English needs in the ASEAN Economic Community and Implications for Higher Education in Indonesia

Fauzanna, Wulan (2015) English needs in the ASEAN Economic Community and Implications for Higher Education in Indonesia. In: Malaysian Association of Applied Linguistics International Conference (MAALIC) 2018, 3-4 Desember 2015, Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia. (Submitted)

Text MAALIC 2018 Materi, steering committee, program book, sertifikat.pdf - Presentation Download (5MB)

Abstract

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has opened the region to movement of skilled labour and competition for jobs in certain areas of specialisation. Core competencies are needed among workers including ICT skills, critical thinking and English for communication. Universities in the region face the challenge of preparing students for the ASEAN economic workplace. Graduates must be equipped with English as a lingua franca in ASEAN and English for specific purposes. Mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) for some professions such as engineering, nursing, and accountancy are the priority professions for mobility across ASEAN. These agreements allow, for example, the free flow of professional accountants to work in the region. However, English courses in universities in Indonesia do not prepare graduates with the skills needed for the job market. This preliminary study will examine literature in ELF, curriculum design and ESP in ASEAN to determine the skills needed for working in ASEAN for curriculum development. It will also review documents related to the ASEAN Economic community and relevant literature on English in ASEAN. There appears to be different approaches to designing English curriculum to meet the AEC at university level. Findings will be useful for university course designers and policy makers in higher education.

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