Integrating Soft Skills Into Task-Based Language Learning in Higher Education

Abstract

Although research on soft skills in higher education has been widely conducted, research on assignments to promote soft skills remains limited. The aims are to investigate the forms of assignments made by lecturers to train students with soft skills in Task-Based Language Learning, to analyze the percentage growth in categories of soft skills, and to describe the most important soft skills from the perspective of a language educator. This study employs a quantitative and qualitative survey design. The quantitative survey questionnaire was created and delivered to 102 language teachers online; 84 were from Indonesian universities, while 16 were from Malaysian universities. Eight faculty members were interviewed in Focus Group Discussions to validate quantitative research findings and to determine the most required soft skills. The study found that while teachers have a relatively solid comprehension of each component of soft skills, the types of assignments issued to students vary. Educators believe that communication skills, teamwork, and computer literacy are the most important soft skills for graduates today. It is projected that the findings of this study will motivate lecturers to include varied activities in assignments to help students enhance their soft skills.