A.

Introduction
The study on interpersonal skills has brought up the issue on communication within the students in Malaysia at university levels. A recent study by The Economist indicated that universities in Malaysia offered very little to its student on development of their interpersonal skills. Exceeding these expectations are crucial in order to prove that local graduates are indeed able to compete with international graduates and in another way, increase the quality of universities in Malaysia ; that not only these graduates are proven academically, but also practically. According to Paul Dobson, a psychologist and a senior lecturer from City University of London, interpersonal skills are also referred as social skills. Are the life skills that we use every day to communicate and interact with other people, both individually and in groups? These skills show up in countless interactions, from public speaking, group projects and team presentations, to professional writing (work e-mails, contracts etc.) and talking with friends. A list of interpersonal skills are verbal communication, non-verbal communication, listening skills, negotiation, problem solving, decision making and assertiveness. Students of Tertiary level of education are lacking of any of these skills. Therefore interpersonal skills should be considered as a vital instrument in the development of students and should be the main concern of the higher education system as it is the fundamental to a higher self-esteem, a better communication gateway and highly exposed students.

In this study, we will propose few suggestions that we think are capable of measuring up to international level and thus enhance the interpersonal skills among local students.

B. Communication
Interpersonal communication is the process of sending and receiving information between two or more people. There are three types of Interpersonal Communication. This kind of communication is subdivided into dyadic communication, public speaking, and small-group communication. Dyadic communication is simply a method of communication that only involves two people such as a telephone conversation or even a set of letters sent to and received from a pen-pal. In this communication process, sender can immediately receive and evaluate feedback from the receiver so that it allows for more specific tailoring of the message and more personal communication than many other medias.The process involves four basic elements. Sender person who sends information. Receiver - person who receives the information sent. Message content of information sent by sender. Feedback - response from receiver. For the communication channels, it is the medium chosen to convey the message from sender to receiver. Communication channels can be categorized into two main categories: Direct and indirect channels of communication.

Direct channels are those that are obvious and can be easily recognized by the receiver. They are also under direct control of the sender and in this category are the verbal and nonverbal channels of communication. Verbal communication channels are those that use words in some manner, such as written communication or spoken communication while non-verbal communication channels are those that do not require words, such as certain overt facial expressions, controllable body movements (such as that made by a traffic police to control traffic at an intersection), colors (red for danger, green means go etc.), sounds (sirens, alarms etc.).

Indirect channels are those channels that are usually recognized subliminally or subconsciously by the receiver, and not under direct control of the sender. It includes kinesics or body language that reflects the inner emotions and motivations rather than the actual delivered message. It also includes such vague terms as "gut feeling", "hunches" or "premonitions". Self-communication is one of the most significant elements when it comes to Interpersonal skills especially among the students. Many of them are still not aware of this matter because they often take communication skills as granted. Moreover, this self-communication is a part of their learning process which includes in their education as well. It is a communication breakdown, which the very first thing to look at is students intention in what they are saying, as this determines what students say and how students say it. The students have to consider whether the other person has the same objective or maybe they are at cross-purposes. Sometimes students say things because they want to express their feelings, Feeling understood requires a sympathetic response and they are not going to get that if they are complaining to someone about what they do or say. Being understood requires communication and we are not yet accomplish the

particular level. Sometimes students say funny things because they enjoy making people laugh. It depends not only on studentsr real intention but also whom they are talking to, where and when and who else is there. If they dont laugh, dont assume they dont have their own sense of humor. In comparison with the local and international students, it can be seen that most local students are right now facing those mentioned problems above. They are still in the state of not aware of these problems. They tend to talk whatever they want to regardless of the decorum in the communication, usage of appropriate language and words and their body language while presenting their ideas to someone else. Local students should practice more on breaking-through the barriers to effective communication, becoming a better listener, handling the confrontation and conflict and the most vital part is make a commitment; which maintaining the momentum of trying to combat ourselves with communication skills. In contrary, international students, mostly had been exposed to the effective communication skills as a part of interpersonal skills which in this scenario, they were introduced with Essential Communication Skills (ECS) (course code COMM19999). This is a mandatory component of some programs. Apart of ECS, they also have to complete TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language System), and ESL (English as a second language). All of those tests will be soon helping in building up the confidence. Thus, students will get used to communicate in the exact way that should be done. International students also can have a better communication because they are always visiting different countries. Their exposure and well-trained communication will help in enhancing their better communication skills, at present and future. According to Roselina Shakir in the Soft Skills at the Malaysian Institutes of Higher Learning study case, she stated that in Malaysia, students are expected to be fluent and able to communicate effectively in both

