Investigating the English Specific Needs of the M.A Students of Ancient Iran History

Subject Areas : Research in English Language Pedagogy

Sedigheh Vahdat ¹ , Asra Basiri ² , Zohreh Gooniband Shooshtari ³ , Farshid Naderi ⁴

1 - Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2 - Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
3 - Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
4 - Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

Received: 2021-12-04 Accepted : 2022-01-22 Published : 2022-09-01

Keywords: Needs analysis, ESP, ESP coursebook, Ancient Iran History, M.A students,

Abstract :

This study investigated the different aspects of the English for Specific Purposes Needs of M.A students of Ancient Iran History studying at the Department of History in Iranian universities. The participants were selected from the universities of Iran based on convenience sampling. The Needs Analysis was designed on a qualitative and quantitative survey, using the semi-structured interviews and the questionnaires. 45 M.A students and 5 ESP instructors expressed their views through questionnaires and interviews. The results revealed that the students asked for the inclusion of the four language skills in their ESP courses. That is, a new ESP course focusing on the integration of all four skills should be developed. The instructors, however, echoed the reading skill as the predominant need for students to achieve a higher standard in academic and future careers. The interviews showed that the ESP courses were not sufficient to account for the specific needs of the students since these courses were not prepared according to the learners’ needs. The students expressed that they needed to master English because they had to use English sources during their academic studies. However, the ESP courses did not fully prepare the students to embark on their studies because it did not sufficiently take into account the learners’ needs. The students were dissatisfied with the current ESP courses of Ancient Iran History and asked for the urgent revision of ESP materials. The ESP instructors’ responses to the interviews indicated dissatisfaction with the students’ poor language skills, lack of motivation, and the insufficiency of the needs-responsive ESP coursebook. Giving more weight to English in the M.A entrance exam was suggested by instructors as one possible solution as this may increase the students’ level of motivation which may lead to the improvement of their language proficiency. The findings of this study can help researchers and ESP practitioners make particular pedagogic decisions.It presented a detailed description of the process of the Needs Analysis as a prerequisite step to design an ESP coursebook for English specific courses of the Ancient Iran History field at M. A level.

References:

Alaei, M. M., & Ershadi, A. R. (2016). ESP Program in Iran: A Stakeholder-based Evaluation of the Program’s Goal, Methodology and Textbook. Issues in Language Teaching (ILT), 5(2), 279-306.

Alfehaid, A. (2011).  Developing an ESP curriculum for students of Health Sciences through needs analysis and course evaluation in Saudi Arabia (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Leicester.

Aliakbari, M., & Boghayeri, M. (2014). A need analysis approach to ESP design in the Iranian context. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 98, 175-181.

Al-Tamimi, A. S., & Shuib, M. (2010). Investigating the English needs of Petroleum engineering students at Hadhramount university of science & technology. The Asian ESP Journal, 6(1), 6 -34.

Amirian, Z., & Tavakoli, M. (2009). Reassessing the ESP courses offered to engineering student In Iran (A Case Study). English for Specific Purposes World, 8(23). Retrieved March 25, 2013, From the World Wide Web:  http://www.esp-world.info/Articles_23/manuscript.%20ESP%20World.pdf

Anthony, L. (2018). Introducing English for specific purposes. London, United Kingdom.

Basturkmen, H. (2010). Developing course in English for specific purposes. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Belcher, D. (2006). English for specific purposes: Teaching to perceived needs and imagined futures in Worlds of works. TESOL Quarterly, 40 (1), 133-156.

Belcher, D. (2012). What ESP is and can be: An introduction. In D.D. Belcher (ed.). English for Specific Purposes in Theory and Practice (pp. 1-20). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Brown, J. D. (2016). Introducing needs analysis and English for specific purposes. London: Routledge.

Carnando, G. (2020). Need Analysis for designing ESP course for Medical Students. Anglo-Saxon: Journal Ilmiah Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, 11(1), 1-12.

Chaiyakosi, T. (2004). The problems and needs in learning technical English of industrial technology majors at Rajamangala Institute of Technology, Bangkok Technical Campus   (Unpublished master’s thesis). Srinakharinwirot University.

Charles, M., & Pecorari, D. (2016). Introducing English for academic purposes. London:  Routledge.

Danaye Tous, M., & Haghighi, S. (2014). Evaluation of ESP textbooks: Evidence from ESP textbook of computer engineering major. International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning, 3(2), 55-68.

 Dehnad, A., Bagherzadeh, R., Bigdelil, S., Hatami, K., & Hosseini, F. (2013). Postgraduate ESP curriculum: Reading and writing needs. Acta Medica Iranica, 52(5), 406.

Dudley-Evans, T., & St John, M. J. (1998). Developments in English for specific purposes- a multi disciplinary approach. Cambridge: Cambridge.

Duka, L. Y., Sujana, I. M., & Melanie, B. Z. (2020). Needs Analysis for Teaching English at The International Relation Study Program University of Mataram. Indonesian Journal of Teacher  Education, 1(1), 11-20.

Edwards, N. (2000). Language for business: Effective needs assessment, syllabus design and materials preparation in a practical ESP case study. English for Specific Purposes, 19, 291- 296.

Eslami, Z. R. (2010). “Teachers’ voice vs. students’ voice: A needs analysis approach of English for academic purposes (EAP) in Iran”. English Language Teaching, 3(1), 3-12.

