Dr. Abuelgasim Sabah Elsaid Mohammed published a book about
(Needs Analysis for ESP Course Design)
The aims of this study are to identify Public and Environmental Health (hence fore PEH) students’ purposes for needing English language, to investigate PEH students’ needs (target, present, and learning needs), and to propose an ESP course that meets students’ needs.
The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative methods to achieve the set objectives. The study sample consisted of 390 students, 25 professors at the Faculty of PEH, at Khartoum University, and 29 PEH employees. Four tools were employed in the process of data collection: three questionnaires, an interview, a proficiency test, and participants’ observation. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
Results showed that PEH students need English language for both academic and professional purposes. Students need to improve the four language skills; reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and they need to learn English through content related to their field of study. The results also emphasised the need for teaching English in small groups using audio-visual aids. Based on the results obtained, the study recommends an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course to meet the needs of PEH students. The proposed course should focus on promoting students’ proficiency (developing the four skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening). The number of contact hours should be doubled, and modern methods and techniques should be adopted in teaching.