Bahasa Malaysia and English language. As graduates they should be able to convey their thoughts with clarity and confidence both in written and oral forms. They are also expected to be active listeners while providing the necessary response. Graduates should also be capable of giving and using technology during presentations confidently (Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia).

C.Self-Esteem
Self-esteem has shown to be a significant personality variable in determining human behaviour. Self-esteem is confidence in ones capacity to achieve values (Branden, 1970). It is subjective and enduring sense of realistic self approval. It reflects how the individual views and values the self at the most fundamental levels of psychological experiencing (Bednar & Peterson, 1995).

There are a few operational definitions of terms when it comes to self-esteem. It is something experienced as a part of, or background to, all of the individual's thoughts, feelings and actions (Branden, 2000). Self-esteem is also considered as collectivism which is the cultural orientation of a group of people that believes and practice values reflecting interdependence, living in peace and harmony with others, competent participation in social events, and obedience to authority (Rosenthal, 2000).

Self-esteem is vitally important in enhancing ones interpersonal skills. By having low self esteem, an individual is likely to have less confidence in stating out ones opinion towards a matter. An individual must possess a certain level of self-esteem for students to survive in life.

Some strategies to improve ones self esteem is that they should engage themselves in more positive self-talk. First, students should visualize themselves in a good state. If students are feeling nervous about something, such as they are going to present something in front of a crowd, students should visualize themselves that everyone in the room is congratulating them on their brilliant ideas. Also, when they are talking in front of a crowd, this time, try to think that the audience knows nothing of what they are going to present. This way, students will feel relaxed and confident. Second is by avoiding comparisons. It is by focusing on what students can do to enhance their own talents and abilities. Ignore other peoples advantages. By doing so, students will be more satisfied with their own work rather than complain about it. It is better this way as students are completing the task themselves by being independent.

Next, students should reframe themselves appropriately. If students experience one failure, keep the larger picture in mind rather than focusing on that isolated incident. By making mistakes, students can learn that they should not repeat the same occurrence again in the future. Bill Gates once said that, It is fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure. So, it is normal to fail something. Life has its ups and downs. For example, a baby will fail many times just to stand up on his or her own feet. After many times of trying, the baby finally succeeds to stand. Also, by developing honest relationships, students will feel more motivated as students will always have someone that will always have their back and support students no matter what. Also, they will help students to solve their problems if they need words of advice. Cultivate friends in whom students can confide in and who will give students honest feedback for improving their skills and abilities. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Lastly, one should seek support if students are still in doubt of their abilities. Seek help from professionals, such as counsellor who can help students identify their gifts and talents. The counsellor will guide students on what students can do based on their previous achievements. Self-esteem is an important academic construct in the process of education. It is recognized as one of the major factors in learning outcomes of students. Research has established that there is close relationship between self-esteem and academic achievements of students. This study also investigates government secondary school teachers perceptions of the relationship between selfesteem and students academic achievements. To collect data, a questionnaire, based on five point scale was designed and administered to 200 teachers. The selected teachers were randomly sampled from 30 government secondary schools in Swabi District. Data were collected,

tabulated, analyzed and interpreted in simple percentage. The results demonstrated that students with positive self-esteem have high academic performance. Hence, it is inferred from the result of this study that there is a significantly high relationship between self-esteem and academic achievements of students. On the basis of this study it is recommended that teachers should encourage, respect and care their students in the process of schooling.

