Entrepreneurial competencies among English majors and their implications for curriculum development

Abstract

This study adopts quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate the students’ self-perceived entrepreneurial competencies (EC) of English majors at the University of Danang – University of Foreign Language Studies (UD-UFLS). Using an adapted version of the Comprehensive Entrepreneurship Competence Model (CECM), students' self-evaluations were recorded through 200 questionnaires and 10 semi-structured interviews. Furthermore, the study includes a course analysis across 40 subjects. The evaluation covered ten distinct sub-competencies, including metacognition, emotion regulation, problem-solving, creativity, ethical & sustainable thinking, personal initiatives, communication, discovering & exploiting opportunities, understanding the environment and financial literacy. The results reveal that students report highly positive in cognitive and social competencies, but lack confidence in strategic business competencies. Students cite limited practical experience, rigid assessments, and heavy workloads as their primary developmental barriers. Consequently, the study proposes six solutions for improving EC at UD-UFLS.