BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF

GRAGUATE STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

MASTER OF EDUCATION IN TEFL

IDENTIFYING STUDENTS LANGUAGE NEEDS

IN PRIVATE MEDICAL COLLEGES IN BAHIR DAR

BY MINASIE GESSESSE

JANUARY, 2009
1

IDENTIFYING STUDENTS LANGUAGE NEEDS IN

PRIVATE MEDICAL COLLEGES IN BAHIR DAR

BY MINASIE GESSESSE

A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE SCHOOL OF

GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTERS OF EDUCATION IN TEFL
BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF
GRAGUATE STUDIES

IDENTIFYING STUDENTS LANGUAGE NEEDS IN

PRIVATE MEDICAL COLLEGES IN BAHIR DAR

BY MINASIE GESSESSE

APPROVED BY:

_________________________

______________

Advisor

Signature

_________________________

_______________

Examiner

Signature

________________________

_______________

Examiner

Signature

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Firstly, I would like to extend my appreciation to my advisor Doctor Abiy Yigzaw for his
valuable comments to my work accomplishment in a friendly professional manner and
for his fatherly active approach of teaching. Secondly, my heartfelt gratitude is to my
wife Beletu Bahiru and my daughter Ephrata Minasie for their unfailing inspirational
motive that they inculcate in my mind which enforces me to finalize my paper on time. I
am indebted also to my mother Emet Bithon Kidie, to the whole family for their cordial
moral and material support. Above and beyond, the batch that I have learned with has had
substantial contributions in my work in constructing my wrongly perceived ideas with
new scientific perspectives. Finally, I would like to extend my outright gratitude to
Doctor Rebecca Simon for her humorous, friendly, orderly, planned and systematic
teaching style, to Mrs. Emily Boersema for her devotion in helping the batch to have
established published article writing style by handing immense articles which the
researcher has found substantial. Last but not least, I would like to admire Ato Mulugeta
for his fresh memories in learning research methods in language teaching and the
department of English and staff members for their mannerly cooperativeness for every
gears of my study.

Abstract
The importance of conducting needs has been found fundamental. The aim of this study
has been to identify English language needs of Alkan, Kiyamed and Gambi Medical
colleges in Bahir Dar town. Three hundred students and five teachers, and five executive
bodies of each of the medical colleges and the Amhara Bureau of Education and Health
Bureau had participated in the study. The methods of data collection were semistructured questionnaire, semi-structured interview and document analysis. The data
collection methods were referring to the language skills, language use, language testing,
teaching methods, and other related issues to ESP (English for Academic Purposes).
Both descriptive and inferential statistics had been employed in analyzing the raw data
collected. Quota and random, comprehensive, and purposive samplings were used to the
students, to the teachers and executive bodies respectively. The result shows that
speaking and reading are favorite skills of the students while the teachers recommend
speaking and writing as the most important skills to medical students. Reported speech,
communicative activities and tense types were found the grammatical and functional
language needs of the students. The teachers and the students prescribe the need of
learning ESP for the best possible English use in their field of study while the executive
bodies suggested GPE. Using varying items in testing (depending on their needs) is
recommended to meet the diversified needs of the students. Thus, the colleges and
Bureau of education and Bureau of Health need to emphasis the need of the students and
have to revise the present day materials in light with the students needs.

LISTS OF TABLES AND A FIGURE

Figure2.1. What needs analysis establishes
Table 2.2_ List of Needs Identified in Needs Analysis Literature
Table 3.1_Biodata of Students
Table 4.1_ Students Purposes of Learning English
Table 4.2_ Students Attitudes towards English Courses
Table 4.3_ Students Macro Skills Choices in Departments
Table 4.4_ Students Language Items preferences
Table 4.5_ Students Evaluation System Wants
Table 4.6_ Students own evaluation of their present English ability
Table 4.7_ Students Reaction to the Learning Process
Table 4.8_ Teachers Suggested Macro skills to Medical College Students
Table 4.9_ Teachers Levels of Students Weaknesses
Table 4.10_ Goals of the English Courses in Teachers Vantage point
Table 4.11_ Course Books and Language Teaching Materials

LISTS OF APPENDIXES
Appendix 1_Students Questionnaire
Appendix 2_Teachers Questionnaire
Appendix 3_ Stakeholders Interview Protocol
Appendix 4 _ Raw Data of Interview Analysis
Appendix 5_ Students Purposes Of Learning, Language Preferences and Wants Of
Ways of Testing
Appendix 6_ Micro skills Choices of Alkan, Kiyamed and Gambi Medical Colleges
Appendix 7_ Micro skills Choices of Pharmacy Technician Department Students Of
The Colleges
Appendix 8_ Micro skills Choices of Nursing Department Students of the Colleges
Appendix 9_ Micro skills Choices of Laboratory Technician Department Students of the
Colleges
Appendix 10_ Students Reaction to the Instructional Process
Appendix 11_ Students Macro Skills Choices in Departments
Appendix 12_ Teachers Levels Of Students Weaknesses on Some Selected Language
Items
Appendix 13_ Goals of the English Courses from the Teachers Vantage Point
Appendix 14_ Teachers Attitudes on the Language Teaching Materials

