Data analysis & Course design for ESP students

Researcher’s Introduction
Suhail Jamali is a student of BS-English (III) Linguistics in
Universityof Sindh Jamshoro. This articleis his second research
work. In this article,he suggested somebasics of course
designation& DataanalysisforESP students.

Table of content
(a) Introduction of assignment
(b) Procedure of tool making for/ sources of tool
selection for making questionnaire
(c) Data analysis
(d) Recommendation and suggestions for course design
(e) Participationdata where we executed questionnaire

Introduction to Assignment
To design a particular course to meet the needs of learner is
the first & foremost preference of ESP. For accomplish that
goal, ESP mentor not only design a research based course.
But, also implement that course once to check out the
outcomes of students.
For design a syllabus, to meet the needs of student, teacher
needs to do research about students’ needs. For that purpose,
Questionnaire is of prime importance. By questionnaire
teacher come to know that, either student need to be taught
from basic or intermediate.
If the students’ level is intermediate & teacher would start to
teach him from basic or vice-versa, it won’t sound good. To
deal with this problem, teacher design a questionnaire &
implement it in the relevent class.
Questionnaire
The most common tool for gathering information about a
specific topic by using a set of specific questions, is called
questionnaire. According to Brown, questionnaire is any
written instrument that presents respodents with a series of
questions, to which they react either by writing out their
answers, or selecting from among existing answers (Likert-
scale). It may include personal questions as well as academic
questions.

For designation of questionnaire interviews, self-ratings,
meetings, observations, etc has significant role to play.We
have designed questionnaire by keeping in view the five
methods in the mind;
(1) Demographic Hypothesis of learner.
(2) Learner’s academic needs.
(3) Motivation to learning language.
(4) Language skills.
(5) the academic & learning needs.
We wanted to collect information about learners’ background,
that’s why we added demographic questions. We also added
questions related to learners’ academic needs because it has
vital role in L2 learning. To measure their motivation for
learning, we also added five questions of motivation. To know
which language skill they lack, we also added five questions
from 4 language skills (Reading, listening, writing, speaking).
Lastly, we added five questions of their academic and learning
needs. We made a questionnaire of total 25 questions and
made it meaningful.
Execution
As student of ESP, we are assigned an assignment to
make a questionnaire & implement it in any class & analyse

their data & needs. Persuadingour work, we made
questionnaire & implemented it in BS-English part-I (evening).
We have implemented questionnaire by keep in view the
subjective & objective needs of the learners.By subjective
here we mean, the needs that have to do what is desired,
wanted & expected. Whereas, by objective we mean, the
observable data of learner about situation, the learner itself,
their first language and their skills, et-cetera.
Sources for tool selection for making questionnaire :
Questionnaires offer an objective means of collecting
information about people's knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and
behaviour about all aspects of life including academicm,
social, proffesional,ec-cetera. So that we assigned to make
questionnaire and implement it and analyse data of students
for designing a course for them.
To follow my task, I have decided to make questionnaire
and implement it. For makingquestionnaire I looked internet
as suited tool to help me in designing my questionnaire. In

internet, I read some articles of prominent writers & about
their research. But, I got a good idea from internet about
google forms and google notes.
With internet I also contacted with my seniors and some
teachers like Sir IB Gopang & Sir Aziz Magsi to help me to
understand that concept. Last but not least, my Book of ESP
helped me to design a good questionnaire to be implemented.
Finally, I come up with the problem of questionnaire and
made my questionnaire and implemented it successfully.
Assessment of English language needs
The first research question aimed to ascertain the English
language needs of undergraduate of BS(ENGLISH) in Institute

of English Language and literature University of Sindh,
jamshoro, Pakistan.It gathered data from questionnaires
completed by students at IELL UoS Jamshoroand by their
teacher.
Data analysis
4.1.1 Student questionnaire responses
Questionnaire data on students’ views of the BS English
course and their academic literacy needs were analysed using
descriptive statistics.

The Importance of English language skills
For each question there are 4 options were given to
the students and they opted either by their choices or by
copying their peer. In first table reading skills are interrogated
and their data given below;
Table 1: Rank order of 25 sub-items (1a to 1d) of Item No 1
on reading Skills
Reading Skills
Responses to the First Two
Levels of
Importance (I andVI) (n=25)
Item No Count Percent
text books (academic) 1(a) 21 84%
Fictional literature 1(b) 17 68%
Reading material from
internet
1(c) 16 64%
Reading newspapers and
magzines
1(d) 11 44%
reading for purposes other
than study
1(e) 5 20%
1(f)

Table 2: Rank order of 11 sub-items (2a to 2d) of Item No 2
on writing skills
Writing Skills
Levels of
Importance (I and VI) (n=25)
Write literature review 2(a) 15 60%
By writing abstract reports
and papers
2(b) 5 20%
Academic writing 2(c) 22 88%
General writing 2(d) 15 60%

Table 3: Rank order of 6 sub-items (3a to 3g) of Item No 3 on
Listening Skills
Listening Skills
Levels of
understand lectures and
seminars
3(a) 20 80%
Communication with
counterparts, teachers and
relatives
3(d) 21 84%
participate in discussions 3(e) 24 96%
follow question/answer
sessions in class
3(b) 21 84%
Practice listening through
dictation
3(c) 7 28%
Listening exercise 3(f) 12 48
Movies, drama series, and tv
programes
3(g) 21 84%
Two Levels of Importance are “Important” (I)and “Very
Important” (VI)
Table 4: Rank order of 6 sub-items (4a to 4e) of Item No 4 on
Speaking Skills

Speaking Skills Levels of
Dialogue sessions 4(a) 24 96%
give picture presentations 4(b) 14 56%
Take part in questions
answer in class room
4(c) 21 84%
Give speeches and take part
in debates
4(d) 16 64%
4(e)
Keeping view the course come to be designed in the future, I
made such a questionnaire, in which questions from all four
languge skills (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking) included
& responses from students analysed above in tables
separately arranged for every language skill.

