Language Problem Analysis

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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction According to Notes Desk (2009), communication is a process of exchanging information idea, thoughts, feeling and emotion through speech, signal, writing or behaviour. These communication processes usually use the same language to interact between each other. This language is often linked to communication where according to Trajkovskiand Loosemore (2006), language is the barrier for communication, whether verbal or written, when presenting information to the foreign labours. This made presentation of work order by the employer complicated as the workers do not understand it. In Malaysia, the language used to communicate in the construction industry is Bahasa Melayu. The language problem issues has…show more content…
Approximately 70% of the labour workforce is dominated by immigrants (Suresh and Yew, 2005). It was estimated that out of 794, 600 workers in the construction sector, 556,200 (70%) we believed to be immigrants. This figure only continued to climb higher. These numbers also represent the demand in the industry for foreign labourers. Contractors and developers claim that foreign labourers are willing to accept cheaper wages and work in poor site conditions (Suresh and Yew, 2005). Even though these workers have little or no education and are inexperienced, employers are willing to hire them because of the cost benefits. Subsequently, due to the large variety of nationalities working on a construction site, communication is a widespread problem (Nurul Azita et al,…show more content…
To study impact occurs from lack of communication understanding in workplace 3. To identify the strategies to increase the safety practices related with language problems. 4. To identify the causes of communication problem among foreign unskilled worker in construction site. 5. To reducing the accident risk in construction site due to lack of communication and misinterpretation of warning sign 1.4 Scope of Study The scope of this study is limited to construction site foreign labourers working at selected residential construction projects in Klang Valley. The construction labourers involved in this study are foreign unskilled labourers from Indonesia, Filipina, Myanmar, Vietnam, Pakistan, Laos, Bangladesh, and India In Malaysia, since 1980, the phenomenon of arrival of foreign workers into the country has caused the language problem issues especially in the construction industry that has caused accident risk. This statement is based on the research that was carried out by Hayati (2009), where according to the respondents perception where 50% of the contractor agreed and 41% are strongly agreed that the communication problem (language) amongst foreign workers in the construction industry had contributed toward the accident risks at construction site.

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