EXPLORING MOROCCAN UNDERGRADUATES' VIEWS ON DEVELOPING SOFT SKILLS IN EFL CLASSES: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

In 2022, the new minister of Moroccan Higher Education and Scientific Research amended the LMD (License, Master, Doctorate) system to ensure the implementation of soft skills (Miraoui, 2022). As soft skills gain greater recognition in education reform, this study aimed to examine how EFL students at the Ben Msik faculty of Letters and Humanities perceive the role of these skills. The study involved conducting a focus group interview with 22 students from this faculty in the Casablanca-Settat region of Morocco to gather insights. Based on the students' responses, the five most significant soft skill development strategies to be incorporated into EFL classrooms were discussions and debates, voluntary work and community service, virtual platforms and exchange, making presentations, and projects.

Keywords: Moroccan higher education, soft skills, EFL students, soft skill development strategies.

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