Eslami Rasekh, A., & Simin, S. (2012). Investigating EAP of Tourism in Iran: A case study of students’ perception. English for Specific Purposes World, 36(12). Retrieved December 10,2013, from the World Wide Web: www.esp-world.info/Articles_36/Shahla_Simin_tourism.pdf

Ghonsooly, B., & Pishghadam, R. (2011). A critique of the books on English for specific purposes. Motaleat -e- Zaban va Tarjomeh (Language and Translation Studies), 3, 21-36.

Hou, H. I. (2013). A needs analysis of Culinary Arts majors’ ESP learning in Taiwan’s context. Asian ESP Journal. 9(13), 5-34.

Hutchinson, S., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: A learning-centered  approach. Cambridge: University Press.

Hyland, K. (2006). English for academic purposes. New York: Routledge.

Iwai, C. (2010). Analysis of ESP education for the hotel industry at universities, technical schools,and hotels in Japan. JACET, 12, 92-103.

Jasso-Aguilar, R. (1999). Sources, methods and triangulation in needs analysis: A critical perspective in a case study of Waikiki hotel maids. English for specific purposes, 18(1), 27- 46.

Kaewpet, C. (2011). Learning needs of Thai Civil engineering students. The Asian ESP Journal, 7(3).

Kaur, S., & Ayub Khan, A. B. M. (2010). Language needs analysis of Art and Design students: Consideration for ESP course design. Esp worlds, 9(2).

Long, M. H. (2005b). ‘Overview: A Rationale for needs analysis and needs analysis research’ In Long, M. H., (Ed.) Second Language needs analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University  Press, 1-16.

Mal Amiri, B. (2008). A program evaluation of ESP education at MS/A and Ph.D Levels at Science and Research Campus, Islamic Azad University. Human Sciences, 56, 1-28. 

Masoumpanah, Z., & Tahririan, M. H. (2013). Target situation needs analysis of Hotel Receptionists. English for Specific Purposes World, 40(14), 1-19.

Mazdayasna, G., & Tahririan, M. H. (2008). Developing a profile of the ESP needs of Iranian students: The case of students of nursing and midwifery. Journal of English for AcademicPurposes, 7, 277- 289.

Mirza Suzani, S., Yarmohammadi, L., & Yamini, M. (2011). A critical review of the current situation of teaching ESP in the Iranian higher education institutions. Iranian EFL Journal, 7(6), 179-204. 

Moslemi, F., Moinzadeh, A., & Dabaghi, A. (2011). ESP needs analysis of Iranian M.A students:  A case study of the University of Isfahan. English Language Teaching, 4(4), 121-129.

Muhammad, I., & Abdul Raof, A. H. (2020). Assessing the ESP needs of Saudi Engineering undergraduates: A Diagnostic View. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume, 10.

Nikpour, A. (2008). An analysis of specific language needs of Nursing students in Fatemeh college of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz, Iran (Unpublished MA Thesis). Shiraz Azad  University.

Oktarin, R. A., Syahrial. E., & Harahap, A. (2019). Needs analysis of ESP for Tourism study program at SMKN (senior vocational school) Kota Bengkulu. Journal of English Education  and Teaching, 3(1), 14-28.

Paltridge, B., Starfield, S. (2013). The handbook of English for specific purposes. Boston: Wiley Blackwell.

Rahman, M. (2015). English for specific purposes (ESP): A holistic review. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 3(1), 24-31.

Razmjoo, S.A. & Raissi, R. (2010). Evaluation of SAMT ESP textbooks for the students of medical sciences. Asian ESP Journal, 6(2), 108-150. 

Richards J. C., & Schmidt, R. (2010). Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied  Linguistics (4th ed). Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

Richterich, R., & Chancerel, L. (1987). Identifying the needs of adults learning a foreign language. London: Prentice-Hall International.

Saidi, M., & Sayyadi, M. (2020). " Whose court is the ball in?" An academic language needs analysis of Iranian students of Physical Education. Studies, 8(1), 55-63.

Sanmugam, S. T. (2013). Target situation needs analysis: Exploring the Linguistic needs of polytechnic engineering students across three majors. English for Specific Purposes World, 14(39), 1-9.

Soodmand Afshar, H., & Hafez, F. (2019). Evaluation of special English for the students of  Computer textbook (SAMT Publications): Computer students’ and ESP teachers’ perspective. Language and Translation Studies, 51(3), 33-74.

Sukrani, S. (2020). Understanding learners’ needs of ESP for Accountancy Program at Vocational  School English Review, 8(2).

Swales, J. (2000). Languages for specific purposes. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 20, 59- 76.

Syakur, A., Zainuddin, H. M., & Hasan, M. A. (2020). Needs analysis English for Specific Purposes (ESP) For Vocational Pharmacy students. Budapest International Research and Critics in Linguistics and Education (BirLE) Journal, 3(2), 724-733.

Tavakoli, M., & Tavakol, M. (2018). Problematizing EAP education in Iran: A critical ethnographic study of educational, political and sociocultural roots. Journal of English for  Academic Purposes, 31, 28- 43.

Tayebipour, F. (2005). The role of TEFL instructors vs. specific-field instructors in ESP/EAP teaching. Paper presented in the First National ESP/EAP Conference, Tehran, Iran.

Tim, V. (2020). A needs analysis of Japanese University students. Cele Journal, (28), 117-136.

Yarmohammadi, L. (2005).  ESP in Iran from language planning perspective. Proceedings of the  First National ESP/EAP Conference, 2, 2-20. The Center for Research and Development in Humanities of SAMT. Tehran.