The Role of Needs Analysis in English for Academic Purposes in Higher Education

Abstract

Despite the established importance of English worldwide, and notwithstanding the fact that in expanding circle countries (defined as expanding or extending circle countries those countries where English is used as a foreign language), English for Academic Purposes plays an increasingly important role. Studies on the linguistic needs of university students are still lacking their perspective, at least in Italy, where students studying English language in Higher Education institutions are expected to gain access to the discourses of the academia via language competence. For this reason, the present paper reviews the theoretical and practical bases of English for Academic Purposes in order to provide further thought-provoking ideas based on a study carried out in the Italian university context. As far as method is concerned, due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study was conducted through Google Forms. The results of the authors’ questionnaire model are presented and analysed for the purpose of this research. Findings demonstrate both the complex network of elements that play a significant role in determining the needs of EAP students in Italy, and the unavoidable necessity to set priorities. It is a fact that needs in a learner-centred system are not static. In addition, learning EAP is bound to mean learning to be an independent learner.

Needs Analysis for Developing a Teaching Speaking Module for Chinese EFL Business English Undergraduates from the Teachers’ Perspective: Assessing the Validity and Reliability

“…Needs analysis in the current study is defined as teachers' perceptions on analysis for Chinese EFL business English undergraduates' needs in oral business English (OBE) courses in terms of learning needs and target needs. Although it is normally believed that the indicator of understanding and analyzing students' needs generated from the students themselves has been widely and successfully examined in educational research globally (e.g., Zhang, 2013;Mognhode & Woldemariam, 2015, Leotta & Dolidze, 2022. However, it is unsure that whether the students' self-feedback about their needs alone can be truly and thoroughly addressed in terms of lacks, wants and gaps in language learning.…”