Table 5: Rank order of top ten sub-items on Language Skills
Language Skills
Responses to the First
Two Levels of
Importance (I and VI)
(n=60)
Sub-
items
No
Count Percent
1 writing reports/reviews 2(d) 5 20%
2 writing literature
reviews
2(b) 15 60%
3 writing dialogues in
exercise
2(a) 24 96%
4 give presentations 4(d) 14 56%
5 writing academic 2(i) 22 88%
6 reading academic text
books
1(a) 21 84%
7 give spoken
presentations
4(b) 16 64%
9 Take part in
question/answer
activities
2(h) 21 84%
10 Reading fictional text
books
2(e) 17 68%
10 Watching movies.
Drama series and Tv
4(e) 21 84%

programs
Two Levels of Importance are “Important” (I) and “Very
Important” (VI)
Table6: Ranked 1st
or 2nd
as important language skills by
student participants
Item
No Priority for Language Skills
Two Levels of
value (Y and N) (n=25)
Sub-
item
No
Count Percent
8 To be a successful learner and user of English, I
need to develop my skills in…….
writing 8(a) 23 92%
Speaking 8(b) 12 48%
Reading 8(c) 18 72%
Listening 8(e) 17 68%
Two Levels of value are “Agree” (A) and “Strongly Agree” (SA)
Above in table 6, it is visible that 23 students means 92
percent of all given priority to writing skill most as compare to
other. In 2nd
number they prefferdreading skill with 18 total

number of students and 72 prcent. In 3rd
listening is important
according to them with 17 numbers and 68 percent of all
students. According to their opinions speaking is least
important in all 4 skills of language.

Table 7: Items on vocabulary and grammar
Item
No Priority for vocabulary
and grammar
Two Levels of
Sub-
item
No
Count Percent
8 To be a successful learner and user of English, I
need to develop my skills in…….
Academic vocabulary 8(a) 19 76%
General vocabulary 8(b) 15 60%
Grammar 8(c) 11 44%
Two Levels of value are “Agree” (A) and “Strongly Agree” (SA)
In table 7 the importance of different types of vocab is
illustrated and almost all students preferred academic
vocabulary as vital for them. But, they cannot completely
negleted general vocab and grammar because they answered
by keeping in view that they are students of language and
they need other type of vocab as well. They preferred 76

percent academic vocab, 60 percent general vocab and 44
percent grammar instead of vocab.
Purposes for learning English
Here in another theme students are investigated why
actually English is important or why they need english. In this
session their purpose of learning investigated. In rsponses it
prevailed that ‘ English is used to passing exams with good
grades with 96 percent. After that, the most students
preferred it because its Lingua-franca and used everywhere
with total 92 percent students. After that used because it
provides better future et-cetera.
Table 8: Items on purposesfor learning English
Item
No Purposes for learning
English
Levels of
Sub-item Count Percent

No
5 I need to study English:
Useful international
communicative tool
5(a) 23 92%
Passingin academic exam 5(b) 24 96%
Pass in competitive exams 5 (c) 21 84%
Help me in my litrary
writings
5(d) 21 84%
for success in future
professionallife
5(e) 23 92%
6 Currently I use English:
when studying 6(a) 24 96%
when socializing/ with
friends
6(b) 16 64%
at home with family 6(c) 7 28%
7*+*- In future I think I will use English:
for further studies 7(a) 23
92%
Communication with 7(b) 22
88%

foreign counterparts
in my future career 7(c) 23 92%
Writing literature 7(d) 21 84%
Two Levels of value are “Agree” (A)and “Strongly Agree” (SA)
According to Table students mostly preffer language for their
exams & after it or communication and studies abroad et-
cetera.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
This research is conducted to collect information to know
students views about design a course for them to give them a
enviroment where they can easily learn. Here in this research
based questionnaire all essentails of English language teaching
also implemented. For learner autonomy & social nature of
learning I provided them questionnaire to attempt by their
own views, so leaner autonomy is also promoted.
I as a student of ESP, BS-English Linguistics (III), kept in view
all the needs of learner while they learn their 2nd
language and
put options infront of them to choose and make it easy for me
to detect where they come up with a problem. After getting
result back, I am now able to make a course for selected

students who filled questionnaire with their opinion.
5.1 Discussion of study findings and suggestions
1st Finding also unvield that student give preferrence to
general vocabulary more as compare to speaking because in
their views grammar has nothing to do with fluency and
accuracy of language. They also give more focus to academic
vocabulary as compare to grammar becuase it helps them in
exams unlike grammar.
2nd
the second finding is that students preferred writing skill
for their homework and exams, and speaking and reading skill
to be responsive in the class. Whereas they undervalued the
listening skill.
Suggestions
By doing above research I find something that to be followed
when a course can be designed for BS-English (I) UOS,
Jamshoro, Where I did this research. The first finding about

the research is that they prefer speaking more becuase of
their unconciousness and unawareness about the importance
of other skills. So the course designer must keep in mind and
design a course that can aware them with importance of other
skills as well and make them aware about coming problems if
they don’t focus on other skills.
The second finding is that, their reading is too week even
some of them can’t read question with a good sense. They
also attempted some questions that is totally opposite of the
reality. So course designer have to give some priority to it. So
that student can come to know how to read!

Data analysis & Course design for ESP students

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