From Ivory Towers to Castles in the Air: A Case Study of the Far Transfer of EFL to the Real World by Graduates of a Higher Education Institution in Macao

Abstract

The purpose of education is the transfer of learning from the classroom to real world situations. Transfer concerns prior learning that affects new performances. The present paper explores the efficacy of the transfer of English as a Foreign Language from the classrooms of Macao Polytechnic Institute to graduates’ workplace settings. The present study investigates such transfer by using a mixed methods approach involving firstly an analysis of one item on “foreign language” in an annual institutional survey questionnaire of 122 employers of MPI graduates followed by in-depth interviews of two of those employers regarding the same item. The results of the survey indicate that employers found the performance of the graduates “ordinary” and “were not satisfied” with their performance on “foreign language”. Essentially, the graduates’ performance in the productive language skills of speaking and writing are unsatisfactory, while their receptive language skills of listening and reading fare little better. Meanwhile, the results of the follow-up interviews provide much pause for thought on the historical roots of the extent of present-day foreign language competence. Finally, this research offers a range of suggestions for enhancing foreign language skills with a view to promoting the future employment prospects of graduates.

Keywords

EFL / far transfer / higher education / social work / transfer of learning

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