Are Vocational High School Students Ready for Global Competitiveness?: Self-Perception on Their English Proficiency

The study investigates the English proficiency of vocational high school students in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, employing a descriptive qualitative method and survey research design. With a total of 472 respondents from five public vocational high schools, the study reveals a predominant focus on Class XII students (99.6%), indicative of readiness for career pursuits or higher education. Notably, 60% major in social science and 40% in technological science. A crucial aspect of the research lies in its exploration of the self-perception of English proficiency among respondents, where findings indicate that 68.6% perceive speaking as their weakest skill, followed by writing (7%), reading (8.1%), and listening (16.3%). The analysis underscores the pronounced inadequacy in speaking proficiency among vocational high school students in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, a critical skill for global competitiveness in today's interconnected job market. Addressing these deficiencies is imperative to prepare vocational high school respondents, for global competitiveness, aligning with insights regarding the integration of speaking activities to enhance communication skills.