Needs Analysis in English for Academic Purposes: The Case of Teaching Assistants at the University of Khartoum (original) (raw)
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2021
This needs assessment study falls in the mixed research paradigm as it combines both qualitative and quantitative methodologies by means of interviews and surveys. The objective of the study is to have a closer look at the students' current knowledge and expectations of studying English for purposes relevant to their academic interests. The needs were analyzed, from the perspective of the English and specialized teachers and from the perspective of the students themselves. Discovery interviews were conducted first with teachers from the English Department who taught postgraduate courses in departments other than English, to study their opinion from a language-specialized perspective. Following these interviews, a questionnaire was filled by 16 teachers and professors from the other departments to survey their opinion from a more subject-specialized point of view. The same procedures were repeated with a convenient sample of MA and PhD students. Interviews were conducted with 10 MA and PhD students, followed by a questionnaire filled by a convenient sample of 100 MA and PhD students in the Faculty of Arts. The teachers' data showed that there is a consensus that the current undergraduate EAP syllabi are not sufficient and does not prepare the postgraduate students for an advanced EAP writing course. As for the students' data, they showed that the reading skill is more important than the writing skill. Finally, this needs assessment offered a number of recommendations that should help improve the English research writing skills of the postgraduates of the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University.
The aim of this study is, firstly, to specify the needs and lacks of the second year International Relations and Political Science (IRPS) students studying at Başkent University, Ankara in relation to writing in English in their current academic studies and for their future professional lives. Secondly, it aims to explore the extent to which students, instructors, and employers agree on these needs and lacks. Based on the identified needs and lacks, the goals, objectives and content of a new writing course syllabus are formulated. The data were collected from the students currently enrolled in the course, their departmental and ESP instructors, and employers in the field of IRPS through questionnaires, structured interviews and analysis of the students’ written productions in different academic tasks. Keywords: English for specific purposes (ESP), needs assessment, and course evaluation
1999
English has become now an international language and many people from different nations have been learning English either for educational or professional purposes. English for Academic Purposes (EAR) reflects this need for specialized English for academic programs in higher education. In Turkish universities, some programs are English-medium, however, not all Turkish universities have preparatory programs for students lacking the necessary English language skills to take English-medium discipline classes successfully. The purpose of this research study-was to investigate the English language needs of the students in the English Language and Literature Department of Selçuk University, where the medium of instruction is English, and in addition prepare guidelines for an appropriate preparatory program. Data were collected through interviews and a questionnaire with three groups of informants. The first group of informants consisted of two department heads, a director, an instructor from three institutions outside SU, and 48 students from the ELL Department of SU, whom I interviewed informally. The second group of
LET: Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal
This study aims to investigate undergraduate students’ needs analysis in English for Academic Purposes. In this study, three hundred-eight first-year students and forty-one EAP and subject area instructors at Wachemo University participated. The research employed a mixed-methods approach that utilized a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview to ascertain the important academic English language skills and sub-skills prioritized by participants. The findings revealed that the participants indicated all the academic language skills as important for students' academic study in the university. The instructors prioritized the academic language skills (academic reading and academic vocabulary) as important, whereas the students ranked the language skills (academic writing and academic speaking) as the first importance. The study emphasized the importance of conducting learners’ needs analysis before developing any English for Academic Purposes course. Findings in the current stu...
The Role of Needs Analysis in English for Academic Purposes in Higher Education
European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 2022
Despite the established importance of English worldwide, and notwithstanding the fact that in expanding circle countries (defined as expanding or extending circle countries those countries where English is used as a foreign language), English for Academic Purposes plays an increasingly important role. Studies on the linguistic needs of university students are still lacking their perspective, at least in Italy, where students studying English language in Higher Education institutions are expected to gain access to the discourses of the academia via language competence. For this reason, the present paper reviews the theoretical and practical bases of English for Academic Purposes in order to provide further thought-provoking ideas based on a study carried out in the Italian university context. As far as method is concerned, due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study was conducted through Google Forms. The results of the authors’ questionnaire model are presented and analyse...
English-Based Learning Needs for Specific Purposes: An Analysis
Edukasi: Jurnal Pendidikan
This research aimed to analyze the learning needs of English for students. The research method was used descriptively. Data collection was carried out using an online questionnaire via Google Forms to students to identify the needs and expectations of students in learning English. The number of samples was 50 students with the sampling technique using simple random sampling. The data analysis technique used descriptive quantitative. The results of the research showed that students of the Faculty of Science and Technology need to learn English which focuses on improving the four language skills, namely speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Students also hope to learn more English vocabulary related to their major because it is useful for them in the learning process of the subjects in their major. AbstrakPenelitian bertujuan untuk menganalisis kebutuhan pembelajaran bahasa Inggris bagi mahasiswa. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian deskriptif. Pengumpulan data dil...
Centre at Qatar University in 2004. A questionnaire was designed to elicit such information. It comprises three parts: 1) demographic information, 2) perceived needs of English in the workplace, 3) the actual use of the different English language skills in the workplace. The sample consists of 644 employees who finished their education at Qatar Universit. In this paper the emphasis is on the interaction between perceived needs and actual use of English by the graduates. The results showed that English is used extensively in civil surface in all its skills. It is also evident that these skills correlate with each other. In addition, English is used at a high frequency. Implications for future research and Pedagogical Implications are also addressed.
American Journal of Educational Research, 2015
The purpose of the study was to assess the English language needs of university students in a context, where English is used as the medium of instruction and general English courses are taught across all disciplines. To achieve this purpose, based on Hutchinson & Water's [6] target needs analysis approach, a 5-Point Likert Scale needs analysis questionnaires were designed and distributed to 152 medical science students at Haramaya university to determine the students' frequency of English language use, their perceived importance of English for academic studies, their English language lacks, and areas of English they want training in. In addition, the general course materials taught to the students were evaluated to determine their suitability to the English need of the students. Descriptive statistics were employed in analyzing the quantitative data while content analysis was applied in analyzing the qualitative data. The results indicated the perceived importance of English for the students' academic studies, their English language lacks and area in which they want training in. In addition, the study identified the inadequacy of the general English courses to meet the students' English language needs. The study suggests that there is a need for English courses with an ESP orientation to meet the specific needs of students in their academic studies.