Needs Analysis for Workplace English Speaking Courses for University Engineering Students in the Kwara State of Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 25-35
Author(s):  
Abdul-Lateef Solihu ◽  
Lilisuriani Abdul Latif

The globalization of world markets which has led to the hegemony of English language over other languages requires graduates from different fields of specialization to equip themselves with English communication skills to communicate effectively in local and international workplace contexts. This study was conducted to investigate the English speaking skills needed by engineering students in the Kwara states of Nigeria. A survey was carried out to compare how the respondents’ (undergraduate engineering students and industry workers in the Kwara State of Nigeria) self-rated their speaking interaction and production skills and to observe their perception of the importance of speaking interaction and production sub skills for workplace communication. The study concluded with suggestions for creating a better perception of the importance of English speaking skills among engineering students and creating a better workplace English curriculum so that students’ workplace speaking skills can be improved.

Communicating effectively in English does not come naturally to undergraduate engineering students in India and presumably everywhere where English is not the first language or the mother tongue. In India, English is used as official language in most of the states. It is also the medium of instruction in most educational institutes. Teaching methods and objectives to be achieved while imparting knowledge of English language mainly focus on ability of students to reproduce the learned facts in written form in the examination. Focus on the oral communication and development of English as a medium to share and express original ideas is not really observed at school or university level. Employers worldwide have acknowledged that the conventional engineering curriculum that is focused on imparting technical knowledge has proved to be inadequate in equipping engineers with the adequate employability skills. The objective of this paper is to present a framework for design, teaching and evaluation of a course on communication skills/professional communication for engineering students. A proposed pedagogical framework has been discussed and illustrated as appendices. Guidelines regarding improving communication skills have been made keeping in mind that rather than emphasizing upon incorporating a course on communication skills in the engineering education, communication should be made an integral part of the curriculum


1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-208
Author(s):  
Raveewan Wanchid

The objectives of the study were to investigate the needs of English communication skills at workplaces of engineers and to provide guidelines on how to develop the English course based on the Integration of Project-based Learning Approach and Blended Learning Module to enhance English communication skills at work of undergraduate engineering students. To develop the course, it is generally composed of three main phases: needs analysis, course development, and course implementation and the course evaluation. However, this research reports the results of the needs analysis and provides suggestions for the course development based on the Integration of Project-based Learning Approach and Blended Learning Module. The questionnaires were used to investigate the needs analysis of three main groups of subjects: 15 engineers, 98 engineering students, and 10 ESP teachers. The semi-structured interview was used to gain more in-depth data from the representatives of the three main groups. However, only the perspectives of the students will be presented in this paper. The results of the study theoretically and practically shed some new light to the area of English language instruction for engineers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Muhammad Riaz Khan ◽  
Shehla Riaz Khan ◽  
Saeed Ahmad

The graduates of Jazan University (Saudi Arabia), like anywhere else in EFL or ESL settings, require effective oral communication skills in English language for a highly competitive and expanding market economy of the country, and the worldwide too. The study was taken to evaluate the students’ perceptions about the need of speaking skills and the urgency to participate in language enhancement activities keeping in view the generally unsatisfactory position of the Saudi students in speaking English language. The sample population for this research was taken from three colleges, i.e. the first grade students from Engineering, Business and Computer Science of this university. A survey method technique was adopted in which data was obtained using a structured questionnaire about students’ responses on multiple items indicating their understanding of the importance of speaking skills, their existing level of oral communication and the need to participate in the extra coaching programs offered by the university. The quantitative data were analyzed by using SPSS 17. The data shows the participants’ understanding of the importance of communication skills for social needs, personality development, attaining and survival in the job market, and their needs for attending extra language training sessions other than their normal routine courses.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5A) ◽  
pp. 100-107
Author(s):  
Mimi Nahariah Azwani Mohamed ◽  
Zarina Othman ◽  
Suzilla Jamari ◽  
Nor Fadhilah Ahmad Powzi ◽  
Nurzarina Abd Samad ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Ida Nyoman Tri Darma Putra

The aim of this study to analyze students' English speaking skills in conducting taking orders procedure in restaurants.  This study is conducted in order to overcome the problems encountered by the students in speaking activities in taking orders. To measure the ability of students in speaking English in taking orders, the researchers observed the procedures that the students did not perform and measure the students’ competence of English language. Samples of this study are the fourth semester students in Hospitality courses Diploma Degree of Mataram Tourism Institute in Academic Year 2018/2019. The results of this study indicated that the level of completeness of the procedure in taking student orders in STP Mataram is in average. More than 50% students have conducted the appropriate procedure when taking orders in using English. From the result of data analysis in measuring the students’ competence in speaking English, the mean score is 78.90 with standard deviation is 12.14. From the result, it is converted and get score 3.1. The score showed that the ability of English students from 40 students in STP Mataram classified as Good Criteria.


GERAM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-72
Author(s):  
Fauzul Etfita ◽  
Sri Wahyuni

Teaching materials are a set of tools or facilities that contain materials, methods and evaluations used by teachers or lecturers in learning. So far, the teaching materials released by several developers have rarely been in accordance with the needs of Mechanical Engineering students, where some of the teaching materials available still use general English. In this study, in order to compile an appropriate teaching material, researchers have conducted a needs analysis. Needs analysis is a fundamental aspect for English language lecturers for specific purposes (ESP) in identifying information or the main needs of students and investigating areas of student shortages. In line with this statement, this research is a case study design that aims to determine the needs of mechanical engineering students in learning English through Padlet at the Faculty of Engineering in the 2019-2020 academic year. The data in this study were collected from researcher observations, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 40 students and two English language lecturers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The results revealed that speaking and writing are the main focus of English skills in the Mechanical Engineering department and listening along with reading are the next English skills needed than others.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Hanae AIT HATTANI

<p>With English becoming the world’s lingua franca and the proliferating scientific and technological advances, English language education has been gradually shifting from its classical applications such as EFL (English as a foreign language) or ESL (English as a second language) toward new paradigms like English for specific purposes (ESP). The most important and problematic question in ESP teaching and learning is whether the course is effective or not. ESP is student-task oriented, thus, measuring its effectiveness is strongly related to measuring learners’ attitudes, needs, expectations, satisfaction, and achievement. For this purpose, this study attempted to investigate ESP needs analysis of Moroccan university students, case study of renewable energy engineering students at the Higher School of Technology (ESTF).  The research was conducted using quantitative surveys d. The data was gathered from 30 undergraduate renewable energy engineering students. The study findings confirmed that the participant students have highly favorable attitudes towards English language for both their personal and professional careers. However, the survey results indicated that these students have some difficulties with English language productive skills, namely speaking and writing, in addition to some other sub-skills. Therefore, this research suggests a reform at the level of ESP teaching and learning curricular, focusing on the incorporation of innovative approached and methods that aims at enhancing students’ language acquisition and competency.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-156
Author(s):  
Izzuddin A

A number of modern Islamic Boarding Schools (IBS) have long implemented a unique English Language Teaching (ELT) strategy in improving their students’ English-speaking skills. In IBS, for example, head of language department requires the students to communicate in English in daily activities, and punishment is imposed to those who do not speak English. However, there was no specifically academic term used to describe such strategy, nor was there a study to investigate the effectiveness of the strategy. This essay investigates what IBS-applied ELT strategy is, and to what extent it is effective in improving speaking skills of the students. It is found that IBS has made use of a behaviour modification as ELT strategy. The behaviour modification is able to encourage students to communicate in English in their daily activities. It also leads students to acquire accuracy, complexity and fluency in speaking.


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