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The ability to communicate in the host country’s language: A universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics

This paper highlights the association of language use skills with self-confidence as a contributing factor to the determination of expatriate self adaptability in a foreign cultural environment. The objective of this study was to examine whether the skills of using the local language of the host cou...

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Main Authors: Irma Wani Othman, Wardatul Akmam Din, Noraini Said, Ameiruel Azwan Ab Aziz
Format: Article
Language:English
English
Published: Global Academic Excellence 2021
Subjects:
LB2331.7-2335.8 Teaching personnel
P87-96 Communication. Mass media
Online Access:https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/32899/1/The%20ability%20to%20communicate%20in%20the%20host%20country%E2%80%99s%20language.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/32899/2/The%20ability%20to%20communicate%20in%20the%20host%20country%E2%80%99s%20language%20_ABSTRACT.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/32899/
http://www.ijepc.com/PDF/IJEPC-2021-43-11-30.pdf
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.643013
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spelling my.ums.eprints.328992022-06-21T01:25:15Z https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/32899/ The ability to communicate in the host country’s language: A universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics Irma Wani Othman Wardatul Akmam Din Noraini Said Ameiruel Azwan Ab Aziz LB2331.7-2335.8 Teaching personnel P87-96 Communication. Mass media This paper highlights the association of language use skills with self-confidence as a contributing factor to the determination of expatriate self adaptability in a foreign cultural environment. The objective of this study was to examine whether the skills of using the local language of the host country are considered as a universal skill requirement for improvisation and self-skills among expatriate academics in Malaysian Public Universities. Utilisation of qualitative methods of semi-structured interviews on 35 lecturers with international staff status in four Malaysian Public Universities which were subsequently processed by inductive analysis for dominant and subdominant thematic classifications. The findings prove that the informants utilised language proficiency as a backup to recognise their ability to respond to external stimuli, thus producing positive value to themselves. The proactive process is done by trying to find answers to change and self-transformation while in a foreign country. Studies linking the elements of confidence and self-identity skills among expatriates are often highlighted, but the approach taken is to put the advantage to be utilised on the part of the organisation and not expatriates as the subject of the study. Therefore, the results of this study fulfil the search for answers regarding their identity as an expatriate, including exploring foreign cultures, releasing the culture of the country of origin, developing a network of contacts and assessing their potential and ability to deal with the challenges of life abroad. The direction of future research refers to the addition of value in the expatriate management literature by making basic concepts of interaction such as language proficiency as an element capable of increasing self-confidence and sketching the career development of self-initiated expatriates. Global Academic Excellence 2021 Article PeerReviewed text en https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/32899/1/The%20ability%20to%20communicate%20in%20the%20host%20country%E2%80%99s%20language.pdf text en https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/32899/2/The%20ability%20to%20communicate%20in%20the%20host%20country%E2%80%99s%20language%20_ABSTRACT.pdf Irma Wani Othman and Wardatul Akmam Din and Noraini Said and Ameiruel Azwan Ab Aziz (2021) The ability to communicate in the host country’s language: A universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counseling (IJEPC), 6. pp. 137-155. ISSN 0128-164X http://www.ijepc.com/PDF/IJEPC-2021-43-11-30.pdf https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.643013
institution Universiti Malaysia Sabah
building UMS Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Malaysia Sabah
content_source UMS Institutional Repository
url_provider http://eprints.ums.edu.my/
language English
English
topic LB2331.7-2335.8 Teaching personnel
P87-96 Communication. Mass media
spellingShingle LB2331.7-2335.8 Teaching personnel
P87-96 Communication. Mass media
Irma Wani Othman
Wardatul Akmam Din
Noraini Said
Ameiruel Azwan Ab Aziz
The ability to communicate in the host country’s language: A universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics
description This paper highlights the association of language use skills with self-confidence as a contributing factor to the determination of expatriate self adaptability in a foreign cultural environment. The objective of this study was to examine whether the skills of using the local language of the host country are considered as a universal skill requirement for improvisation and self-skills among expatriate academics in Malaysian Public Universities. Utilisation of qualitative methods of semi-structured interviews on 35 lecturers with international staff status in four Malaysian Public Universities which were subsequently processed by inductive analysis for dominant and subdominant thematic classifications. The findings prove that the informants utilised language proficiency as a backup to recognise their ability to respond to external stimuli, thus producing positive value to themselves. The proactive process is done by trying to find answers to change and self-transformation while in a foreign country. Studies linking the elements of confidence and self-identity skills among expatriates are often highlighted, but the approach taken is to put the advantage to be utilised on the part of the organisation and not expatriates as the subject of the study. Therefore, the results of this study fulfil the search for answers regarding their identity as an expatriate, including exploring foreign cultures, releasing the culture of the country of origin, developing a network of contacts and assessing their potential and ability to deal with the challenges of life abroad. The direction of future research refers to the addition of value in the expatriate management literature by making basic concepts of interaction such as language proficiency as an element capable of increasing self-confidence and sketching the career development of self-initiated expatriates.
format Article
author Irma Wani Othman
Wardatul Akmam Din
Noraini Said
Ameiruel Azwan Ab Aziz
author_facet Irma Wani Othman
Wardatul Akmam Din
Noraini Said
Ameiruel Azwan Ab Aziz
author_sort Irma Wani Othman
title The ability to communicate in the host country’s language: A universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics
title_short The ability to communicate in the host country’s language: A universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics
title_full The ability to communicate in the host country’s language: A universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics
title_fullStr The ability to communicate in the host country’s language: A universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics
title_full_unstemmed The ability to communicate in the host country’s language: A universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics
title_sort ability to communicate in the host country’s language: a universal skill requirement for enhancing confidence among expatriate academics
publisher Global Academic Excellence
publishDate 2021
url https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/32899/1/The%20ability%20to%20communicate%20in%20the%20host%20country%E2%80%99s%20language.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/32899/2/The%20ability%20to%20communicate%20in%20the%20host%20country%E2%80%99s%20language%20_ABSTRACT.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/32899/
http://www.ijepc.com/PDF/IJEPC-2021-43-11-30.pdf
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.643013
_version_ 1760231089793662976
score 13.211869

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