The Gap between Perceived and Achieved English Communication Needs of Saudi Management and Business Administration Students: An ESP Paradigm

Abstract

English has gained institutional as well as social acceptance in Saudi Arabia, especially as the language of higher education. Institutes of higher learning make sure that their students achieve an acceptable standard of communicative competence. But, despite many efforts, the discrepancy between the perceived and achieved needs of learners in English communication is observed. This is specifically true of specific course students, such as Management and Business Administration students, who are taught English to enhance their professional communicative competence in English. An empirical study based on survey was conducted at King Abdulaziz University—Rabigh Branch, Saudi Arabia, to investigate whether the English communication needs of Management and Administration students envisaged by the University matched the needs perceived by these students for themselves in the changing global scenario regarding the use of English, and if there is any discrepancy between the two, whether students wish for a change in the way English is taught to them currently. The results obtained from the survey show that students advocate for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for themselves, with increased semesters of teaching and inclusion of more books in English catering to business English requirements. The implications of the study are far reaching as the students’ perception of their English communication needs indicates the need for stronger advocacy for the inclusion of ESP courses, especially in the vocational programs at the university, such as MBA.

Foundation English Course Development for Thai Tertiary Education: Learners’ Perceived Needs and Factor Analysis

“…Listening and reading skills should also be used to promote more practice in speaking as well as enhance students' pronunciation. The findings of Supina ( 2018) and Alfaifi et al (2022) regarding communicative English echo the present study. FE should strongly be catered to communication through face-to-face and online contacts.…”

“…This is regarded as 'wants', according to Hitchinson and Waters (1987). Similar findings were reported by Alfaifi et al (2022) in that business students at a university in Saudi Arabia revealed a need (or want) for business English in addition to communicative English courses. The participants reported that as English would be used in their future careers, they felt they lacked adequate vocabulary and fluency.…”

“…With reference to Al-Hamlan and Baniabdelrahman (2015), additional information, such as instructional materials, learning activities, and communicative tasks, could be obtained and analyzed for a curriculum design. The lack of English supplies, in terms of teachers' expertise (Bayram & Canaran, 2020), instructional materials (Alfaifi et al, 2022;Moore, 2020), and instructions (Poedjiastutie et al, 2020), could be infused into PSA needs analysis to explain what is lacking in the present situation and to project learning needs and wants for a course or curriculum design.…”

“…Among the four core skills of English, it was found that L2 learners at levels of secondary education (Al-Hamlan & Baniabdelrahman, 2015), tertiary education (Poedjiastutie et al, 2020;Moiinvaziri, 2014), and employees and civil servants (Piamsai, 2017) perceived speaking as their least practiced skill (or lack). Some tertiary students also advocated the need for English for Specific Purposes (ESP), such as communication skills for tourism (Supina, 2018), business English communication (Alfaifi et al, 2022), or even career-development courses (Zhang et al, 2020). A question that arises from these findings is what type of English is needed for FE at tertiary education.…”

“…At the university level, the issue of whether English should be taught as English for Academic Purposes (EAP) or English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is still unclear to best serve the needs of university students. Some scholars advocate that Foundation English should enable undergraduates to master language proficiency, academic skills, and professional communication (e.g., Moore, 2020;Murray, 2010), while others perceive English as a tool for further education and careers (e.g., Alfaifi et al, 2022;Zhang et al, 2020).…”