5. Discussion
5.2. Students‟ perceptions about the English language program
Students are the main stakeholders of the educational process and consumers of the educational services. However, the findings showed that students don‟t feel themselves as consumers. This point is consistent with the findings of the research conducted by Deltuvaite and Mehmann (2013), which showed that students don‟t perceive themselves as customers of the educational services, because they don‟t feel such attitude from the faculty staff.
Nevertheless, our study showed that they believe that higher education has close affiliation with the labor market. Moreover, according to our research students associate quality of the higher education programs with its accordance to the labor market. In other words, students
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are satisfied with the quality of the program because it will help them with the employment.
Even though, opponents of marketization believe that students have become more concerned with employment rather than knowledge (as cited in Judson & Taylor 2013, p. 51). Our case study shows that the participants‟ opinion is consistent with what Maslen writes that the
„quality of education‟ should be assessed in terms of how it prepares students for the labor market. (as cited in Dill, 2003, p. 2).
The researcher was intended to compare the perceptions of the representatives of three different schools: School of Engineer, School of Business, and School of Education. The findings of the study showed that all the students were concerned with the employment.
However, not all of them believed that English was important only for employment. The student from the School of Education identified communicative English skills as an important attribute for an academic exchange. It is explained due to fact that with the full integration to the Bologna Process in 2010, Kazakhstani students faced with an opportunity to participate in a range of academic exchange programs (Yergebekov&Temirbekova, 2010, p. 1473). In order to apply to the exchange programs students have to possess an English proficiency certificate, which can be obtained only due to good knowledge of English. Thus, many of the students became motivated to learn English for participation in this program. Moreover, according to Johnson (n.d.) certification of English proficiency has is a “passport to better-paid employment, ”the “entrance ticket to the working world,” “the dominant staple in a progressive education,” and “a necessary qualification for many respectable jobs” (p. 133).
The student from the School of Engineer perceives English as an extra opportunity for self-development. This student pointed out that English was valuable for maintaining simple communication on the international level and facilitated in searching important information.
Such reason may be driven by the growing process of globalization, which raises the need of
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learning English, as the role of English in the globalized world is identified as a tool for communication and as a standard of person‟s ability. According to the inquiry “the reasons for studying English” undertaken by Johnson (n.d) the majority of the interviewees, who were the students of different universities in China, responded that “English is the language of the world; we must learn it to succeed” (p. 133). However, the student from school of business was more concerned about the employment, rather than the representatives of two other schools and identified English as a guarantee for successful career. This can be explained that English is “lingua franca” for international business and economics (Nickerson, 2005, p. 1).
Thus, communicative English skills are especially crucial for business students. English should be understood as a powerful economic tool for development and commerce. As John Short explained “being competitive in the global markets requires that one speak English” (as cited in Johnson, n.d., p. 133).At present, English is becoming increasingly important for all employees in transnational companies. Moreover, English is now used not only by the top management, but by administrators and clerks as well. According to Goodman and Graddol (2005), in some international companies employees are allowed to speak only English.
Moreover, without a doubt, the playing field in Europe is tipped in favor of those who speak English. Salaries of non-English-speaking workers can lag as much as 25%–35% behind their English-speaking counter- parts (Johnson, n.d., p. 133).
Though the students differently perceive the importance of English in their lives, all of them are aimed to use the skills obtained during this program for their future employment.
Such students‟ perceptions are easily explained due to several factors. First of all, with the developing of globalization English gain a new status of international language. Thus, Kazakhstani employers have become more interested in employees who possess English language skills. The motivation for English speaking employees became higher salaries. This
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point echoes with the point made by Cote and Allahar (2011) who wrote that students also want college degrees as a means of procuring better, higher paying jobs. As a consequence, students became more concerned about the knowledge of English. Another factor when the skills of English communication have become increasingly important for career development was the implementation of the three-lingual policy, which raised the status of English in Kazakhstan. State Program of Development and Functioning of Languages of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020 that has been adopted in 2011 emphasizes that English is the third language the citizens should know in order to build strong and competitive economy in Kazakhstan. With the implementation with the three-lingual policy students in Kazakhstan became more concerned about English as it would help to succeed during future employment and career development.
As a result, all the students are fully satisfied with English language program they study. They believe that it is of high quality, as it prepares them for the labor market requirement. Moreover, it meets their personal demands such as academic exchange and self- development.
5. 3. Administrative staff and faculty perceptions about marketization and the English