A Needs Analysis of English for Banking Students at the College of Business Studies in Kuwait

Abstract

Abstract At the College of Business Studies(CBS) in the Public Authority of Applied Education and Training (PAAET), students enroll in business diploma programs such as Management, Banking, Computing, Finance, and Accounting. The English Department is a support unit that helps to provide students with the necessary courses, namely English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and General English (GE) required for their specific majors. In this paper, we will be addressing the English language needs of banking students. The objective of this study is to delineate the communication needs of banking students, by analyzing several factors such as the needs, wants and lacks which contribute to their real learning experiences. Needs analysis involves identifying the learners’ need and awareness for a successful learning. Among these factors, students' attitudes and perceptions towards language learning will also be examined. Additionally, implications will be discussed and relevant conclusions will be drawn. The sample consist of twenty students (ten females and ten males) who are pursuing a full time diploma program in the final semester of the 2018/2019 academic year at CBS. These respondents were selected because they are able to provide comprehensive feedback since they completed their practicum and are able to identity their language needs and problems faced during their work training. The research is based on data collected by way of questionnaires. Based on the analysis of data, it is revealed that students faced major difficulties in the following areas: i) poor speaking skills: lack of pronunciation skills and poor presentation skills, ii) writing: (different types of email ) and reports, iii) listening: poor understanding of lecturer's explanations, iv) reading: poor understanding of technical terms and general vocabulary. With regards to students’ needs, there is a demand for a learner-centered course content that will better enhance their learning experience by utilizing the tools available. The students also expressed interest in enrolling in ESP courses to improve their English.