Needs analysis of speaking skills for Mathematics Education students in academic contexts

This entry examines ways English for specific purposes (ESP) and English for academic purposes (EAP) support teachers in their endeavors to devise instruction to prepare English as a second language (ESL) learners for the demands of working or studying in English. EAP grew out of ESP and shares similar, pedagogical features with ESP. The entry describes a range of contexts in which specialized (ESP and EAP) language instructions typically occur and ways in which ESP and EAP are distinctive pedagogical frameworks. For learners, the provision of specialized language instruction that is based on identification of their work or study needs is widely understood to be motivating, effective, and efficient. However, for teachers of specialized English, working in this area can present considerable challenges in terms of developing their own knowledge of the specialist linguistic register, devising in‐house materials, and developing new courses or revising others, to meet the precise needs of their groups of learners. The entry describes ways the ESP and EAP research supports the work of teachers. It highlights the important role of linguistic inquiry into specialist language use and case reports of ESP and EAP teaching practices in particular contexts as major forms of support. It identifies lacunae in the literature and suggests future research directions.

Globalization in the banking industry has demonstrated one of the most significant necessities of today, English for Specific Purposes (ESP)-based curricula. ESP drives contemporary organizations to communicate effectively with customers, suppliers, and competitors across geographical boundaries. Therefore, it is imperative to examine learners’ needs and difficulties while using ESP in practice to achieve this goal effectively. This study aims to examine the skills of bankers learning or using English as a Second Language (ESL) to assist them in meeting their jobs’ needs in the banking sector. An online survey (n = 43) and interview (n= 39) were employed to collect data to understand the aspects vital to the teaching of ESP among banking professionals from Saudi Arabia. About 60% of the sample admitted they needed to improve their English-speaking skills, with more than 80% citing that it is essential for their profession. The interviewees also highlighted English writing skills as being more critical to their needs and desired to enhance their speaking and writing skills. The interviewees further revealed that poor English, difficulty in understanding accents, and insufficient knowledge of banking terminology hindered their communication with customers. The article suggests pedagogical implications and recommendations to support employers in the banking sector, ESP teachers, and curricula designers for improving the current ESP design and delivery in Saudi Arabia.

The aims of the study were to implement the focus group discussion in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) speaking skill for prospective Vocational School teacher and also to find out its effectiveness in improving their English speaking skill in ESP course. Quasi-experimental design was employed in this research. Thirty students of Family Welfare Vocational Education Study Program who were taking ESP course, were divided into two classes; experimental and control class. The research data were collected through interview, observation and the students’ speaking assessment. The result showed that the implementation of focus group discussion method in the experimental class effectively increased the students’ speaking skill compared to the control class.

This study investigates the role of teacher feedback in improving speaking skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, focusing on Vocational Training students in Spain. Despite the importance of feedback, large class sizes and examination-driven curricula often limit its availability, creating a gap in effective speaking skill development. This study aims to determine whether teacher feedback can mitigate these challenges by analyzing speaking tasks in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) classroom, specifically among Marketing students. Using recorded and transcribed classroom interactions of seven students, the findings reveal a strong dependence on teacher feedback, minimal peer feedback, and a lack of learner autonomy. These results highlight the crucial role of teacher feedback in student progress while emphasizing the need for strategies that encourage peer interaction and independent learning. The study underscores the necessity of fostering learner autonomy in EFL classrooms, suggesting that future research should explore methods to integrate more student-led feedback mechanisms. Keywords: Autonomy in learning; EFL; speaking skills; teacher feedback; vocational training

