the ASEAN Economy Community (AEC), it is agreed that the business language among ASEAN countries
is English. Although Indonesia has long ago prepared human resources by equipping them with English from elementary school to
university, this does not guarantee the competence of good communication skills from other countries [8].That English language
skills greatly affect the labor market and culture. Because this factor determines the competition with workers outside Indonesia [9].
There are so many policy packages that have been issued by the government, which are expected to improve the level of
economic achievement in 2022. The MEA market which has been going on for 7 years is an opportunity, for foreign and domestic
investors to make the best use of it. Foreign investors who want to invest in Indonesia, of course, will need ready-to-use human
resources. The ability to communicate in English is very strategic for the development and improvement of the national economy.
Seeing the fierce competition in the ASEAN Free Market, mastery of English is an absolute must. Currently, several national and
international companies have implemented English language skills both spoken and written as one of the requirements when
recruiting new employees. It will be a shame if many multinational companies will operate in Indonesia, but will employ more
workers from outside Indonesia because the Indonesian workers' English communication skills are lacking. Therefore, the policies
taken must be appropriate, the government continues to work through the relevant ministries to improve this capability. Improving
English language competence needs to be carried out continuously through non-formal educational institutions while remaining side
by side with the implementation of formal education. Indonesian language, which is the first and national unifying language, needs
to be balanced with English which is the unifying language in the international world. It is necessary to improve capabilities in the
economic and business sectors. A worker must invest in human capital optimally when he has sufficient wealth [10]. The ability to
communicate in English has an important role for job competition and the business world.

RESEARCH METHOD
In this study using a qualitative descriptive approach, and the type of research used is library, namely collecting data or scientific
papers related to the object of research or collecting data that is library in nature. As well as a study carried out to solve a problem
critically and deeply on library materials that are relevant to the research. According to M.Nazir (2002:27), literature study is a data
collection technique by using a study of books, literature, notes and reports that have to do with the problem to be solved. Literature
study is an important step in research, where after a researcher determines the research topic, then the next step is to conduct a study
related to the theory of the research topic. The researcher collects as much relevant information as possible from the literature related
to library sources which can be obtained from books, journals, magazines, research results and other sources that are in accordance
with the research theme [11]

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Need for English in Global Competition and Free Market
To prepare human resources who are reliable and proficient in English actively and communicatively to all elements of society
cannot be separated from the role of the government in issuing program policies and training to improve the community's ability to
speak English. The application of English for Specific Purpose in the program to increase foreign tourists can formed to offer
training or courses for workers [12]. The readiness of human resources (HR) is the main factor in facing the free market era (Asih
M 2015). In the free market era later, it is not only capital that can travel across national borders. Many workers from a country will
experience the same thing. Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and other ASEAN countries are the main competitors because of
the language factor. So for local workers, they must prepare themselves with active English language skills. That in the era of
competition and global economy, the ability to speak English is absolutely necessary for work. This indicates and emphasizes that
English language skills must be possessed to be able to compete in the 2015 MEA free market.
But in reality, in Indonesia, many observers feel that Indonesia is still not ready to face the MEA because its capabilities are
still not felt to be sufficient at the ASEAN or international level. This is supported by the results of a comprehensive report by the
world education institution EF English First on the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) in 63 countries in 2014. As a result,
English proficiency in Indonesia is ranked 28th, while Malaysia is in the top 10. 12th order. In terms of capability, English language
skills in Indonesia are far behind from neighboring countries which are rival countries in the 2015 MEA free market, with the
exception of Vietnam, which is in 33rd place [13]. Indonesia, which is below Malaysia and Singapore, still has to catch up with this

