Integrating intercultural and linguistic competences in Spanish Higher Education: Bridging the employability gap

Abstract

The proliferation of Bilingual Education (BE) has emerged as a pivotal strategy for advancing the internationalization of higher education institutions (HEI) globally. While research has predominantly focused on linguistic outcomes, there remains a lacuna in scholarly discourse regarding the exploration of non-linguistic dimensions and implications of BE implementation. To address this gap, the present research studies the relationship between BE, self-perceived intercultural competence and employability. The views of undergraduates have not been sufficiently explored and this could be important, because learning theory posits that motivation and commitment of learners constitute critical determinants of education efficiency. Moreover, it elicits aspects which have been overlooked by research such as the perception of students who have been involved in bilingual programmes, and also of those who have been in traditional mainstream courses. The method used in this study involved a total of 669 students from various Spanish universities, which were collected through a validated multi-dimensional survey. Pairwise comparisons were conducted among students enrolled in three types of degree programmes: bilingual, partially bilingual, and non-bilingual. Additionally, the study investigates other variables, such as the branch of knowledge and the correlation between intercultural competence and employability perceptions, to evaluate their potential significant impact. Results revealed that students in bilingual programmes demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-perceived intercultural competence and employability compared to the other two groups, which did not show significant differences between them. The implications of these findings for higher education students regarding intercultural competence and employability are discussed.