Evaluation of an ESP(English for Specific Purposes)

Program: The Case study of Engineering English language

Dr Vladimir egarac

Rana Muhammad Bilal Anwar

PhD Scholar @ University of Bedfordshire, UK
Assistant Professor @FC College University, Pakistan
www.bilalanwar.com , rana.anwar@beds.ac.uk

Introduction
This study focused on four major areas: goals and
objectives, needs analysis, material design, and
teaching method. It attempted to set the evaluation in a
broader context relating to English language learning
in engineering universities in Punjab, Pakistan.

Research Questions
What were the goals and objectives of the
programme?
What were the needs of the students as perceived by:
a) Programme designers?
b) ESP teachers?
c) Subject specialist teachers?
Were the objectives appropriate to the needs of the
students?
What were the students', teachers', and administrators'
attitudes and feelings about the effectiveness of the
programme?
To what extent the existing ESP program cater to the
academic and occupational needs of the students?
To what extant there was a need to introduce a new
ESP course which may cater the present and future
needs of the engineering students?

Data Analysis
After the collection, data was arranged and decoded
further. For the analysis of data SPSS (Statistical Data
for Social Sciences) was used. The researcher entered the
whole data on SPSS. Only the complete data were
included. We calculated the means of each category and
then applied Chi Square. Two-way contingency table
was conducted to evaluate whether the students, teachers
and professionals were agreed or not.
Item: Changes should be brought to improve the
existing syllabus.
94

100

students

teachers

100

90

80
60
40
20
0
Professionals

Item: Opinions should be taken from the students of

Engineering to design the course
100

76

80
60
40
20
0
students

Item: The objectives of the course are according to

the academic needs.

Objectives
Scrutinize the goals and objectives of the ESP
Programme in engineering universities of Punjab,
Pakistan in order to find out to what extent they are
justifiable with respect to their appropriateness to the
needs of the students, the structure of the system, and
the content of the programme.
Investigate what the needs of the students are as
perceived by the programme designers, the ESP
teachers, the academic subject specialist teachers, the
students as well as the relationships among them
Examine the extent to which the intended objectives
are appropriate to the needs of the students.
Investigate the extent to which the programme has
been successful to meet the needs of the students.
Examine what the attitudes and feelings of the
students, the teachers, and the administrators with
respect to the programme.
Investigate the extent to which the programme has
been successful to contribute to the improvement of the
quality of English language in engineering universities
in Punjab, Pakistan.

&

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

65

40

Students

Teachers

Professionals

Item: Language skills are important for the students

of engineering to improve their vocational English.
100

88

85

students

teachers

90

80
60

40
20
0
professionals

Item: Special teaching material should be prepared

for the students
100

95

86

80

The results of opinions of the students, teachers and

professionals are diversified which show that aims and
objectives set by the authorities are not fulfilled
properly. The students who are not satisfied with the
aims and objectives have different opinions than the
teachers who are of the opinion that half of the
objectives i.e.50 % of the objectives are met whereas
the professionals are in between the students and the
teachers and they think that some of the objectives are
achieved by the existing syllabus.
Results show that all the three categories of the
samples are agreed unanimously that there is a need of
change to make the syllabus effective, updated and
according to the latest techniques adopted by the fresh
engineers of the first world.
Results show that the students, teachers and the
professional engineers are not satisfied and they are
convinced that the existing syllabus does not cater the
needs of the present and future times of engineers.
According to the results and the percentage shown is
that the aims and objectives set by the teachers are not
according to the needs and the aims and objectives of
the course are not feasible for such aims and objectives.
Moreover, the course contents are unjustified to meet
the aims and objectives.
All the five categories are convinced that there is a
dire need to change the existing syllabus being taught
as it does not cover the required standards of
compatibility. So, it needs a complete overhauling in all
the technologies or branches of the engineering
universities.
Results show that the teaching facilities are not
available in the class especially, the A.V. aids are
lacking even in the technologically advanced
universities of Pakistan.
Both the teachers and the students are completely
agreed that there should not be prescribed text book
rather special teaching material is required to cater the
needs of the students. Moreover, the teachers should
develop their own material, especially designed for the
ESP purposes according to the needs of the students.
Results further show that there is split opinion between
the students and the teachers about the motivation level
of the students so far as the learning of English is
concerned. Since the students are not satisfied with the
English courses offered, the motivation level of
learning is highly affected whereas the teachers have a
different opinion about them and they think that the
students learn the courses interestingly.

60
40
20

Bibliography

0
students

teachers

Methodology
This was an evaluation, action and impact study
research. In terms of balance and priority, in this study,
qualitative and quantitative aspects were given equal
weight for data collection and analysis. SPSS was an
important tool for data analysis. Based on these
methodological orientations, the data was collected by a
multi-method approach: questionnaire, interview,
observation and documentary analysis.
The questionnaires along with interviews and
observations were used to measure some characteristics,
perceptions, and position of the respondents in order to
provide a wider picture of the issues under
investigation. The questionnaire and interviews will be
developed containing five categories i.e. students,
teachers, professionals, Senior Engineering teachers and
engineering employers.

Reader in Language and Communication

University of Bedfordshire, UK

Findings
All the students of engineering irrespective of any
technology are convinced that studying English is very
important for them. Moreover, the teachers who are
teaching the students of engineering are also convinced
that it is very important for the students of engineering
to take English as a course. Lastly, the professionals
serving actually in the fields are also of the opinion that
studying English as a subject is important for the
students.
Results show that all the five categories i.e. students,
teachers, professionals, international recruiter and senior
teacher are agreed that the existing syllabus being
taught needs a fresh outlook to make it compatible to
the international standards. Moreover, the existing
syllabus does not fulfill the needs of the present and the
future times. And some changes are required to make
the syllabus demanding and compatible.

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