scholarly journals Needs Analysis of Business English Undergraduates and the Implications to Business English Curriculum Design

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401983595
Author(s):  
Qing Xie ◽  
Jie Chen

This study investigates the communication and learning needs of Master of Business Administration (MBA) business English students and their perceptions of effective curriculum design. The research instruments are two-stage surveys of 99 MBA students from a public university in China. The results of the study show that English is not extensively used in the workplaces of MBA business English students, and that the majority of them use Chinese. Most English usage occurs in foreign businesses. The most difficult skills for MBA business English learners are found to be oral communication and listening comprehension. However, there are still very strong needs for further improvement in English communication. For the MBA business English courses, oral communication activities, especially with expatriate teachers, are particularly needed. The MBA business English courses should connect with real-world practice and be relevant to job and business needs. This study has significant implications for MBA business English curriculum reform in both Chinese and international contexts.


Author(s):  
Li Yan

<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>


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Dai Guiyu ◽  
Liu Yang

<p>This paper first reviews the developmental history and status quo of Business English Program in China. Then based on the theory of needs analysis, it researches on 226 questionnaires from Business English Program students from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies to investigate the problems encountered and current situation of Business English Program in China. From the statistical analysis of the questionnaires, it finds: (1) employment and interest are the main reasons that students choose Business English as their major, but the current Business English teaching materials haven’t fully considered student’s demands for vocational requirements; (2) it should take into account both the learners’ and societies’ needs in Business English curriculum arrangement to increase the number of business-related courses appropriately; (3) students generally agreed that they lacks business knowledge and skills, so Business English courses should focus on cultivating the practical business skills; (4) Business English teaching materials should always be practicality oriented and targeted and communicative; (5) in order to improve teaching effectiveness, Business English teachers should consciously adopt different teaching methods targeted for different teaching content during the teaching process; (6) teachers’ morality, knowledge, teaching style and mutual relationship with students can be further enhanced to meet the needs of students.</p>


Author(s):  
Clinton Hendry ◽  
June Ruivivar

This chapter reports on a needs analysis on a joint science program in which students spend two years each in China and Canada. Students take ESL courses in China to help them transition to the English curriculum in Canada. Since many of these students plan to work in Canada upon graduation, the authors aimed to determine how the program prepared them not only for university, but also for out-of-class interactions. They interviewed students currently in the Canadian stage of the program, a science teacher, and two ESL teachers. Students were well prepared for academics, but struggle with informal talk. The science teacher found the students to perform well, though were reluctant to speak up. In contrast, the ESL teachers commented on their lack of motivation. All parties noted that a specialized English for academic purposes (EAP) course might address these issues. The authors discuss implications for cross-cultural curriculum design and the need for communication between domain and language experts.


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