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A Needs
Analysis Project at Kuwait University
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This article outlines the
procedures followed in the Needs Analysis (NA) project carried out in 1996 in the College
of Petroleum and Engineering, Kuwait University. Assessing language needs is rarely
straightforward, even at the practical level. The article focuses on the steps taken in
the project and the rationale behind them. The overall aim is to offer an illustration of
an NA project and to show how the procedural steps evolved. In addition, some of the
findings and their implications for curriculum design are reported.
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Needs analysis has been defined as the
identification of difficulties and standard situations by observation of participants
functioning in a target situation in conjunction with interviews and questionnaires. The
overall aim of the NA is the identification of elements which will lend themselves to
training (Gillet 1973). Language needs analyses are most often used where the learners in
select situations face very similar difficulties. Richterich and Chancerell (1987) argue
that the aim is not only to identify elements but to establish relative importance, to
find out what is indispensable, necessary, or merely desirable. West (1994) states that NA
is essentially a pragmatic activity focused on specific situations, although grounded in
general theories, such as the nature of language and curriculum. Despite the fact that the
term needs analysis is used, Hutchinson and Waters (1987) maintain it is lacks
rather than needs that come to determine curriculum since what we are really interested in
is the gap between the target proficiency and the present proficiency of the learners.
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In 1996 an English language NA was undertaken at
the College of Petroleum and Engineering, Kuwait University. The College runs
undergraduate programs in each of its seven departments (petroleum, chemical, electronic,
computer, mechanic, industrial and civil engineering). The undergraduate population is
almost entirely Kuwaiti from an Arabic-speaking educational background. English is the
medium of instruction in the College. The majority of students enter the College with an
intermediate level of English language proficiency.
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The English Language Unit (ELU) at the College
was set up in 1975. Since that time, the ELU has provided language support courses to
students during their years of undergraduate study. Classes involve a mix of students from
the various departments. An analysis of the English language needs of the undergraduate
student body was made when the ELU was established and a focus on English for General
Engineering was adopted. Since that time, the courses offered had been modified in
response to changing needs. However, there had been no formal reassessment of the
students' needs. By the mid-1990s, core courses focused on notional/ functional language
areas seen as particularly relevant to engineering texts (e.g., shapes, dimensions,
instructions), and to writing a limited range of text types (e.g., process descriptions,
physical description of tools/ devices, recommendation reports).
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In 1996, the decision was taken to conduct a
formal NA in the College; the results would be used to determine whether major
reorientation of the curriculum and a newly defined role of the ELU were needed. A major
objective of the NA was to establish a database of information concerning the use of
English by students in the College. Specifically, information was to be sought concerning
the English language demands in engineering studies, the areas of difficulty encountered
meeting these demands, and the students' assessment of the usefulness of the English
language instruction given. The project aimed to assess the students' language
requirements in target academic situations in relation to their pres-ent situation, i.e.,
a deficiency analysis (Allwright and Allwright 1977).
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The methodology underlying the study was both
qualitative (exploratory interviews, class observations, examination of student materials
and samples) and quantitative through the implementation of structured questionnaires. The
qualitative stage preceded the second, more quantitatively oriented stage.
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Stage one: Using exploratory interviews
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A small (N=10) number of graduate students and
engineering faculty representatives of the college in terms of departments and gender were
interviewed. The interviews were roughly based around an interview protocol (See Table 1 ). They lasted between
forty-five minutes and one hour each, with one interviewer eliciting information and
another noting it down. Graduate students were interviewed in this initial stage with the
expectation that they would be able to offer an overview of language needs over the entire
undergraduate course in light of their own recent experiences. The exploratory interview
has been described as:
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"(It is)...essentially heuristic, to
develop ideas...rather than gather facts and statistics. It is concerned with trying to
understand how ordinary people think and feel about the topic of concern to research.
