In this chapter, conclusions, implications, and limitations of this study are discussed. Conclusions were made based on the research findings and discussion in previous chapter. Implication was composed of two parts, which were the benefits to theoretical parts and practical parts.
Conclusions
To summarize, two main results were found in this study. First, there was a negative relationship between language anxiety and employability. The relationships between language anxiety and the two sub-dimensions of employability, internal employability and external employability were also negative. Second, English language proficiency positively moderated the relationship between language anxiety and employability. Moreover, it had a positive effect on the relationship between language anxiety and external employability as well. However, English language proficiency did not have a positive impact on the relationship between language anxiety and internal employability. Based on the results, the conclusions are discussed in detail as follows.
Language Anxiety and Employability
In the result of Hypothesis 1, language anxiety negatively related to employability. Specifically, the more language anxiety individuals perceived, the lower employability individuals gained no matter the level of English language proficiency they had because language anxiety negatively affected individuals when they performed English ability on their tasks and influenced individuals’
employability. The result of Hypothesis 1 was consistent with previous literature that
language anxiety occurred when individuals felt nervous and anxious in using English in some situations, which caused debilitated effects on individual’s confidence and self-esteem, and then eventually affected individual’s performance and achievement (Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope, 1986; Howitz, 2001; Woodrow, 2006). The supervisor thought one’s English ability was pretty well because he or she got high TOEIC scores; however, he or she could not perform English ability effectively and successfully on tasks because she felt anxious and nervous when having meeting, presenting, communicating in English. Under the circumstance, supervisors might think that individuals’ English ability was not that good as expected to perform English on the tasks.
In addition, the results of Hypothesis 1a and 1b showed that language anxiety negatively related to external employability and internal employability. Though there was no direct literature to support these two specific results, it could be explained that language anxiety when individuals looked for a new job in another organization or new position in the same organization, the unknown challenge from the new job and tasks regarding using English in new work circumstances might make them feel anxious and affect their performance of using English (Andrade & Williams, 2009;
Gardner , 1991a; Horwitz, 2001).
Moderating Effect of English Language Proficiency
In Hypothesis 2, it presumed that English language proficiency had positive impact on the relationship between language anxiety, employability and its two sub-dimensions (internal employability and external employability). To be specific, individuals with higher language anxiety will have higher employability. The result of the Hypothesis 1 just echoed the previous research that English was widely thought as one of the most important abilities for workers in the in the 21st century (Akar, 2002;
Bilbow, 2002; Charles & Marschan-Piekkari, 2002); therefore, individuals who
wished to be easily employed and avoid being constrained in low-payment works needed to strengthen their English language skills for workers (TIRF, 2012).
Therefore, take companies in Switzerland as example, employees with fluent English speaking were paid from twelve percent to thirty percent and get hired much more easier higher than those without fluent English speaking (Grin, 2010). Individuals gaining higher TOEIC scores meant they understood English pretty well and could perform their English ability in their jobs and business occasions effectively as well.
In addition, Hypothesis 2a and 2b assumed that English language proficiency positively moderated the relationship between language anxiety and internal employability and external employability. The results showed that there was only a positive relationship between English language proficiency and external employability. It indicated that English language proficiency was important for individuals who wanted to get other job opportunities in other organizations. On the other hand, English language proficiency did not positively moderate the relationship between language anxiety and employability since result showed that there was no significance on the relationship between two variables. It could be explained as when individuals want to get a higher position in the same organization, and only taking English language proficiency as prerequisites is not enough. Therefore, it might indicate that individuals ought to strengthen their other skills or requirements such as leadership, working experience, education, certificates, and skills if they would like to remain their employability within the same organization
Implications
Implications were consisted with two parts, which are theoretical part and practical part. The recommendations for the future study are stressed as well.
Theoretical Implications
In the perspective of previous literature regarding employability, there are only few literatures showed the direct relationship between language anxiety and employability. Besides, researches regarding language anxiety focus on academic settings such as school and language class. However, the result of this study proved that the negative relationship between language anxiety and employability, and the moderating effect of English language proficiency in the relationship. These two results could make up the insufficient literature regarding these three variables.
Practical Implications
The practical suggestions were composed of five parts, which were suggestions for organizations, workers, HR professionals, and students. First, in the perspective of organizations, this study emphasized that English language proficiency benefited organizations it to advance the business to an international level because the communication with foreign clients, partners, colleagues, and supervisor was dependent on globally common language, English. Setting English language proficiency as the prerequisites in the recruiting process was needed indeed, so it helped the company not only build the organization climate that emphasized English language proficiency for every employee to accelerate the procedures of running business internationally but also helped organizations obtain outstanding human capitals. Take Rakuten, one of the biggest Japanese enterprises, as example. The chairman of Rakuten, Hiroshi Mikitani, believed that Rakuten should draw their future on global scale, which meant the global market. Therefore, he required all of
meetings should proceed in English and add TOEIC test score as one of the items in employees’ performance appraisal, and his policy forced all the employees in every position to meet the certain required scores. If employees failed to meet the required TOEIC test scores, the promotion will not be approved or even be degraded.
Second, in the perspective of workers and employees, this study reminded them to strengthen their English language proficiency to decrease language anxiety and increase their abilities to get job opportunities within or outside of the organizations.
Besides, the increasing of English language proficiency also benefited workers who were in a supervisory level. Supervisors without good English language proficiency would have hard time managing their subordinates if subordinates obtained better English language proficiency than supervisors.
Third, HR professionals could play the role of catalytic agent when organizations tended to promote the English language proficiency within the organizations. They could apply English language proficiency on training, performance management, and compensation. They could ask organizations for providing sufficient resources to hold the trainings regarding increasing the English language proficiency such as the English language proficiency classes or study groups to help employees get rid of language anxiety and increase their employability. They also could take employees’
English language proficiency as one of the items in performance appraisal and rewarded employees once their test scores of English proficiency test are higher than the required scores in the organization.
Fourth, this study could apply to other Asian country such as China, Korea, or Japan since the mother tongue of these countries was not English, and language anxiety would probably occur on individuals from these Asian countries. Therefore, this study could extend its scale to determine if individuals from other Asian countries or other ESL countries have language anxiety when they communicated with others or
not.
Finally, this study shed the light on the key role of English language proficiency for students who wanted to get good jobs in the future. Since the need of working or communicating with foreigner was increasing, students with good English language proficiency would have advantages when they wanted to enter ideal companies in the future.
Research Limitations
There are several limitations in this study. First, since quantitative research approach was conducted in this study by delivering questionnaires, the Common Method Variance (CMV) affected the results because the questionnaires were answered based on self-report or respondents’ perspectives.
Secondly, the purposive sampling was conducted in the research. The participants in this study ought to be satisfied all of three criteria, which were (1) working in technology-related companies in Taiwan, (2) using English on their related job or tasks, and (3) taking TOEIC test before. Once one of the criteria was not achieved, the participant was invalid. In addition, Individuals who have only taken other forms of English proficiency tests instead of TOEIC tests (e.g. IELTS, GRE, GMAT, or TOEFL) were not included in this study as well.
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