• Dr.G. Arasuraja

  Author

The changing nature of international business makes the teaching of Business English (BE) to shift the focus to be based more on a linguistic competence rather than a more holistic approach of interpersonal competence. This study examines how to integrate Emotional Intelligence (EI) training and the development of soft skills into the Business English program systematically. The paper is based on a theoretical framework that explores the symbiotic nature of the relationship between EI and professional success and asserts that these human-based skills are the baseline of effective communication in high-stakes corporate settings. The paper presents feasible measures of incorporating the training of EI skills, including self-awareness, empathy, and social regulation, within the context of the language lessons. The educators can use the contextual activities and ESP-based exercises to maximize the effectiveness of a learner in negotiating intricate cross-cultural interactions and organizational processes. Moreover, the paper deals with the urgent necessity of the creation and evaluation of soft skills, such as leadership, adaptability, and critical thinking, within the BE system and offers a list of resources and tools available to curriculum developers. Though the research appreciates major challenges in implementation barriers, i.e., institutional resistance, complexity of assessments, it provides strategic best practices to adopt an integrated approach. The results indicate that, in case emotional and soft skills are incorporated to the fabric of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), learners develop a higher professional resilience and communicative competence. The paper ends by giving practical advice to teachers and curriculum designers that would involve a head, heart, and hands approach that would equip students with the multifunctional needs of the new global workforce. The design of this holistic curriculum does not only deal with the gap in time between academic learning and professional mastery, but it also promotes the long-term sustainability of the profession.

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