scholarly journals English Major Undergraduates’ Needs and Perceptions of Business English Activities and Resources in a Chinese University

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 757
Author(s):  
Qing Xie
Keyword(s):  
International Education ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Business English ◽  
Main Research ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Education Environment ◽  
English Major ◽  
Communicative Teaching ◽  
English Major Undergraduates

This article explores English major undergraduates’ views on business English skills and topics, and investigates their perceptions of the meaningful activities and resources in one Chinese university context. The main research instruments are questionnaires containing rating and open-ended questions, and researcher’s participant observation with 149 English major undergraduates enrolling in Business English courses in 2016. The results show that participants most often require improvement in note-taking skills, public speaking and need to learn business communication topics. Participants value communicative teaching methodologies, including role plays, oral presentation, theme-based discussion, games and group work. Participants more often rely on electronic media resources, such as videos, internet and mobile applications than the print media resources such as library, books and dictionaries. This study serves as basis for further business English curriculum development and resources provision in the higher education setting. The study also indicates the potential for business English resources development and exploitation in China within the international education environment.

scholarly journals Using Production-Oriented Approach in Business English Courses: Perceptions of China’s English-Major and Non-English-Major Undergraduates

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110165
Author(s):  
Qing Xie
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Business English ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Teaching Activities ◽  
Curriculum Adaptation ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
English Majors ◽  
English Major ◽  
Oriented Approach

In light of pedagogical innovation, this study reports a two-stage survey with 172 participants from English-major and non-English-major programs on their needs of production-oriented approach and perceptions of effective implementation strategies in business English courses at a Chinese university. The results of the study suggest that while the two student groups used different learning methods, both valued communication with native speakers. While the two groups had different needs in business English reading, writing, and speaking activities, they also preferred listening to business news broadcasts. The two groups liked learning in case studies and case-based methodology. Based on the needs, a production-oriented teaching procedure is designed. For teaching activities, the students preferred simulation and role-play. As to their favorite teaching and learning materials, English-majors mentioned English news reading and videos, whereas non-English-majors liked theme-based reading materials. For curriculum adaptation and post-course practice, they suggested using communicative activities and more recent cases. The majority of the groups considered the teaching activities, materials, and activities as effective. Based on the different needs and perceptions, effective and tailored implementation strategies for a production-oriented approach in business English courses for the two student groups at this Chinese university context are suggested. Informed by production-oriented pedagogical theories, the results of the study may have significant implications for business English teaching reform and theoretical development in Chinese universities as well as other cultural and education settings in further innovating and refining the teaching and learning process.

scholarly journals An Investigation into the Current Business English Curriculum Design and Instruction Practices at Yangtze University

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Li Yan
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Development ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Current Development ◽  
Business English ◽  
Educational Model ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
English Major ◽  
Current Business

<p>This paper starts with the disciplinary features of Business English and analyzes the current development of a Business English major at Yangtze University. In the light of requirements of Business English major and the features of cross-discipline, this paper studies the educational model of Business English major at Yangtze University in terms of curriculum setting, teacher development，practical courses and language courses development．</p>

scholarly journals Analyzing Professional English Learning Needs and Situations of Science and Language Majors in a Chinese University

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Qing Xie
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Business English ◽  
Teaching Improvement ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
College English ◽  
Chinese University

This article reports an investigative study of professional language learning needs of science and language majors in the Chinese university context. Surveys with both rating and open-ended questions and participant observation were conducted with 158 participants from science and language programs who enrolled in business English courses in the Chinese university in February 2017. The results show that science and language majors had different purposes for learning professional English as they had discipline specific learning needs. Language majors had more communication with English users than science majors. However both science and language majors reported limited English language use and learning out of class. There were difficulties in English learning due to lack of motivation and interest. Based on the results, suggestions are offered for teaching improvement. This study has positive implications for college English teaching reform in both China and worldwide context.

AN INDUCTIVELY DERIVED RESEARCH FRAMEWORK FOR STUDENT SATISFACTION IN ODL: THE HIGHER EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-57
Author(s):  
Marry Mdakane ◽  
Christo J. Els ◽  
A. Seugnet Blignaut
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Specific Aspect ◽  
Written Narratives ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Education Environment

Student satisfaction, as a key psychological-affective outcome of tertiary education, is a direct measure of the success of Open Distance Learning (ODL). It is therefore vital for ODL Higher Education Institutions to assess and improve student satisfaction constantly. Existing theories on student satisfaction are mostly derived from deductive research, i.e. from research that considers the existing body of knowledge, followed by an investigation of a specific aspect or component, in order to reach a specific conclusion. We, however, maintain the inductive stance that a research framework for student satisfaction in ODL should be derived from students themselves. Accordingly, we purposively collected qualitative data from N=34 South African postgraduate ODL students, representative of various cultural language groups, with regard to student satisfaction. Supported by Atlas.ti, we composed an integrated dataset comprised of students’ responses to two focus-group interviews, as well as students’ written narratives in response to qualitative questions. Through meticulous qualitative data-analysis, we detected data categories, sub-categories, patterns and regularities in the integrated dataset. Theories and findings from the existing corpus of knowledge pertaining to student satisfaction in ODL illuminated our qualitative findings. This paper reports on the knowledge we gained from our participants pertaining to their student satisfaction with the Higher Education (HE) environment, the first of three main research components of an inductively derived research framework for student satisfaction in ODL.

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