D.Exposure
Definition NMExposure is defined as an act or an instance of exposing or an instance of being subjected to an action or an influence. The other meaning of exposure is revelation and a condition of being exposed to certain environment. In this case, exposure is regarded as a factor in enhancing interpersonal skills of local students by exposing them to different kinds of condition.

Importance of exposure One of the critical needs of students is to experience every single thing they could lay their hands on which are a part of learning process. It does not matter if they managed to do it well or not. Both results will lead to a sense of self-respect, self-confidence and increased self-esteem (Coppersmith, 1970). Possessing self-esteem enables students to try new things without too much fear of failure to reach out and make new friends, and to manage problems they are likely to meet along the way (Battle, 1982). All of these values are likely to be instilled through exposure.

Role It is essential to incorporate problem solving matters, communication, and human relations skills into the basic university curriculum which are being instilled by universities in abroad in which the classroom is actually an ideal place as the first exposure for students in promoting their self-esteem and instills interpersonal skills and

academic development, sadly the local students were not being exposed to such thing in their university. In order to build that sense of self-esteem and competency, local students need exposure so they will gain experience through an array of difficulties. As a result, they will be able to handle responsibility, solve problems and able to influence their environments. (Clemes and Bean, 1981).

It is desirable for the teacher, as well as the university, to promote favorable self-esteem and interpersonal relations development. (Snyder, 1965; Van Koughnett 6 Smith, 1969). Przybylski (1997) reported that self-esteem and adequate social skills made it easier to function in our society, and it should be the educational systems role to provide social skills that students may not learn otherwise. A paper completed by Brock (1993) suggested that after the home, the university was most often the one place that could change the perception students have of themselves. The university is likely the most suitable platform to expose students to the involvement of a very large extent in the building of self-esteem. Brock further concluded that the way a child relates to peers and teachers, the social feedback received from those people, and the students perceptions of those interactions, were crucial factors in exposing them to the road of formation and building their own interpersonal skills. Brock stated that the climate of the university, the rules and procedures al1 played a role in fostering the skills or placing obstacles in its path. Until recently, studies have demonstrated that local universities have not been active in developing student self-esteem which means they are not exposed to ways of better communication and interpersonal skills.

Evidence Outward Bound in the United States takes over 20,000 students a year into unique environments and challenges them to develop their character, leadership, and service ethic. Past research has shown an increase in students' self-confidence, leadership, selfesteem, self-efficacy, interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills, and other skill types. This study conducted a pre-exposure, post-exposure, and follow-up quasi-experimental design that demonstrates that most of Outward Bound's learning outcomes currently stated in the organization's educational framework were met. The experimental group showed statistically significant increases to character development , leadership development and service development from pre-exposure to post-exposure surveys. These gains were not maintained over time. Twelve sub-variables (self-confidence, selfactualization, compassion towards others, healthy and balanced life, goal setting, group collaboration, effective communication, conflict resolution, problem solving, social responsibility, environmental responsibility, and service to others) were also analyzed with all but one showing statistically significant positive change from pre-exposure survey to post-exposure survey. Overall, students on an Outward Bound course experience a significant positive change in character, leadership, and service to the community (ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 2009).

In simple words, the research conducted shows that students who were exposed to such challenging environments will increase their self-confidence, self-esteem and build in their own interpersonal skills.

Comparison In comparison between international and local students, there is an extensive difference in terms of exposure. The results of the research indicate that local students are not being exposed to things that will help them in building their interpersonal skills. They are lacking in certain things and are not given any platform that will help them to overcome these so called boundaries in reaching the ultimate goal. In contrary, international students mostly had been exposed to different kinds of environments and managed to bring out their self-confidence and self-esteem. This kind of exposure will help students in building up their interpersonal skills. Thus, local students will get used in dealing with people through better communication skills in the future.