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to give a descriptive account of the use of music therapy techniques on the English speaking and story retelling skills of Kindergarten students in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Nine students in a community based after-school ESL class and 9 students in a regular public school ESL class received music therapy sessions designed as supplemental teaching strategies in addition to their regular ESL classroom routines. Observers indicated that both groups performed well on story retelling skills and English speaking skills; although, the after-school ESL group performed better than the public school group. This study suggests that the community setting may be a more relaxed and less intimidating environment for young English learners. The majority of students enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in the public schools in the United States are of Hispanic immigrants and this population is growing at an incredibly fast pace (Kochlar, Suro & Tafoya, 2005). It is estimated that a recent influx of between 11 and 20 million new immigrants of Hispanic heritage in the United States has added greatly to the numbers of in ESL classes in the public schools (Time Warner, 2006). The most recent increase in the Hispanic population has taken place in the southeastern region of the United States in six states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, thus becoming the new settlement areas for immigrants of Hispanic heritage. Fifteen years ago Latino youngsters accounted for only 1% of the school aged population in the southeastern region of the United States but by the year 2007-2008 these students will make up 10 percent of all the primary and secondary schools in these states. Having had just 184,000 Latino students enrolled in September 2001, these Southern states will have an estimated 571,000 Latino students by September 2007, an increase of 387,000 Latino students. To put this in perspective, consider that the four traditional settlement states of California, Illinois, New York and New Jersey had a vastly larger Hispanic school enrollment - 3.4 million in 2001 - but will add only another 535,000 Latino students by 2007 (Kochlar, Suro & Tafoya, 2005, p. 38). The impact of the Latino population growth on local schools is multiplied by three factors: Spanish is the only spoken in the students' homes, the students often present special needs for English instruction and since this population has emerged suddenly, many schools do not have the programs in place to deal with their needs (Wainer, 2004). These circumstances are compounded by the No Child Left Behind law which focuses almost solely on accountability to improve educational outcomes for all students, including historically low achieving and disabled students and those who are English Language Learners (ELLs), children who are learning English and for whom English is not their first language (Bankstreet, 2007, para 11). In fact, acquisition is critical for ESL students in order for them to achieve academic concepts and socially integrate with their peers (Brown, 2004; Schunk, 1999). Furthermore, many public schools expect students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) to become proficient in English within one year so they can join their native English speaking peers in regular academic classes. The assumption, however, that young can learn English within the span of one year is unrealistic as ELLs need an average of four to five years to achieve parity with native English speakers (MacSwan & Pray, 2005). Therefore, supplemental teaching strategies that engage Kindergarten students in active and passive learning activities which are interesting, enjoyable and inspire to initiate academic and social uses of the English are needed (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, 2006). …

Today, international communication plays a vital role for facing the global challenges and English as Lingua Franca is quite helpful to serve the purpose of communication with people from different countries. In pesantren world, English is very essential to teach and “English-Tren” can be a way of asssisting santri to develop the santris’ speaking skill. “English-Tren” is English for Pesantren, a branch of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), designed to meet the target of Pesantren in improving Santris’ English skills especially speaking. This study aims to explain how is English-Tren implemented in developing santris’ English Speaking Skill. This study is a case study with the setting in Pondok Pesantren Darussalam Dukuhwaluh Purwokerto promoting the santris’ improvement in speaking skill through the course of “English-Tren”. The data collection techniques included interview to three English teachers and five santris supported by observation and documentation. The result shows that English-Tren is implemented through three ways namely Morning English biweekly, English taught as a subject in madrasah diniyah classes, and English taught and practiced in English program. Hence, English-Tren is influential in developing santris’ English speaking skill.

A Parallel Approach to ESAP Teaching

Togetherness of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) has been the subject of many recent studies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) domain. Few studies, however, have addressed the impact of TBLT on ESP learners’ linguistic production. This study aimed at investigating the impact of task-based teaching on ESP learners’ speaking and writing. Furthermore, this study aimed to explore the ESP learners’ and instructors’ attitudes toward the nature of program and their perceived needs of tasks to be accomplished in the course. To fulfill this aim, 60 ESP students majoring in Law in 2 different classes at Allameh Tabataba’i University, Iran, and 10 ESP instructors were selected as the participants of the study. Accordingly, the students in one of the two classes received a one-semester long instruction based on the principles of TBLT as the experimental group, while the students in the other class were taught according to the content of the textbook developed for such courses. After the instruction was over, the students were given a set of standardized and teacher-made tests. The results of the data analysis indicated that the experimental group showed a significant difference in terms of improvement in acquiring productive skills. It was also revealed that there were significant differences between the participants’ attitudes regarding the nature of the course and their perceived needs of tasks. The findings of this research could provide an insight into designing opportune syllabi for ESP courses.

