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The Problem and Countermeasure Study of Business English Course Design Based on Needs Analysis

Author: ZhaoRui
Tutor: TangLiPing
School: Hebei Normal
Course: English Language and Literature
Keywords: Business English English for Specific Purposes Needs Analysis Course Design
CLC: H319
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2011
Downloads: 262
Quote: 1
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Abstract

With the globalization process of economy and culture, the new era has brought about a higher demand for talents. Learning English is not only treated as a way of receiving good education, but also associated with occupation and employment. The society more and more pay attention to the composite talents who have both good English communication skill and knowledge related to one or more specific fields. English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teaching meets this requirement. It emphasizes definiteness of target, competency-oriented and close combination with profession. Business English is under the scope of ESP, however, the teaching effect is not very satisfactory. Most of graduates’English capacity is not accordance with the social needs. Among many reasons, lack of complete needs analysis deserves full attention. Therefore, needs analysis on learners is more important in business English teaching.This research applies theoretical framework of ESP and Shu Dingfang’s needs analysis theory of“social needs”and“learners’needs”to survey 122 Business English Majors from three vocational colleges including Shijiazhuang Foreign Affairs Vocational College, Shijiazhuang Institute of Railway Technology, Hebei Professional College of Political Science and Law and 12 employers in the form of questionnaires and interview. The aim is to analyze learners’and society’s needs for business English and find out whether the subjective needs of business English course design perceived by course designers are satisfied with the learners’and society’s objective needs through questionnaires and interview. So we can look for solutions to reform business English teaching and improve course design in order to achieve teaching target and good learning effect.Through the analysis of the survey result, the problems existing in business English course design, teaching material, teaching methodology and evaluation system lie in the following aspects: first, course design is not proper and too simple to meet the students’and society’s needs; second, teaching materials is theoretical and dull which is lack of practicability and can not improve the students’learning enthusiasm; third, traditional teaching methods can not arouse students’learning interest and the teaching effect is not very good; four, the validity of evaluation is poor and reduce the students’time and effort on study. From the analysis of the research, the main causes of the above problems are needs conflicts. Firstly, many vocational colleges neglect the learners’actual needs from selecting teaching materials to designing courses. Contradiction lies in between school and students. Secondly, the study of vocational college students is closely related to the future job-hunting. However, the whole process of course design lack criteria to abide by. There is contradiction between school and society. In addition, many teachers neglect the students’needs in class. Finally, subjective needs of business English course design perceived by course designers are not satisfied with the learners’and society’s objective needs. Therefore, some suggestions are put forward through the combination of needs analysis and the author’s teaching experiences. For example, the teachers should adopt learner-centered approach during the process of teaching. Teachers should supplement original version materials of business and reform evaluation forms.Finally, the author sincerely hopes this study can offer some help for business English teaching in vocational colleges to improve the course design to better meet students’and society’s actual needs.

The Problem and Countermeasure Study of Business English Course Design Based on Needs Analysis

Abstract

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