Self-Directed English Learning for Communication in Business

Abstract

Due to globalization, companies have started to work in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual environment, where businesses and communications operate worldwide. English, regarded as the global language, serves as the common means of communication for people from different cultural backgrounds. Companies are looking for employees who are equipped with the skills in their profession as well versed as English skills in order to keep competitive in the global market and adapt to challenges such as rapid technological changes and higher customer expectations. The designs of many language trainings at work are based on the formal and informal learning theories. The theory of self-directed learning is predominantly being focused on because the learner sets his own goals and learns at his own pace and the self-directedness of an individual is what adult education is all about. In English learning, in particular, it requires a lot of learning-by-doing methods, and learners mainly learn from experiences. This research used a qualitative approach to investigate a group of people, who were past or current Toastmasters members for learning English autonomously and who were employed in a job that required a great deal of English. The study aimed at investigating their learning process behind their success to see the implications to human resource development practitioners on how language training can be done differently. Seven dimensions were identified to fully describe the self-directed English learning process of an individual. Given their own interests and job requirements, autonomous learners engaged in a self-directed English learning process to perform learning by doing strategies, control their learning progress and evaluate their own English performance; the researcher saw impacts such as improved English skills and more employable skills were gained among these individuals.Due to globalization, companies have started to work in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual environment, where businesses and communications operate worldwide. English, regarded as the global language, serves as the common means of communication for people from different cultural backgrounds. Companies are looking for employees who are equipped with the skills in their profession as well versed as English skills in order to keep competitive in the global market and adapt to challenges such as rapid technological changes and higher customer expectations. The designs of many language trainings at work are based on the formal and informal learning theories. The theory of self-directed learning is predominantly being focused on because the learner sets his own goals and learns at his own pace and the self-directedness of an individual is what adult education is all about. In English learning, in particular, it requires a lot of learning-by-doing methods, and learners mainly learn from experiences. This research used a qualitative approach to investigate a group of people, who were past or current Toastmasters members for learning English autonomously and who were employed in a job that required a great deal of English. The study aimed at investigating their learning process behind their success to see the implications to human resource development practitioners on how language training can be done differently. Seven dimensions were identified to fully describe the self-directed English learning process of an individual. Given their own interests and job requirements, autonomous learners engaged in a self-directed English learning process to perform learning by doing strategies, control their learning progress and evaluate their own English performance; the researcher saw impacts such as improved English skills and more employable skills were gained among these individuals.