Abstract/Summary

This thesis is a case study on the relationship between economic performance and second language learning and use in the context of an emerging economy, Mauritius. The study seeks to investigate the perceptions and experiences of employers and employees in the ICT-BPO sector in Mauritius regarding the level of English language proficiency required in the workplace and the challenges this presents with respect to education and corporate training. A case study approach was chosen with a mix of research tools, including a desk study of official documents, reports and research articles, a preliminary broad-sweep questionnaire to employers in the ITC-BPO sector followed by interviews of executives heading some of the larger outsourcing platforms in Mauritius and three focus groups with employees from two major platforms to enable a richer understanding of the role of English in the multilingual context of Mauritius. Two Mauritian linguists and a lecturer working in one of the private sector tertiary institutions were also interviewed for their insights on the medium of instruction in the Mauritian education and training system. The main findings concern the mismatch in interpersonal skills of which English language proficiency is an important component with respect to the requirements of the ICT-BPO sector to be able to compete in the global market. Many employees experience great difficulty in handling telephone communication with dissatisfied customers, as English is not their preferred spoken language. Teaching methods throughout the education and training system need to be reviewed and reoriented away from rote learning for examinations towards a more dynamic approach that fosters the acquisition of not only the appropriate language but also the necessary interpersonal skills such as assertiveness and empathetic understanding of different cultures.