Material in teaching ESP is very important. This paper is to analyze students’ reading material on ESP. Governmental science department is chosen because of this department applies reading and it focuses on reading comprehension. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is divided into General English (GE) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). English is learnt because of the students’ purposes. In this article, reading material is discussed briefly. The components discussed in this article are introduction, theoretical framework, research method, and discussion. Need analysis has been done to know students’ needs in order to have the appropriate materials. Need analysis gives information relating with students’ need and how to do the course. Analyzing reading material will help the lecturer how effective reading class on ESP. This study used qualitative design. ESP lecturer and students of governmental science department at University of Muhammadiyah Malang are as participants. Then, interview and observation are to collect the data. ESP lecturer was interviewed and classroom observation was done to get the information relating with the material of ESP students.

The TikTok application is a social media platform that allows users to upload and edit videos using a variety of features to create content as desired. Its accessibility via mobile phones means that it can be used for online learning anywhere and anytime, effectively functioning as a mobile learning (m-learning) tool. This research focused on utilizing TikTok as a medium to enhance speaking skills in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms. This study employed a qualitative approach to explore the effectiveness of TikTok in improving students' English speaking skills. Data for the research were collected through observations and questionnaires. The study involved 20 students from the Marine Engineering program at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya. Through careful analysis of the collected data, the research aimed to determine the impact of TikTok on students' speaking abilities. The results indicated that using TikTok as a medium significantly improved speaking skills in the EFL classroom. Students showed enhanced proficiency in their spoken English, attributed to the engaging and interactive nature of the platform. The study concluded that TikTok is an effective tool for improving students' speaking skills in English as a foreign language. Therefore, incorporating TikTok into EFL instruction can successfully enhance students' speaking abilities, making it a valuable resource for language educators.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible causes and possible solutions of the massive underachievement in speaking skills among Kuwaiti EFL (English as a foreign language) students at the College of Basic Education (CBE). This study involved 331 male and female EFL students who are currently studying different bachelor degree programs at CBE. A questionnaire of 12 statements was used to collect their responses, and then the data was analyzed. After the analysis of the data, the findings indicated that the vast majority of students identified their speaking skills as weak or fair. Their answers revealed there are various factors that hinder in developing their weakness in speaking skills. The most obvious ones were lack of motivation, the lack of speaking skills emphasis in EFL syllabus design, and the absence of technology in ELT (English language teaching), including language laboratories and auditory aids. According to the recommendations of this study, this great challenge could be overcome by four central solutions. First, placing spoken English in the EFL syllabus. Second, including spoken English assessment in the coursework and providing a comfortable environment in class to motivate EFL students to use their target language and encourage them to improve it. Third, the study recommends that EFL teachers join special training courses in the Professional Development Center to learn the basic knowledge of how to use technology in ELT, including language labs. Finally, the researcher ends his recommendations by endorsing the administration of the College of Basic Education to provide modern language labs for the Language Center.

