INTERNSHIP STUDENTS' WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Ibrahim Ali khanUsama AhmadAhmad Mukhtar

Presented by :

INTRODUCTION

With the advent of 21st century, the demands of employers has placed a tough competition for graduates all over the world.

Nguyen’s definition of an ideal engineer: “an ideal engineer is expected to possess a diversity of skills and attributes, balanced with technical competency and non-technical competency.”

ARE NON-TECHNICAL SKILLS MORE IMPORTANT???

YES!!!

COMMON DEMANDS INCLUDE

HARD SKILLS Engineering Professional competency Project management skills SOFT SKILLS Presentation skills Interpersonal communication skills Creativity Problem-solving skills Flexibility for teamwork

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

to identify the frequency of internal and external communication activities

opinion on the adequacy of university preparation for effective workplace communication through language courses

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Sample Instrument Likert scale range

FINDINGS & DISCUSSION

Report

Email

Instru

ctions

Genera

l Writi

ng

Propo

salMem

o

Busine

ss Let

ter0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Frequency of Internal Communication: Written Practice

Very Often Often Sometimes Rarely Not at All

Meetin

g

Team

Commun

icatio

n

Discuss

ion

Techn

ical D

iscuss

ion

Presen

tation

Telep

hone

Conver

sation

Lead D

iscuss

ion

Briefin

g05

1015202530354045

Frequency of Internal Communication: Oral Practice

Very Often Often Sometimes Rarely Not at all

Email

Report

Genera

l Writi

ng

Instru

ctions

Propo

salMem

o

Busine

ss Let

ter05

1015202530354045

Frequency of External Communication: Written Practice

Very Often Often Sometimes Rarely Not at All

Meetin

g

Team

Commun

icatio

n

Discuss

ion

Techn

ical D

iscuss

ion

Presen

tation

Telep

hone

Conver

sation

Lead D

iscuss

ion

Briefin

g0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Frequency of External Communication: Oral Practice

Very Often Often Sometimes Rarely Not at all

UNIVERSITY PRACTICES SUFFICIENT???

REPORT GENERAL WRITING

EMAIL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTION/MANUAL

MEMO BUSINESS LETTER

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Adequacy of Language Preparation: Writing Skills

very well well average poor very poor not applicable

Formal P

resen

tation

Team

Discuss

ion

Discuss

ion

Formal M

eatin

g

Techn

ical D

iscuss

ion

Lead D

iscuss

ion

Telep

hone

Conver

sation

Briefin

g05

101520253035404550

Adequacy of Language Preparation: Oral Skills

Very well Well Average Poor Very poor Not Apllicable

CONCLUSION

there are various written and oral communication events practiced at different frequencies

different communication practices maybe exercised for internal and external communication purposes of the companies.

language programs used to bridge the communication gap between the workplace and academic institutions.

SUGGESTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Lsdnfs

help the educators realize the communication needs and practices expected out of interns at the prospective workplace

indicate the frequency of different communication practices at the workplace

Language courses need to theorize workplace communication to ensure that “real life” and “authentic” learning take place in the classrooms

Language courses need to theorize workplace communication to ensure that “real life” and “authentic” learning take place in the classrooms

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2. Artemeva, N. (2008). Toward a Unified Social Theory of Genre Learning. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 22 (2), 160-185.

3. Artemeva, N. (2005). “A Time to Speak, a Time to Act: A Rhetorical Genre Analysis of a Novice Engineer’s Calculated Risk Taking.” Journal of Business and Technical Communication. 19 (4), 389-421.

4. Barab S. A. & Duffy T. (1998). From Practice Fields To Communities of Practice in Centre for Research on Learning and Technology (CRLT), Technical Report,1 (98), 1-33.

5. Dickson, D. A. & Hargie Owen, D. W. (1999). Cross-Community in the Northern Ireland Workplace: A Scoping Study. A Report on Research Funded by The Central Community Relations Unit. 1-32.

6. Dunbar, N.E., Brooks, C. F. & Miller, T.B. (2006). Oral Communication Skills in Higher Education: Using a Performance-Based Evaluation Rubric to Assess Communication Skills, Innovative Higher Education, 31 (2), 115-128.

7. Dyke, J. F. (2006). Students Perceptions of Communication; Undergraduate Engineers’ Views of Writing And Speaking In The Classroom And Workplace. Journal of STEM Education, 7 (1 & 2), 34-41.

REFERENCES

ANY QUESTIONS ???

THANK YOU!!!