NOOR AZWANI ZAKARIA

MARA-JAPAN INDUSTRIAL

INSTITUTE, BERANANG, SELANGOR

TITLE TITLE A Critical Evaluation of

English Language Needs in

MARA-Japan Industrial Institute,

Beranang, Selangor

OVERVIEW 1) Introduction

- Institutional Context

- Statement of Problem

- Research Questions

- Theoretical Framework

2) Literature Review

- ESP & Needs Analysis

3) Methodology

4) Results & Discussion

5) Conclusion

- Generalised Needs Profile (GNP)

- Implications of the Study

- Suggestions for Future Research

PART 1 - INTRODUCTION

Part 1 - Introduction

• ESP - English for Specific Purposes is generally understood

as the teaching of a variety of the English language in its

specific context use. (Robinson, 1990; Dudley-Evans & St

John, 1998).

• It is crucial mostly for the development of specific

vocabularies and terms that are discipline-based such as

Medical English, English for Engineering, English for Science

and many other disciplines.

• The central focus of ESP is the learners – Different from GE.

• Mackay (1978) outlined the two different needs of students in

learning ESP that is:

(i) academic needs.

(ii) job needs.

• But the ultimate need of these learners is to understand the

language register and lexical properties that are present in the

context of certain discipline and master them.

Institutional Context - MJII

• The EAP course being reviewed in current study is English for

Personal Development and Technical Purposes (DUE 3252).

• Focus: English in workplace context such as the practical use of

language in interviews, report writing, delivering reports, organizing

meetings, briefings and discussions.

Statement of the Problem

• The common teaching practices of many learning institutions

lack the sensitivity to the real needs of the students.

• The importance of the analysis is highly relevant to identify

the needs and to help design effective courses by

responding to the learners’ point of views.

• The data collected could be used to amend and improvise

the current syllabus and curriculum and above all to

facilitate the student learning the ESP courses in future.

Research Questions

1. What are the target situation language needs of

the students?

2. What are the present situation needs of

the students in question?

3. What are their English language learning needs?

Theoretical Framework

TSA

PSA

LSA

• TSA (Target Situation Analysis)

- Target needs is defined as what the learner needs to do

in target situation and what learner needs to do in order

to learn.

• PSA (Present Situation Analysis)

- Estimates the strengths and weaknesses in language,

skills and learning experience.

• LSA (Learning Situation Analysis)

- The learning needs of the students in terms of their

learning preferences, learning expectations, attitudinal

and motivational factors.

- How students learn the way they learn English language.

PART 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Brief literature review

• An extensive definition of ESP outlined by Dudley-Evans and St

John (1998):

• Absolute characteristics:

1) ESP is designed to meet the specific needs of the learners.

2) ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and

activities of the disciplines it serves.

3) ESP is centered on the language, skills, discourse and

genres appropriate to these activities.

Variable characteristics:

1) ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines.

2) ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different

methodology from that of General English.

3) ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at tertiary

level institution or in a professional work situation. It could,

however, be used for learners at secondary school level.

4) ESP is generally for intermediate or advanced students.

ESP operations (Dudley-Evans and St

John, 1998)

In ideal setting In reality….

PART 3 - METHODOLOGY

Methodology

• The present study was an exploratory non-experimental

study.

• The findings of different kinds of data (TSA, PSA and LSA)

would enable the construction of generalized needs profile

(GNP) regarding the English language learning in the

institution.

• The target population consisted of 41 semester three students

from five different programmes in Diploma of Electronics

Engineering.

• The data acquired from the questionnaires was analysed

using SPSS version 16.0.

Methodology

Questionnaire:

• Part 1: Personal Details (PSA)

• Part 2: Academic English Skills (TSA)

• Part 3: Language Priorities (LSA)

• Part 4: English Language Learning Needs (TSA)

• Part 5: Learning Evaluation (PSA + TSA)

• Part 6: Course Evaluation (LSA)

PART 4 – RESULTS AND

DISCUSSION

Table 1: Personal Details (PSA)

Table 2: Academic English Skills

(TSA)

Table 3: Language Priorities (LSA)

Table 4: English Language

Learning Needs (TSA)

Table 5: Learning Evaluation

(PSA + TSA)

Table 6: Course Evaluation (LSA)

Table 6: Course Evaluation (LSA)

PART 5 - CONCLUSION

The Generalised Needs Profile

(GNP)

The Generalised Needs Profile

(GNP)

The Generalised Needs Profile

(GNP)

Implications of the Study

1. It can be a guidance for the institution to form

relevant and effective syllabus that matches the

needs of the students.

2. In the current practice of the institution, there is no

specific ESP teaching methodology conducted such

as team-teaching where language instructors are

present in technical classes to really understand the

aspect of learning from different perspectives.

Suggestion for Future Research

- Needs analysis is one of the tools that can be used to

elicit such information on TSA, PSA and LSA and

practical solutions can be suggested accordingly on

certain issues of concern.

- Among the research projects that can be proposed are:

1) analysis of current language programme syllabus

2) the effectiveness of materials used in current ESP

or EAP classrooms.

3) ESP teaching methodology

ANY QUESTION?

THANK YOU