...At most, interviewers will have...a handful of headings or topics with which they will
seek to direct the interview." Oppenheim (1992:67)
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The objective of the first stage was to gather
basic, general information about the undergraduate programs in the college and students'
language needs. Some of the information would feed into the development of the procedures
and formal instruments in the second stage, the main data gathering stage. Our intention
was to avoid relying on conjecture as input for questionnaire items or in deciding what to
observe or collect. This initial stage involved a fairly superficial but broad
investigation. We wanted to find answers to what rather than how many/how often
questions. So, we tried to establish 1) What activities, events, operations in
English were practiced, and 2) What terms the college community used to refer to
language-based activities. The latter would help us understand the emic terms used
in the College, terms which Watson-Gegeo (1988) defines as vocabulary used by those within
a community to conceptualize and code.
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One approach to NA is immediate preparation of
questionnaire items, such as , How important is attending seminars for your studies?
Very, quite,not very,not at all. However, there are potential pitfalls in this. For
example, in an engineering or science college, the term seminar may be used to
denote an activity very different from that which the researchers (possibly from Arts or
Humanities backgrounds) have in mind. We wanted to devise relevant questions in the
questionnaire and frame them in terminology meaningful to the respondents.
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In particular, in the informal interviews,
information was sought in the following areas:
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- Course and modes of instruction in undergraduate years of study-What science, general
engineering courses, or courses in specific branches of engineering are taken and what
modes of instruction are encountered, such as, what kind of lectures, what discussion type
classes, or tutorials?
- Language-based tasks-What tasks, such as note taking, preparing field reports, joining
in discussions, presenting projects are required of the students?
- Areas of language difficulty-What aspects of using English cause problems?
- Assessment of ELU courses-To what extent does ELU meet the expectations of the students?
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Stage two: Survey by questionnaires and
observations
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Information from the initial stage was used in
the second stage in the following ways:
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- A list of language-based tasks/activities was collated from the information given (see Appendix 1 ). It was used to devise
items for the questionnaire and target samples of texts for examination.
- A list of modes of instruction commonly practiced in the college was drawn up and this
enabled us to plan class observations of a range of modes. We found that teaching
assistants run labs and workshops in the college and Arabic was used almost exclusively,
so we did not carry out observations of labs and workshops in stage 2 or devise items on
this for the questionnaire.
- Ideas generated in talks with the interviewees provided concepts for items in the
questionnaire concerned with the assessment of the ELU. For example, some interviewees
stated that the ELU should not only be concerned with language needs for college study,
but also for workplace engineering needs. An item on this issue was included in the
questionnaire (see Appendix 2 ,
section III).
- Decision-making on question types for the questionnaire was influenced by the
information we got from the interviews. For example, interviewees tended to say every
aspect of their English language ability (reading, writing, speaking, etc.) was very
important for their studies. Therefore, we devised a ranking type item for this area in
the questionnaire (see Appendix 2 ,
section II, item 1) to avoid a situation in which all aspects would be marked as very
important and thus produce data from which we would not be able to differentiate
relative needs.
- We became aware of terms used in the College to denote aspects of language and
instruction. We learnt, for example, that the reading skill in the local context
tended to denote reading out loud and pronunciation. Therefore, we used the term Reading
Comprehension in the questionnaire.
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In addition, insights into the rationale behind
the perceptions of needs were gained from the exploratory interviews. For example, we
learnt that writing skills were not seen as particularly important because generally
teaching assistants assessed written assignments such as lab reports. The teaching
assistants' approach was to check the data in the results sections and formulas, but to
skip over textual information.
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The questionnaire ( Appendix
2 ) was translated into Arabic and administered to over
200 students in the College. As language needs may change over a four-year period of
undergraduate study, we ensured that the questionnaire was distributed equally to students
from each undergraduate year. Student questionnaires were administered during English
classes to ensure the highest possible rate of return. A counter-part questionnaire for
the engineering faculty was administered to sixty-five faculty and teaching assistants. To
ensure an almost total rate of return by staff, heads of the engineering departments
undertook responsibility for the distribution and collection of the questionnaires in
their departments. In addition to the questionnaires, a number of classes were observed
and notes made using an observation protocol ( Appendix 3 ). Texts and sample student materials were collected.