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.I
ABSTRACT...II
LIST OF TABLES..III
LIST OF APPENDIXES.IV

CHAPTER ONE_ INTRODUCTION.........................................1

1.1. Background of the study...........................................................................................1
1.2. Statement of the problem..........................................................................................3
1.3. Significance of the study..........................................................................................4
1.4. Objective of the study...............................................................................................4
1.5. Delimitation of the study..5
1.6. Limitations of the study5
1.7. Abbreviations employed in the study...5

CHAPTER TWO _ REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE. 6

2.1. English for specific purposes and its characteristics................................................6
2.2. ESP and General Purpose English............................................................................7
2.3. Needs Analysis..........................................................................................................7
2.4. Conducting needs analysis and its rationale.............................................................8
2.5. Why do we conduct needs analysis in medical colleges?.........................................9
2.6. Components of needs analysis................................................................................11
2.7. Methods, materials, skills, language, and testing in ESP.......................................14
2.7.1. Methods of teaching in ESP.........................................................................14
2.7.2. Materials in ESP..........................................................................................15
2.7.3. Skills in ESP.................................................................................................16
2.7.4. Language in ESP.........................................................................................17
2.7.5. Testing in ESP..............................................................................................17
2.8. Highlights of the research works that have been done abroad...............................18
2.8. Highlights of the research works that have been done in Ethiopia.........................19

CHAPTER THREE_ METHODOLOGY.................................22

3.1. Participants.............................................................................................................22
3.1.1. The students background..................................................................................22
3.1.2.Teachers profile.................................................................................................23
3.2. Data gathering instruments.....................................................................................23
3.3. Sampling techniques...23
3.2.1. Semi-structured questionnaire.....................................................................24
3.2.2. Semi-structured interview............................................................................25
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3.2.3. Document analysis.......................................................................................26

3.4. Data collection procedures.....................................................................................26
3.5. The methods of data analysis..................................................................................27

CHAPTER FOUR_ FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION..............28

4.1. Findings..................................................................................................................28
4.1.1. Students responses to personal information ...................................................28
4.1.1.1. Students purposes of learning and language use.....................................28
4.1.1.2. Students attitude towards the English courses..........................................29
4.1.2. The students language, evaluation and learning needs...................................30
4.1.2.1. The students macro skills choices............................................................30
4.1.2.2. The students micro skills choices.............................................................31
4.1.2.3. Students grammatical and functional language needs.............................32
4.1.2.4. Students choices of evaluation systems....................................................33
4.1.2.5. Students own judgments of their present language ability.......................34
4.1.2.6. Students reaction to the learning process.................................................35
4.1.3. The teachers responses .......................................................................................36
4.1.3.1. Teachers levels of the macro skills...........................................................37
4.1.3.2. Teachers views of students difficulty........................................................38
4.1.3.3. Types of tests which the teachers use........................................................39
4.1.3.4. Goals of the medical colleges from the teachers perspective..................40
4.1.3.5. Teachers reactions about teaching materials...........................................41
4.1.4. Analysis of interviewees responses.....................................................................43
4.2. General discussion......................................................................................................46

CHAPTER FIVE_ SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................50
5.1. Summary.................................................................................................................50
5.2. Conclusion..51
5.3. General recommendation........................................................................................51

BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................54
APPENDIXES..57

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DECLARATION
I declare that the thesis is my creative work and has not been accessible for a
degree in any other university, and that all sources that are used in the thesis have been
duly acknowledged.

Minasie Gessesse Letta

Signature

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This thesis has been submitted for the examination with my approval as university.

Major Advisor: Dr. Abiy Yigzaw (Ph.D.)

Associate professor
Signature .

Date
Co. Advisor:

Signature
Date

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CHAPTER ONE_ INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the study

