The signaling function of English The role of comprehension in the effect of English in job advertisements on possible Dutch and Spanish applicants’ attitude towards the company’s identity (in terms of internationality and English language use), the required language proficiency and the intention to continue the application process.

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2019-08-06
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en
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Claims have been made about the signaling effect of the use of English in job advertisements, such as the idea that it signals the international nature of the company and the importance of being fluent in that language. In addition, comprehension of foreign slogans was found to be an important factor of motivation, attitude, and appreciation of product ads. Nevertheless, comprehension has not yet been investigated in the context of job ads. Applicants with higher English proficiency are expected to have a better comprehension of the ad. Therefore, this study compared Dutch and Spanish subjects based on the EF English proficiency index, which ranks the Netherlands among the highest proficient and Spain among the lowest proficient speakers. Based on the above-mentioned claims, this study aimed to empirically investigate the role of comprehension in the effect of English in job ads on possible Dutch and Spanish applicants’ attitude towards the company’s identity (in terms of internationality and English language use), the required language proficiency and the intention to continue the application process. Spanish (78) and Dutch (80) participants evaluated a fictional job ad in either their mother tongue or in English. Attitude was measured in terms of text, job and company evaluation, expectations were measured by asking participants about their expectations regarding the corporate language and identity. Comprehension was measured by one question regarding the responsibilities of the job. Language proficiency was measured with the LEXtale test and self-assessment. Results showed that language proficiency predicted overall comprehension, which positively affected participant’s attitude towards the position, attitude towards the company and the application intention. No main effect was found of comprehension on expectations regarding the corporate language or identity. However, the use of English was found to signal that the company had an international identity and that English was the corporate language. Hence, this study empirically investigated and confirmed claims that were made about comprehension and the signaling effect of English. These findings indicate that it is advisable for job ad makers of international organisations with English as the corporate language, to use an all-English ad when they wish to attract high proficient applicants.
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