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Selected findings and implications
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This section presents a very limited selection
of findings from the data generated by the questionnaires and the implications of these
findings for curriculum design.
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Importance of skills area ( Figure 1 ) the results indicated
differing perceptions between students and faculty on the relative importance of reading.
Faculty saw reading and listening as almost equally important, while students perceived
listening as far more important. For the ELU these results indicated that reading and
listening skills should be given more priority in the curriculum, and the current emphasis
on the development of writing skills should be reconsidered.
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Important language-based tasks The
10 tasks seen by the faculty and students as most important for study in the College are
listed in the order of priority:
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- Reading textbooks;
- Writing up lab reports/lab assignments;
- Following lectures;
- Reading instructions for labs and assignments;
- Listening to instructions for labs and assignments;
- Reading course and lecture handouts;
- Note taking in lectures;
- Listening to presentations and participating in the discussion;
- Preparing projects;
- Preparing answers to questions from textbooks.
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With reference to this list, the ELU course
developers will collect samples and make observations of the tasks/activities listed to
identify the specific subskills and generic features involved in them. For example, we
need to identify the subskills involved in using engineering textbooks, such as
understanding the patterns of textual organization in the texts.
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Students language problem areas ( Figure 2 ) shows there was clearly
some divergence between faculty and students' views. Few students reported inadequacy in
any skill areas other than speaking. Far more faculty members perceived students as having
inadequate skills. Over 60% of faculty members perceived students to have inadequate
writing skills. What is clear from these results is that students' English language
proficiency falls below faculty expectations and that students are unaware of the level of
proficiency expected. This indicates that one objective of the ELU curriculum should be to
raise students' awareness of the levels of proficiency which the faculty find acceptable.
This will involve the ELU in collecting samples seen as adequate, good, or poor by
faculty.
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The article has reported aspects of a specific
example of an NA project. For the ELU in the College, a database of information about
study in the College, language needs, perceptions, expectations for English courses, etc.,
was generated and this will be used as a resource primarily for curriculum design.
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In the initial stage, important insights about
the context of studying and English language use in the College were obtained. These
helped shape the development of the second stage of the study. Ideas for procedures and
terms for use in questionnaire items evolved from the exploratory interviews. These ideas
had a higher surrender value than would have been gained if we had set out in the first
instance with a highly defined procedural plan and batteries of items. In this way, the NA
project was a process of learning about the present situations of the students in
the College, rather than an object of investigation . It was a process of refining
and redefining procedures and concepts.
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- Allwright, J. and R. Allwright. 1977. An approach to the teaching of medical English. In
English for specific purposes. ed. S. Holden. Oxford: Modern English Publications.
- Gillet, B. 1973. Ameliorer la formation professionelle par l'etude du travail. Paris:
Les editions d'organisations.
- Hutchinson, T. and A. Waters. 1987. English for specific purposes: A learning- centred
approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Oppenheim, A. 1992. Questionnaire design, interviewing and attitude measurement. London:
Pinter Publishers.
- Richterich, R. and J. Chancerell. 1987. Identifying the needs of adults learning a
foreign language. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
- Watson-Gegeo, K. 1988. Ethnography in ESL: Defining the essentials. TESOL Quarterly, 22,
4, pp. 575- 592.
- West, R. 1994. Needs analysis in language teaching. Language Teaching. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, pp. 1-19.
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I wish to acknowledge my colleague on this
project, Amal Al- Huneidi, for her invaluable contribution and to ELU director, Wendy
Bedisson, who played a major role in providing managerial support. Acknowledgements also
go to the Centre of Measurement and Evaluation, Kuwait University, and Dr. S. Stoynoff for
their expertise, and all ELU staff, faculty, and students at the College of Engineering
and Petroleum, Kuwait University for their support and participation.
