Teachers’ Perspectives on the English Language Needs for Employability of Engineering Students: An Analysis

Abstract

This paper is based on a study conducted to analyse the English language and communication needs of engineering students in India, from the perspectives of teachers of English, in order to develop or revise content and pedagogy catering to the specific employability needs of students. A survey questionnaire was administered online to 50 teachers from engineering institutes in India. The results from this study provide significant insights into the challenges faced by the teachers, the instructional and assessment methods adopted by them, and specific language areas requiring attention. In addition, it provides recommendations on overcoming the challenges faced by the teachers. These results can be helpful in improving the language curriculum in engineering institutes to make the students job-ready in a globalised world where English is an important employability skill.