Bridging the gap between education and employment: English language instruction in EFL contexts

Graduate employability is often put forth as a marker of the success of a given institution or education system. High rates of school and university graduates in jobs offer a number of potential advantages for a country, including encouraging social mobility, increasing citizen participation and social stability, and making national economies more productive. The importance of achieving these and many other associated outcomes has recently received greater attention in many developing nations; this is especially the case in those countries where English assumes an important role as a mediator of educational and economic success. A number of authors claim that the gap between education, training and employment can be closed through the development of academic and employment skills such as motivation, time management, literacy and communication competence. This book explores the ways in which communication and literacy skills can be developed through English language instruction in EFL settings to help bring together the aims and outcomes of education and employment.