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Figure 1
Ranked 1st in importance by students for success in
engineering studies. |
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Entrance level students |
1st and 2nd year students |
3rd and 4th year students |
| Listening comprehension |
41% |
57% |
51% |
| Reading comprehension |
12% |
13% |
24% |
| Speaking |
30% |
24% |
22% |
| Writing |
17% |
6% |
3% |
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Ranked 1st in importance by faculty for undergraduate
success in engineering studies. |
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| Listening comprehension |
47% |
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| Reading comprehension |
44% |
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| Speaking |
2% |
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| Writing |
7% |
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Figure 2
Ranked 1st in importance by
faculty for undergraduate success in engineering studies. |
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Faculty View |
Students Self Report |
| Reading comprehension |
34% |
6% |
| Writing |
63%* |
6% |
| Listening comprehension |
26% |
11% |
| Speaking |
34%* |
24% |
| Technical Vocabulary |
52% |
26% |
| * Somewill almost inevitably
by more aware of problems in language production rather than comprehension which is less
open to observation. |
Table 1
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Interview Protocol For Graduate Seminars
Date:______________________
Name:______________________________ |
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Background Information
1. Present position
2. Department
3. Courses studied at undergraduate level
4. Contact telephone |
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Communicative Needs
1. What tasks are dealt with? Which are most critical?
2. What difficulties are experienced?
3. Which skill(s) are most important?
4. What types of instruction are presented? |
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Assessment of Language Instruction Provided
5. What is your assessment?
6. What roles should the ELU play? |
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Extra Information |
Appendix 1
| Language-Based Tasks and Activities |
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The tasks involving English language skills identified by the interviewees |
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were as follows: |
| Writing |
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lab reports |
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homework assignments (very limited writing involved) |
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test answers (very limited writing involved) |
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trip reports |
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projects in specific engineering fields, e.g., project on concrete |
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(approximately 50 pages) |
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final project (approximate length, 120 pages, approximately 30% written text) |
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notes taken during lectures |
| Reading |
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text books (years 1 through 4) |
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journals (final years only - reading for specific projects, also
nonstudy focused, |
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but related, e.g., Byte, PC magazine) |
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test questions, including multiple-choice and true-false type items |
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course information sheets |
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computer manuals |
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computer texts (help menu and other texts) |
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instructions |
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homework assignments |
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lab assignments, including problem statements |
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study notes |
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nonstudy related reading: newspapers, novels |
| Listening |
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lectures (monologue type) |
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lectures (3rd & 4th years, discussion type) |
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question/answer sessions in classes |
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listening to instructions and explanations in labs |
| Speaking |
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group discussions in class |
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asking professors questions |
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giving presentations |
Appendix 2
| Questionnaire |
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| I. Background Information |
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First of all, please provide some information about yourself. |
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Please tick (v) the appropriate space(s). |
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1. |
Sex: |
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male |
female |
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2. |
Department in the College: |
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electrical |
computer |
chemical |
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industrial |
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mechanical |
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petroleum |
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civil |
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3. |
English language experience before college |
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__ I studied English as a subject at school. |
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__ I attended an English-medium school. |
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__ I lived abroad. |
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__ Other (please specify) ____________________ |
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4. |
Present English courses |
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098___ 123 ___ 221___ |
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5. |
If your present English course is 123 or 221, please
answer this question. If not, leave it blank. |
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Did you take the 098 course in College? |
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Yes___ Number of times: 1__ 2 __
No___ |
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6. |
Is your native tongue Arabic? |
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___ Yes. |
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___ No. |
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7. |
When do you use English? |
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___ When studying |
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___ When socializing |
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___ At home |
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___ Other (please specify) ____________________ |
| II. Language Needs in the
College |
