Bridging Language and Employability CLIL Strategies for Undergraduates' Speaking Proficiency.

Enhancing the speaking skills of undergraduates is paramount for theirsuccessful transition into the competitive job market. Extensive researchunderscores the pivotal role of effective oral communication proficiency insecuring coveted employment opportunities. Despite concerted efforts toenhance teaching methodologies tailored to foster speaking skills and jobmarket preparedness among undergraduates, a significant number continue tograpple with refining their oral communication abilities and exhibit a lack ofawareness regarding the intricacies of job market requirements. Fortunately,the integration of CLIL methodologies, especially through the innovative lensof case study-based learning, has emerged as a beacon of hope in addressingthese persistent challenges. By embracing this approach, educators caneffectively equip students with the requisite linguistic and practical skillsessential for thriving in the professional realm. Conducted at a publicuniversity in Malaysia, this study sought to investigate the efficacy of CLIL(Content and Language Integrated Learning) paired with case study-basedlearning methods in nurturing speaking skills and enhancing job marketreadiness among undergraduate students. Employing a robust quasi-experimental quantitative methodology, the research engaged a non-randomsample comprising 50 undergraduates and two dedicated teachers enrolled inan intensive 18-week English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program. Datacollection involved comprehensive administration of the ADFELPSproficiency test alongside thorough portfolio assessments. The findings of thisresearch study highlight the effectiveness of the CLIL (Content and LanguageIntegrated Learning) methodology in enhancing speaking proficiency andpreparing individuals for using this skill in the job market. The resultsunderscore CLIL's potential in equipping learners with the necessary speakingabilities and readiness for professional environments.