The Contribution of English Language Education to Students’ Development of Soft Skills and Personal Attributes

Personal attributes and soft skills are significant forms of capital which enable graduates to adapt and respond proactively to employability challenges. They include but are not limited to communication, teamwork, adaptability, resilience and flexibility. English language education provides students with various conditions that encourage them to exercise their resilience, adaptability and flexibility in order to effectively acquire the language. However, this topic has not been systematically examined in the literature. This chapter will report a qualitative study that explores how English language education contributes to the development of students’ soft skills and personal attributes. The study included 30 focus groups with 90 students. The research showed that six out of the thirty-two soft skills and attributes listed in the UNESCO Framework for Transversal Competencies, including oral communication, confidence, teamwork ability, problem-solving skills, proactiveness and information management skills, were rated by the participants as the most popular that could be developed through English language education. It also found that different types of classroom tasks and English-speaking club as an extra-curricular activity contributed to undergraduates’ development of particular soft skills and personal attributes. This chapter will also discuss English teaching methods that can improve students’ soft skills and personal attributes.