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Now for some information about using English for your studies. |
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1. |
Of the four major English skills, which are the most
important for success in your other subjects in the College? Number choices 1–4, with
1 as the most important |
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___ Reading comprehension |
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___ Listening comprehension |
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___ Speaking |
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___ Writing |
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2. |
How important are these tasks in English for your other
subjects? Circle the appropriate number according to the
following scale. |
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1 = very important 2 = important 3 = not
important |
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Reading |
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textbooks |
1 2 3 |
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technical articles in journals |
1 2 3 |
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manuals |
1 2 3 |
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course handouts |
1 2 3 |
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texts on the computer |
1 2 3 |
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instructions for assignments/projects |
1 2 3 |
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instructions for labs |
1 2 3 |
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study notes |
1 2 3 |
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other (please specify) ____________________ |
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Writing |
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lab reports |
1 2 3 |
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assignments |
1 2 3 |
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field-trip reports |
1 2 3 |
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projects (short) |
1 2 3 |
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taking notes in lectures |
1 2 3 |
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answering questions related to part |
1 2 3 |
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of the textbook |
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other (please specify) ____________________ |
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Listening and Speaking |
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following lectures |
1 2 3 |
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following question/answer sessions |
1 2 3 |
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in class |
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listening to spoken presentations |
1 2 3 |
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listening to instructions |
1 2 3 |
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listening to instructions for assignments |
1 2 3 |
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participating in discussions |
1 2 3 |
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asking questions in class |
1 2 3 |
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giving spoken presentations |
1 2 3 |
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other (please specify) ____________________ |
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3. |
In relation to your college studies, evaluate your
abilities and knowlege of English in the following areas. |
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1 = good 2 = satisfactory 3 =
unsatisfactory |
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Reading |
1 2 3 |
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Writing |
1 2 3 |
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Speaking |
1 2 3 |
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Listening |
1 2 3 |
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Grammar |
1 2 3 |
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General Vocabulary |
1 2 3 |
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Technical Vocabulary |
1 2 3 |
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| III. English Language
Instruction |
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And next, provide your opinions about English language instruction in the
College of Engineering. |
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Here are some ideas about English language in the College. Please
indicate how far you agree with each idea. |
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1 = strongly agree 2 = agree 3 =
disagree |
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More time should be given to English instruction. |
1 2 3 |
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The content of my English course is interesting. |
1 2 3 |
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Instruction should focus on general English. |
1 2 3 |
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Instruction should focus on the English needed
for engineering studies. |
1 2 3 |
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More should be done to help students with speaking. |
1 2 3 |
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I enjoy my English class. |
1 2 3 |
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Having good English is important in this college. |
1 2 3 |
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Some instruction should focus on the English needs of
engineers after college. |
1 2 3 |
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English is my least important course. |
1 2 3 |
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My English course is easy. |
1 2 3 |
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The English language teachers here do a good job. |
1 2 3 |
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My English course helps me in my engineering studies. |
1 2 3 |
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And finally, do you have any
further comments about English language instruction in this College? |
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Thank you. |
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Appendix 2
| Questionnaire |
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| I. Background Information |
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First of all, please provide some information about yourself. |
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Please tick (v) the appropriate space(s). |
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1. |
Sex: |
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male |
female |
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2. |
Department in the College: |
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electrical |
computer |
chemical |
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industrial |
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mechanical |
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petroleum |
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civil |
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3. |
English language experience before college |
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__ I studied English as a subject at school. |
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__ I attended an English-medium school. |
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__ I lived abroad. |