Speaking is a challenging skill for the majority of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners around the world. Therefore, experts are researching the potential affordances of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to develop speaking skills. The ELSA App is a prominent example of an AI application that can provide instant corrections to the user to improve their speaking skills. Although app reviewers claim it is effective for enhancing speaking skills, there is minimal research confirming its effectiveness as a tool for enhancing key English-speaking skills, such as pronunciation, fluency, cohesion, and expanding lexical resources. To contribute to the literature in this area, this study sought to evaluate the efficacy of the ELSA App as a tool to develop Saudi high school students’ speaking skills. In addition, it aimed to explore their perceptions with regard to using the ELSA App to develop their English-speaking skills. In total, 30 high school students from Saudi Arabia were selected as the research sample. The participating students were divided into two groups, comprising 15 in the control group and 15 in the experimental group. A mixed-methods study design was used to answer the study questions. Data were collected using two research tools: a pre- and post-test speaking test, and a closed and open questionnaire. The students’ tests were corrected using IELTS rubrics. The questionnaire was arranged into two sections: closed questions based on a five-point Likert scale that was analyzed statistically, and open questions analyzed using content analysis. The results indicated that students in the experimental group experienced positive improvement at varying levels in terms of pronunciation, fluency, coherence, grammatical range and accuracy, and lexical resources in speaking skills. Moreover, the students had positive opinions about using the ELSA App to practice and develop their English-speaking skills. Thus, it appears the ELSA App in general had a significant positive impact on the Saudi student participants’ speaking skills, offering them a fertile interactive environment. This finding has valuable implications and prompted recommendations for teachers and EFL learners.

Project-Based Learning is an approach that is significantly different from the conventional English Language Teaching method. PBL has been advocated as an effective instruction that promotes the simultaneous acquisition of language, content, and 21st-century skills to EFL (English as a foreign language) and ESL context. In this study researcher’s attempt is to integrate PBL (Project-Based Learning) approach, which incorporates authentic, learning by doing, problem-solving, critical thinking and team working skills with ESP (English for specific purposes) courses. The study aimed to investigate whether the PBL projects assist EFL learners in acquiring department related literature and information in the English language and the effect of project work on learners’ ESP course academic achievement. The study was conducted at Tishk International University, formerly known as Ishik University, in Iraq-Kurdistan Region with 2 Engineering (Architectural and Civil engineering) and Business and Management departments’ students. A mixed-method approach was designed to make the authentic interpretation of gained results. Quantitative and Qualitative instruments were utilized to probe the effect of PBL in the ESP course of undergraduate Iraqi EFL learners. The findings of this study reveal that PBL had a significant positive effect on acquiring department-related vocabulary and information in English as well as learners’ ESP course academic achievement showed statistically significant increment.

The development of ESP (English for Specific Purposes) started after the Second World War in a period of enormous expansion of science, technology and economy. English language became an international language of communication, technology and trade and started to attract a new generation of learners: businessmen, doctors, lawyers, economists, engineers and others who wanted to study English because of their specific, professional needs. The most important difference between English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English as a second language (ESL) or general English lies in the nature of the learners and their purposes for learning English. An ESP program is built on an assessment of purposes and needs of adult learners who are learning the language in order to communicate a set of professional skills and to perform specific job-related functions. ESP also concentrate more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structures. The language skills used in ESP are determined by a needs analysis and the syllabus is designed accordingly. English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is a specific approach to language based on the specific needs of the learners and it integrates motivation, subject matter and content for teaching relevant skills.

Developing speaking skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is a persistent challenge in many classrooms due to traditional instruction methods that often lack real-world engagement and student-centered learning. Recent approaches such as Project-Based Learning (PBL) offer promising alternatives by encouraging communicative, collaborative, and contextualized language use. This study investigates the effectiveness of PBL in improving the speaking skills of EFL students, focusing on fluency, pronunciation, accuracy, and interaction. It also explores student perceptions and the pedagogical implications of integrating PBL into language instruction. Employing a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test control group, the study was conducted on two intact classes of Indonesian senior high school students. The experimental group underwent a four-week PBL intervention, while the control group received traditional instruction. Data were collected through speaking assessments, classroom observations, and student interviews, and analyzed using t-tests and thematic analysis. Findings revealed a significant improvement in the experimental group’s speaking performance, with a mean gain of 15.5 points and a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.85). Qualitative data indicated enhanced confidence, engagement, and motivation among students involved in PBL tasks. The integration of digital tools further supported learning and speaking practice. PBL is an effective strategy to improve EFL learners’ speaking proficiency by fostering meaningful communication, collaborative problem-solving, and learner autonomy. This approach holds promise for broader implementation in diverse EFL contexts.