An Investigation into Different Techniques for the Advancement of Soft Skills in EFL among Moroccan University Students

Abstract

Soft skills encompass a range of abilities, including social skills, communication, leadership, time management, negotiation, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Despite the growing emphasis on soft skills in discussions on general education and the qualifications of candidates for professional degrees in various knowledge areas, the implementation of these attributes in learning environments still needs improvement. As a result, the process has been bestowed with mystery, as if the development of soft skills was something outside the realm of academic activities. To ensure that soft skills are implemented, the former Moroccan Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research modified the LMD (Licence, Master, Doctorat) system (Miraoui, 2022). This paper examines this issue from two perspectives. The first is to explore the most effective techniques that contribute to the development of soft skills in the EFL context. The second is to examine the relationship between the student’s level of soft skills and their academic performance. A questionnaire was administered to Moroccan university students to collect data. The questionnaire was adapted to fit the objectives of the current study. The first hypothesis posits that the adoption of focused strategies discovered in this investigation will yield note worthy effects on the enhancement of soft skills in learners. The second hypothesis states that the implementation of more effective techniques for soft skills development will correlate with enhanced academic performance and increased acquisition of skills among learners. Finally, This paper provides some recommendations for improving soft skills education practices in EFL contexts.