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__ Other (please specify) ____________________ |
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4. |
Present English courses |
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098___ 123 ___ 221___ |
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5. |
If your present English course is 123 or 221, please
answer this question. If not, leave it blank. |
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Did you take the 098 course in College? |
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Yes___ Number of times: 1__ 2 __
No___ |
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6. |
Is your native tongue Arabic? |
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___ Yes. |
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___ No. |
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7. |
When do you use English? |
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___ When studying |
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___ When socializing |
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___ At home |
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___ Other (please specify) ____________________ |
| II. Language Needs in the
College |
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Now for some information about using English for your studies. |
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1. |
Of the four major English skills, which are the most
important for success in your other subjects in the College? Number choices 1–4, with
1 as the most important |
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___ Reading comprehension |
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___ Listening comprehension |
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___ Speaking |
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___ Writing |
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2. |
How important are these tasks in English for your other
subjects? Circle the appropriate number according to the
following scale. |
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1 = very important 2 = important 3 = not
important |
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|
Reading |
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textbooks |
1 2 3 |
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technical articles in journals |
1 2 3 |
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|
manuals |
1 2 3 |
|
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|
course handouts |
1 2 3 |
|
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|
texts on the computer |
1 2 3 |
|
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instructions for assignments/projects |
1 2 3 |
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instructions for labs |
1 2 3 |
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study notes |
1 2 3 |
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other (please specify) ____________________ |
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Writing |
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lab reports |
1 2 3 |
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assignments |
1 2 3 |
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field-trip reports |
1 2 3 |
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projects (short) |
1 2 3 |
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taking notes in lectures |
1 2 3 |
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answering questions related to part |
1 2 3 |
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of the textbook |
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other (please specify) ____________________ |
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Listening and Speaking |
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following lectures |
1 2 3 |
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following question/answer sessions |
1 2 3 |
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in class |
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listening to spoken presentations |
1 2 3 |
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listening to instructions |
1 2 3 |
|
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listening to instructions for assignments |
1 2 3 |
|
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participating in discussions |
1 2 3 |
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asking questions in class |
1 2 3 |
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giving spoken presentations |
1 2 3 |
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other (please specify) ____________________ |
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3. |
In relation to your college studies, evaluate your
abilities and knowlege of English in the following areas. |
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1 = good 2 = satisfactory 3 =
unsatisfactory |
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Reading |
1 2 3 |
|
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Writing |
1 2 3 |
|
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Speaking |
1 2 3 |
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Listening |
1 2 3 |
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Grammar |
1 2 3 |
|
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General Vocabulary |
1 2 3 |
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Technical Vocabulary |
1 2 3 |
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| III. English Language
Instruction |
|
And next, provide your opinions about English language instruction in the
College of Engineering. |
|
Here are some ideas about English language in the College. Please
indicate how far you agree with each idea. |
|
|
1 = strongly agree 2 = agree 3 =
disagree |
|
|
More time should be given to English instruction. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
The content of my English course is interesting. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
Instruction should focus on general English. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
Instruction should focus on the English needed
for engineering studies. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
More should be done to help students with speaking. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
I enjoy my English class. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
Having good English is important in this college. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
Some instruction should focus on the English needs of
engineers after college. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
English is my least important course. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
My English course is easy. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
The English language teachers here do a good job. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
My English course helps me in my engineering studies. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
And finally, do you have any
further comments about English language instruction in this College? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you. |
|
Appendix 2
| Questionnaire |
|
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|
|
|
| I. Background Information |
|
First of all, please provide some information about yourself. |
|
Please tick (v) the appropriate space(s). |
|
1. |
Sex: |
|
|
|
|
|
male |
female |
