An Investigation of English Usage in Careers of Thai Graduates with a Business Administration Degree

Abstract

The research study aims to investigate English usage in careers of graduates with business administration degree in seven fields of study: Finance, Management, Marketing, International Business, Hotel and Tourism Management, Managerial Accounting, and Logistics Management. Google apps, Facebook, and LINE were the main instruments to collect the data. The questionnaire was created in a Google Form, then, was distributed and shared via Facebook, Facebook messenger, and LINE. Data were analyzed in the forms of graph, chart and percentages by using Google Data Studio. SPSS was also employed to interpret the 5 rating scale questions. The number of respondents was 221. 41.6% of the respondents were 22 years old and they were fresh graduates. Level of English usage in the workplace was high (M=3.57) especially reading skill (M=3.63). English speaking was mentioned as the most useful course at work. English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses were mentioned in particular careers. Graduates in Managerial Accounting mentioned English for Accountant I and II while graduates in Hotel and Tourism Management mentioned Technical English for Hotel Business, Technical English for Tourism Business, and English for Food and Beverage Service. The most required training topic was English communication, followed by English speaking and English writing. The respondents also perceived that the English language was important for career advancement (M=3.92).