The Importance of English Language Skills for University Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61722/jinu.v3i6.11945Keywords:
English language skills, English proficiency, university students, academic achievement, employability, global competenceAbstract
English is now a key language used in learning, research, technology, and talking across the world. So, being good at English is a key skill that university students need to succeed in their studies and future careers. This article looks at and brings together past research on why having good English skills is important for university students, especially when it comes to their success in school, getting a job, and being able to work well with people from different parts of the world. This study used a qualitative method by reviewing existing literature. Data were gathered from academic sources like peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and other scholarly publications between 2020 and 2025.These sources were found in databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, ERIC, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink. The results show that being good at English helps students do better in school, makes it easier to get a job, allows them to access scientific materials from around the world, and improves their ability to communicate and understand global issues. This review ends by saying that knowing the English language is an important skill that helps university students deal with the challenges of globalization and digital changes. So, colleges and universities need to focus more on teaching English to help students compete better in the global job market.
References
Armea, A. P. (2022). English Proficiency and Literary Competence Among College Students. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED620161.pdf
Budiman, B. (2023). Enhancing English Language Proficiency: Strategies for Academic Success. Journal of Research in Education. https://jsret.knpub.com/index.php/jrest/article/view/205
Chaer, A. (2006). Linguistik Umum. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Dehham, Sabeeha Hamza. “Developing Iraqi EFL School Students’ Performance in Creative Writing Skills Through Focus Strategy.” International Journal of Language and Linguistics (2020): 128-134. PDF.
Hiew, W., Tibok, R. P., Ngui, W., Gabda, D., & Suyansah, Q. (2021). Science graduate employability and English language proficiency: Findings from a Malaysian public university. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 20(7), 23–43.
Isma, A., Amrang, A., Ridwan, R., & Rusdiah, R. (2025). Examining the Link Between English Proficiency and Academic Performance Among EFL Undergraduate Students. Journal of Teaching and Education for Scholars, 2(1), 24–33. https://doi.org/10.59065/jotes.v2i1.198
Lubis, et al. (2024) – faktor-faktor yang memengaruhi kemampuan bahasa Inggris mahasiswa.
Rojas Barreto, L. (2026). Analyzing Students' Perception of Learning English as a Degree Requirement. Journal of College Reading and Learning. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15348431.2026.2632819
Sari, D. T. (2025). Improving English Proficiency Skills through Literary Works. Journal of English Language Education. https://jele.or.id/index.php/jele/article/download/685/348
Sengkey, V. G., et al. (2024). Investigating the Use of Language Learning Strategies and Their Relationship with Students' English Proficiency. SELTICS Journal. https://ejournals.umma.ac.id/index.php/seltics/article/view/2236
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Thariq, P. A., Husna, A., Aulia, E., Djusfi, A. R., Lestari, R., Fahrimal, Y., & Jhoanda, R. (2021). Sosialisasi pentingnya menguasai bahasa Inggris bagi mahasiswa. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat: Darma Bakti Teuku Umar, 2(2), 316–325. https://doi.org/10.35308/baktiku.v2i2.2835
Thariq, P. A., Husna, A., Aulia, E., Djusfi, A. R., Lestari, R., Fahrimal, Y., & Jhoanda, R. (2021). Socialization of the importance of mastering English for students. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Darma Bakti Teuku Umar, 2(2), 316–320.
Ting, S. H., Marzuki, E., Chuah, K. M., Misieng, J., & Jerome, C. (2017). Employers' views on importance of English proficiency and communication skill for employability in Malaysia. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 7(2).
Waluyo, B., & Panmei, B. (2021). English proficiency and academic achievement: Can students' grades in English courses predict their academic achievement? MEXTESOL Journal, 45(4).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 JURNAL ILMIAH NUSANTARA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