|
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|
|
2. |
Department in the College: |
|
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electrical |
computer |
chemical |
|
industrial |
|
|
mechanical |
|
petroleum |
|
civil |
|
3. |
English language experience before college |
|
|
__ I studied English as a subject at school. |
|
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__ I attended an English-medium school. |
|
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__ I lived abroad. |
|
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__ Other (please specify) ____________________ |
|
4. |
Present English courses |
|
|
098___ 123 ___ 221___ |
|
5. |
If your present English course is 123 or 221, please
answer this question. If not, leave it blank. |
|
|
Did you take the 098 course in College? |
|
|
Yes___ Number of times: 1__ 2 __
No___ |
|
6. |
Is your native tongue Arabic? |
|
|
___ Yes. |
|
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___ No. |
|
7. |
When do you use English? |
|
|
___ When studying |
|
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___ When socializing |
|
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___ At home |
|
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___ Other (please specify) ____________________ |
| II. Language Needs in the
College |
|
Now for some information about using English for your studies. |
|
1. |
Of the four major English skills, which are the most
important for success in your other subjects in the College? Number choices 1–4, with
1 as the most important |
|
|
___ Reading comprehension |
|
|
___ Listening comprehension |
|
|
___ Speaking |
|
|
___ Writing |
|
2. |
How important are these tasks in English for your other
subjects? Circle the appropriate number according to the
following scale. |
|
|
1 = very important 2 = important 3 = not
important |
|
|
Reading |
|
|
|
|
textbooks |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
technical articles in journals |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
manuals |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
course handouts |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
texts on the computer |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
instructions for assignments/projects |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
instructions for labs |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
study notes |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
other (please specify) ____________________ |
|
|
Writing |
|
|
|
|
lab reports |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
assignments |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
field-trip reports |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
projects (short) |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
taking notes in lectures |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
answering questions related to part |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
of the textbook |
|
|
|
other (please specify) ____________________ |
|
|
Listening and Speaking |
|
|
|
|
following lectures |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
following question/answer sessions |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
in class |
|
|
|
|
listening to spoken presentations |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
listening to instructions |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
listening to instructions for assignments |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
participating in discussions |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
asking questions in class |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
giving spoken presentations |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
other (please specify) ____________________ |
|
3. |
In relation to your college studies, evaluate your
abilities and knowlege of English in the following areas. |
|
|
1 = good 2 = satisfactory 3 =
unsatisfactory |
|
|
Reading |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
Writing |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
Speaking |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
Listening |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
Grammar |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
General Vocabulary |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
Technical Vocabulary |
1 2 3 |
|
| III. English Language
Instruction |
|
And next, provide your opinions about English language instruction in the
College of Engineering. |
|
Here are some ideas about English language in the College. Please
indicate how far you agree with each idea. |
|
|
1 = strongly agree 2 = agree 3 =
disagree |
|
|
More time should be given to English instruction. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
The content of my English course is interesting. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
Instruction should focus on general English. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
Instruction should focus on the English needed
for engineering studies. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
More should be done to help students with speaking. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
I enjoy my English class. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
Having good English is important in this college. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
Some instruction should focus on the English needs of
engineers after college. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
English is my least important course. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
My English course is easy. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
The English language teachers here do a good job. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
My English course helps me in my engineering studies. |
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
And finally, do you have any
further comments about English language instruction in this College? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you. |
|
Appendix 3
| Class Observation Protocol |
| Date: |
| Time: |
| Course: |
| Department: |
| Observer: |
| Class Type: |
| I. Instructional Activity |
|
A) |
Note the approximate percentage of time given over to the activity. |
|
B) |
Note the language (English/Arabic) used. |
|
|
___ Lecturer (monologue) |
|
|
___ Discussion (student to student) |
|
|
___ Instructions |
|
|
___ Instructor questioning students |
|
|
___ Student questioning students |
|
|
___ Small group discussion |
|
|
___ Small group work |
|
|
___ Presentation |
|
|
___ Other |
| II. Instructional Aids |
|
Note which of the following were used. |
|
|
___ Over-heads |
|
|
___ Handouts (take copies for the ELU reference) |
|
|
___ Video/film |
|
|
___ Blackboard text |
|
|
___ Blackboard diagram/numerical information |
|
|
___ Tools or other realia |
|
|
___ Other |
| III. Student Activity |
|
Note some samples of the language used, if relevant. |
|
|
___ Taking notes |
|
|
___ Asking questions |
|
|
___ Asking for clarification/repetition |
|
|
___ Explaining (e.g., instructions) |
|
|
___ Giving comments |
|
|
___ Other |
| IV. Student Difficulties |
|
Note any observations you had of the nature, extent, and source of any
language-related difficulties experienced by students. |
| V. Other |
|
Do you have any other useful information about your observation or this
protocol? |
Back to Article
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