Though there are other international languages which are thriving around the world,
Mandarin and Spanish, for example, English is still playing a central role in education,
together with the rapidly accelerating technological sophistication (exchanging
information using e-mail, browsing websites, attending teleconferences, etc.) (Graddol,
2006). Teaching English around the world has objectives of empowering learners to get
access to technical, educational, or professional opportunities (Canagarajah, 2002; 2005,
as cited in Hinkel 2006). Ethiopia needs to empower the students to master English for
technical, academic and professional purposes. Learning English can be seen from two
broad perspectives. It can be learned either for general purposes or for specific purposes.
Medical students, for example, use English for specific purposes. Thus, material
designers and policy makers need to take into account the principal reasons of teaching
and learning English for Medical Purposes (EMP). As Author (2004), as cited in Hull
(2007) has illustrated, the ability to provide safe and competent practice in English should
be the priority of all EMP curriculums. Students can possibly indoctrinate practical
knowledge of English when their needs are well considered in the curriculum they learn.
For the last two decades, learner-centered curriculum has challenged the top-down,
imposed curriculum in Canada, USA, United Kingdom, Australia and other European
countries (Harmer, 1991, as cited in Hull, 2007). Hull has dictated that there are even
institutions like Kwantlen University College in Canada, which assess their students
needs every year for meaningful change in the faculty and in the department as well. This
kind of bottom-up approach is not truly exercised in Ethiopia for some reasons. One
possible reason is that as Abiy (1990) has noted, materials were prepared spontaneously
in Ethiopia before Barbaras (1982) first attempt of communicative needs analysis of
Addis Ababa University students for the then demanding motive of service material
preparation. Even after her first attempt that aimed to analyze the communicative needs
of the students, the issue has not been strengthened dramatically in its own terms except
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some finger count research works that have been done by some scholars (Haile, 1989;
Abiy, 1990 and Ephrem, 2005, for example). These research works will be discussed in
the review of the literature of this paper.
Presently, English is being taught in Ethiopia as a foreign language starting from grade
one. It is taught as a subject until the junior level and it is used as a medium of instruction
at the secondary and tertiary levels. Furthermore, colleges and universities in Ethiopia are
using English as a medium of instruction. In addition to the established language
departments in different universities to train English teachers, English courses are given
at the colleges, including the medical colleges in this study and in the universities across
the country.
Tekeste (2006) has explained that the students language performance has found very low
in the ten sample schools that were chosen for a study. Likewise, in contrast to the
twelve years teaching-learning process of English language across different levels of
education, however, the researcher found students of medical colleges in Bahir Dar have
still poor command of English. The colleges use the imposed curriculum of Ministry of
Education than learning with the prepared materials on the will of their students. This has
been explored from informal interview that the researcher had with the teachers and from
the descriptive view of their responses of the exploratory (baseline) interview four
students, two executive bodies and four teachers
One of the reasons for the weakness of medical college students in Bahir Dar are the
syllabus as well as the courses is not well adapted to the students needs. However,
scholars strongly recommend creating a learner profile and investigating the target
learner's expectations about the different aspects of the course before attempting doing
anything else (Harmer, 1991; Nunan, 1995). Canagarajah (2006), as well, has asserted
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is a gap filling instrument among the target
language, the learners practical knowledge and their needs, including knowledge, life
goals and expectations. Thus, this study is geared towards viewing the English courses,
which are taught in medical colleges in Bahir Dar vis--vis the students needs.
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1.2. Statement of the problem

Alkan, Kiyamed and Gambi Medical Colleges in Bahir Dar are using Grade 11 and Grade
12 texts as course books. Teaching medical students in the same way as other preparatory
school students, however; does not lead to good results. Munby (1978) has noted that
identifying the language needs of the students is the prerequisite for designing a language
course. Medical students needs in Bahir Dar, their attitudes and their interests were not
considered in designing English courses. English courses in the colleges are being taught
to help the students learn other academic subjects at ease. However, the textbooks are not
designed in relation to their profession and other academic subjects in their fields of
study. Furthermore, the texts are not prepared by taking into account specific needs of the
students in relation to their reason of study of English language, together with present
situation analysis. The texts of the passages, the vocabulary they learn and the skills
emphasized are not based on the students needs.
Primarily, the medium of instruction is a fundamental issue in medical colleges which
needs precision, accuracy, sincerity, and persuasion. For medical professional are treating
patients, they need to be accurate precise and sincere when they write prescriptions, when
they listen to English speaker patients, when they give medicines by reading orders and
when they tell necessary precautions to the patients. Furthermore, medical professional
need to be confident in creating awareness among the public by translating medical
articles written in English around the world. For all of these purposes, English language
should play a vital role by solving immediate problems of the students that hinders
learning. Helmreich (2000, as cited in Vigers, 2005), has said that doctors operate in
complex, risky environments, and he has noted the number of patients killed by medical
errors run as high as 98,000 per year for the U.S.A alone. This is partly because of
diagnosis errors and procedural failure. If there are problems of such kinds in native
speakers own country, similar related problems could possibly prevail in Ethiopia in
relation to writing prescriptions and in giving pragmatic meanings to the prescriptions,
for example. Students of medical colleges are taught English without sufficient relation to
their career and to other subjects in different medical disciplines (see section 2.5 for
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further related detail of knowing the why of conducting needs analysis in medical
colleges).
Thus, this study aims at responding to the following questions:
_ What are the language needs of the private medical college students in Bahir
Dar town?
_ How do the teachers, the executive bodies of the medical colleges, Amhara
Bureau of Health and Amhara Bureau of Education view the medical college
students needs in relation to the existing program?
1.3. Objective of the study