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English Ability Students Faculty of Economics in the Competition of the World of Work
capability with consistent efforts. However, Indonesia is above Vietnam which has an EPI of 510. Meanwhile, Indonesia is 535.
Indonesia, which has the largest population in Southeast Asia, is highly expected to become a market share in its own country. Good
and directed HR management in a sustainable manner can make a major contribution for the improvement of the national economy.
One of the success factors in human resource management is equal distribution of quality. It is undeniable that the uneven
distribution of population, where the population on the island of Java is more than in other large and small islands, is still an obstacle
that needs to be overcome fresh.
This inequality of course also affects the ability to communicate in English. According to the EF-EPI report also explained,
the number of people who are able to communicate well is more in big cities than in other, remote areas [13]. Workers who have
better English communication skills can get more promising opportunities. Both in terms of income and other facilities. Those who
work at home and abroad with good English communication skills will help increase the competitiveness of AEC. Other countries
have prepared human resources. The country of Malaysia, with better English communication quality than Indonesia, has several
innovations to improve human resources in an increasingly fierce and fast economic competition.
Students' English Skills in the Competition of the Job Market
As a global language, English holds a very large function and role. One of the visible implications is that more and more people are
trying to learn/master English well. In the field of education, for example. To face global competition, English is introduced to
students early. Many elementary school (SD) and even kindergarten (TK) students start learning English. The use of English has
also begun to be widely used in non-educational fields such as economics and business. In addition, several countries such as China,
South Korea, Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands use English as a second language so that they are able to establish trade
cooperation with countries such as England, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. So that various kinds of trade documents
also use English. This shows that English is not only useful in education, but in other fields [14]
Many people learn English because they know exactly what benefits they will get from learning the language. There are
many benefits of the English language that we know and even many that are not yet known. The concept of our thinking so far is
too narrow in responding to the meaning of learning English as a compulsory subject in school to achieve the specified standard of
value. In fact, there are several benefits of English in general that can motivate and stimulate our interest in learning, including: a).
Academic purposes, English lessons have become a compulsory subject for all students, even those who are not majoring in English.
b) Career development, the world of work is tempted by people who are proficient in English. This skill will be an added value for
prospective job applicants because they are considered more competitive than those who are not/less proficient in English. c) Golden
opportunity to go abroad For students, continuing their studies abroad is very prestigious. However, they must pass the TOEFL.
This test measures our ability to speak English. d) Expanding the English language association is very important for establishing
international communication. e) conquer the internet, may think that many sites are translated into Indonesian. In fact, 80% of
electronic information is only available in English. While the remaining 20% are not all dominated by Indonesian. It's the same in
entrepreneurship. In an era full of competition like now, everyone is vying to win the competition. Related to this, English is a very
potential capital in developing a business/business. If most people start a business without mastering English at all, but in this
competitive era, mastering English is very important [15].
There are seven potentials of English for entrepreneurship, including writing business messages/letters (correspondence,
email), business correspondence and reports (correspondence and writing reports), promotion and sales (promotion and sales),
customer service (consumer service), communication at the workplace (communicating at work), international communication
(international communication), enriching references (enriching references) [16]. English proficiency is one of the important
prerequisites for someone in facing job competition and will determine one's career development. Thus, the need for mastery of
English for prospective workers is a challenge for a university. It is the obligation of universities to equip their graduates with
adequate English language skills so that they can compete in the job market. Economics English has terms that are more difficult
than general English because it is related to certain vocational skills. In addition, variations in the form of English terms in the field
of economics are very complex and general and the meaning of English terms in economics requires special understanding because
they are related to applications in the world of work. The pattern of learning English in the economic field must be adjusted to what
students need in the world of work so that its application can be felt optimally [17].
There are seven potentials of English for entrepreneurship, including writing business messages/letters (correspondence,
email), business correspondence and reports (correspondence and writing reports), promotion and sales (promotion and sales),
customer service (consumer service), communication at the workplace (communicating at work), international communication
(international communication), enriching references (enriching references) [15]. The ability to speak English is one of the important
prerequisites for someone in facing job competition and will determine one's career development. Thus, the need for mastery of
English for prospective workers is a challenge for a university. It is the obligation of universities to equip their graduates with
adequate English language skills so that they can compete in the job market. Economics English has terms that are more difficult
than general English because it is related to certain vocational skills. In addition, variations in the form of English terms in the field
of economics are very complex and general and the meaning of English terms in economics requires special understanding because

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English Ability Students Faculty of Economics in the Competition of the World of Work
they are related to applications in the world of work. The pattern of learning English in the economic field must be adjusted to what
students need in the world of work so that its application can be felt optimally [18].
The needs and goals of students who are interested and consider it important to learn English are dilators, with the main
priority being for the purpose of the world of work. Furthermore, the goal of mastering English skills such as Listening (listening),
speaking (speaking), reading (reading), writing (writing) is the second priority. Mastery of English skills is a foundation that must
be mastered in English communication. Furthermore, of the four skills, speaking (speaking in English) is a priority skill that students
need to master more deeply. Students think that speaking is the most difficult skill compared to other skills. This is because, mastery
of speaking must include indicators of mastery of vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, dition, content, performance.
The need for English must be supported by the communication approach that you want to apply to improve English language
skills. The achievement of learning outcomes is highly dependent on the approach/learning method. From the questionnaire items
related to the approach to improving English language skills, it was found that the communication approach/strategy was very much
needed by students. Communication in English demands the continuity of routine in speaking practice. Furthermore, speaking in
terms of communication, apart from being a crucial thing that must be mastered, then based on interviews with students of the
Faculty of Economics, it was concluded that the theme or discussion to be mastered was job interviews. Based on the findings, in
general these objectives can be categorized into 2 broad categories, namely (1) learning English to prepare for lectures (EAP) and
(2) to prepare for job competition (EOP). To prepare for the EOP, students feel they have the ability and more or less can master
the material related to job interviews as a provision in looking for work. This is because students perceive the interview as a very
decisive thing when entering the work environment. Mastery of English in terms of job interviews gives more value/points so that
there is a high probability of being accepted by the relevant agency [19].
Meanwhile, to face job competition, students feel the need to prepare themselves to master English fluently, especially in
terms of the ability to communicate orally or speaking. The purpose of learning English for second semester economics students is
to orientate themselves in preparing requirements for entry into the world of work, students emphasize the importance of improving
speaking skills as one of the skills that are the main targets in learning English, which is then followed by improvement other skills
such as writing, reading, and listening skills [20]

CONCLUSION
Indonesia has been confirmed to be the main market share of other countries. For this reason, English communication skills are
absolutely necessary, in order to compete with workers from other countries, so that they can contribute to improving the national
economy. The purpose of students of the Faculty of Economics learning English is for the purpose of English for Occupational
Pursposes (EOP) which is a necessity as a provision to enter the world of work, with an orientation towards speaking skills as a skill
that is the main target in learning English. Many cases show that students are passive due to their low English skills. The learning
process is student-centered, which requires students to be more active and communicative in the classroom. This change is also one
of the efforts to face ASEAN economic competition. The connection is very clear, namely with an optimal education system that
will produce professional human resources who are ready to compete. Then we don't need to worry that the position of our nation's
generation will be replaced by generations from outside Indonesia in the world of work.

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