ENGLISH FOR OTHER LANGUAGES: A NEEDS ANALYSIS OF FUTURE POLYGLOTS AT A FRENCH UNIVERSITY
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a needs analysis of second year undergraduates, majoring in various foreign languages (except for English) at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris, France. As part of their studies, students can take one semester of English during their second or third year. While needs analyses are an integral part of ESP research, the needs of students in certain disciplines, particularly the Liberal Arts, are not often referenced. Using questionnaires and interviews with current students, past students, and discipline instructors, this study attempts to partially fill that gap. Results show that while current students mostly use oral and written comprehension skills presently, they feel expression skills will become important in the future. Responses from former students and discipline instructors seem to support these results, with some key distinctions. Implications for teaching and future research are discussed.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Chaudhury, Tazin Aziz. “Identifying the English language needs of humanities students at Dhaka University.” Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics 2, no. 4 (2011): 59-91. https://doi.org/10.3329/dujl.v2i4.6900.
Chostelidou, Dora. “Needs-based course design: The impact of general English knowledge on the effectiveness of an ESP teaching intervention.” Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15 (2011): 403-409. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811002916.
DeCuir-Gunby, Jessica T., Patricia L. Marshall, and Allison W. McCulloch (2011). “Developing and using a codebook for the analysis of interview data: An example from a professional development research project.” Field Methods 23, no 2 (2011): 136-155. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1525822x10388468.
Dörnyei, Zoltan. “The L2 motivational self system.” In Motivation, language identity, and the L2 self, edited by Zoltan Dörnyei and Ema Ushioda, 9-42. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters, 2009. https://www.zoltandornyei.co.uk/chapters-in-edited-volumes.
Eslami, Zohreh R. “Teachers’ voice vs. students’ voice: A needs analysis approach to English for academic purposes (EAP) in Iran.” English Language Teaching, 3, no. 1 (2010): 3-11.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1081411.pdf.
Flowerdew, Lynne. “Needs analysis and curriculum development in ESP.” In The handbook of English for specific purposes, edited by Brian Paltridge & Sue Starfield, 325-346. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2013.
Fortune, A. “Making courses in science and technology more relevant to the needs of the student.” In English for Specific Purposes, edited by Susan Holden. Basingstoke, UK: Modern English publications, 1977.
Guariento, William and John Morley (2001). “Text and task authenticity in the EFL classroom.” ELT Journal, 55, no.4 (2001): 347-353.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228740371_Text_and_task_authenticity_in_the_EFL_classroom.
Hismanoglu, Murat. “Language learning strategies in foreign language learning and teaching.” The Internet TESL Journal, 11, no. 8 (2000). Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Hismanoglu-Strategies.html.
Hutchinson, Tom and Alan Waters. English for specific purposes: A learning-centered approach. New York, USA: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
Kaur, Sarjit and Mohamed Ayub Khan Alla Baksh. Language needs analysis of art and design students: Considerations for ESP course design. ESP World, 9(28), no. 2 (2010). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262278303_Language_Needs_Analysis_of_Art_and_Design_Students_Considerations_for_ESP_Course_Design_Introduction.
Labetoulle, Aude. “Dynamic and complex systems approach to needs analysis, course development, and evaluation of LANSOD course in a French musicology undergraduate programme.” In New developments in ESP teaching and learning research, edited by Cédric Sarré and Shona Whyte, 31-50. Research-publishing.net, 2017. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED578673.pdf.
Labetoulle, Aude. “Étude de la complexité des environnements d’apprentissage et d’enseignement LANSAD pour la conception, la mise en place et l’évaluation d’un dispositif en anglais.” PhD thesis. Université Charles de Gaulle - Lille III, Lille, France, 2019. Retrieved from https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-02478945/document.
Long, Michael H. (2005). “Methodological issues in learner needs analysis.” In Second Language Needs Analysis, edited by Michael H. Long, 19-78. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rebeca-Jasso-Aguilar/publication/222347193_Sources_Methods_and_Triangulation_in_Needs_Analysis_A_Critical_Perspective_in_a_Case_Study_of_Waikiki_Hotel_Maids/links/59ebc7234585151983cb768a/Sources-Methods-and-Triangulation-in-Needs-Analysis-A-Critical-Perspective-in-a-Case-Study-of-Waikiki-Hotel-Maids.pdf.
Mahdavi Zafarghandi, Amir, Masoud Khalili Sabet and Sharoudi Lomar, S. “Developing an ESP needs profile of Iranian students in business administration.” International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning, 3, no. 5 (2015): 3-18. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272696514_Developing_an_ESP_needs_profile_of_Iranian_students_of_Business_Administration.
Mohseni-Far, Mohammad. (2008). “On the relationship between ESP & EGP: A general perspective.” ESP World, 1, no. 7. http://www.esp-world.info/Articles_17/issue_17.htm.
Preece, Robert. “Art English.” ESP News, 3, no. 1 (1994): 1-3.
Strevens, Peter. “Special purpose language learning” In Language teaching and linguistics: Surveys, edited by Valerie Kinsella. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1978.
Transpanish (blog). Is knowing just two languages enough? Retrieved from https://transpanish.biz/translation_blog/is-knowing-just-two-languages-enough/.
Vougiouklidou, Anna. “Identification et analyse des besoins.” European Scientific Journal, 9, no. 9 (2013): 31-37. http://www.eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/view/903/945.
Woodfield, Helen and Elizabeth Lazarus. “Diaries: A reflective tool on an INSET language course.” ELT Journal, 52, no. 4 (1998): 315-322.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP2104715S
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
ISSN 2334-9182 (Print)
ISSN 2334-9212 (Online)