The English Language, Intercultural Competence, and Best Chance of Success for Indonesian Migrant Workers in Malaysia

Abstract

As international migrants, Indonesian workers in Malaysia need English for daily communication and interaction. Despite the fact that many Malaysians can speak language(s) other than English, English serves as a second language in the country. In addition, there are Indonesian workers in Malaysia who should make contact with people from different parts of the world at some workplaces due to global industries and businesses. However, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Malaysia reported that some Indonesian workers in that country experience legal cases, including those attributed to language and cultural barriers. This community service aimed to develop awareness of this issue among foreign workers from Indonesia in Malaysia, with which it is expected they will take a prompt action to improve their English and intercultural competence. After a series of preparation bridged by the LSM sharing and Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, a hybrid socialization webinar was conducted for this purpose in October 2023. Twenty-five Indonesian workers in Malaysia gathered in the Embassy in the capital to join the training via the large screen set in the hall. They seemed to show significant enthusiasm. Demonstrating interest, few of them asked questions. With guidance of the officials standing by, some shared positive feedback over the webinar material via the staff who, in turn, passed them on to all online participants. The webinar was also attended by other university based resource persons and participants. Overall, the community service is of great success. The only constraint faced is that there was no direct communication between the speaker and the participating migrant workers. Shooting equipment availability is required for future services accessed through similar mode (hybrid).