The principal objective of this paper is to find the language needs of medical college
students in Bahir Dar town in relation to the principles of ESP, the existing textbooks and
the views of the teachers, the executive bodies of Bureau of Education, Bureau of Health
and medical colleges.
1.4. Significance of the study

This study has substantial contributions to both the national and regional medical colleges
in many ways. Firstly, this research work can be used as benchmark to solve students
problems of English language learning in relation to their fields of study. Secondly, the
findings of this paper will have their own impact on medical colleges of Bahir Dar town
to find solutions to their students language problems to meet their needs and to facilitate
teaching-learning process efficiently. It also helps material writers and course designers
to adapt, adopt, develop or prepare materials, depending on the gap between the students
present situation analysis and their target needs. From the national view point, the study
also entails policy recommendation issues in leveling a sound approach of teaching
English which meets the students specific needs. By the same token, the study can also
be fundamental in determining the central role of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for
discipline specific studies across the country.

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1.5. Delimitation of the study

The study aimed at identifying the language needs of the students in relation to the
personal needs, macro and micro skills; testing; learning process and their consideration
of English with their own judgments of English proficiency. Other essentialities like
learning styles and learning strategies were not focused on though they are presented in
Table 2.2. The attitudes and suggestions of the teachers, executive bodies and college
principals were manipulated in the study to see commonness and difference of their views
regarding the students demanding language needs.
1.6. Limitations of the study
Though the research tries to include both qualitative and quantitative data collection
instruments by collaborating other stakeholders other than the students; still there are
gaps among the subjects of the study. These gaps need again be validated by other
researchers using observation, and comprehensive document analysis which covers a
wide area with multiple participations of concerned bodies among the medical colleges
which are selected as samples. Besides, the study comprises only three medical colleges
from many of similar colleges around the country. This again may decrease the external
validity of the study.
1.7. Abbreviations employed in the study
ESP_ English for Specific Purposes
EMP_ English for Medical Purposes
EAP_ English for Academic Purposes
EOP_ English for Occupational Purposes
GPE_ General Purposes English
EFL_ English for Foreign Language
ESL_ English for Second Language
TBLT_ Content Based Language Teaching

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CHAPTER TWO _ REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1. English for specific purposes and its characteristics

There are three groups of thoughts in ESP. The first group says that ESP is an approach in
language teaching in which the contents and methods of teaching are decided by the
learners themselves (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987:19). Some more others do claim that
ESP courses are in which their syllabi and materials are essentially determined by the
communicative needs of the learner (Munby, 1978, Brown, 2004, Hull, 2008, Province,
2005, as cited in Hull, 2008). The third groups rests upon teaching ESP students learn
contents from their discipline (Mohan, 1986, Naersson, 1978, as cited in Hull, 2008). All
these groups, however, unanimously accept the essentiality of need analysis to material
writing, curriculum design and course evaluation of students learning. Though there is no
scholar who mouthfully say that ESP is a model (like EFL, ESL, and so) the writer of this
paper adhere to go away to this end. Whether Ounus (2005) consciously says or not he
categorizes ESP as a model (for further information about the basics of different models
of English teaching see Graddol, 2006).
These attitudinal differences in the distinction between GPE and ESP leads to further
research and regular investigations in teaching English language. Understanding the
controversy from different perspectives, Tony Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) clarify
the meaning of ESP, giving an extended definition in terms of 'absolute' and 'variable'
characteristics (see next page). These two broad characteristics exemplify what ESP
comprises and what is not.
Absolute Characteristics
1. ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners
2. ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves
3. ESP is centered on the language appropriate to these activities in terms of grammar,
lexis, register, study skills, discourse and genre.

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Variable Characteristics
1. ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines
2. ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of
General English
3. ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in
a professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary school
level
4. ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students.
5. Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language system.

2.2. ESP and General Purpose English

From the above basic characteristics we can say that ESP has its own method of teaching,
for specific students with its own activities having a defined grammar, lexis, register,
study skills, discourse and genre; with possibly specific teaching situations for specific
disciplines to certain groups of students. In the contrary, GPE is a model designed to
heterogeneous groups of students to develop comprehensive, demanding basic language
issues with a multivariate purposes by integrating skills. Though Ephreme (2004) says
that GPE goals are predetermined by institutions with the aim of developing undefined
general proficiency, need analysis is also a phenomenon of GPE (Hutchinson and Waters,
1987). The term undefined in Ephreme thesis is also obscure for there are stated
proficiency standards in GPE texts. Rather, GPE need to be understood as a model that
works across disciplines covering a wide area.
2.3. Needs Analysis

Need analysis can be seen as an instrument to find the deficit of students for better
material adaptation, adoption or development in the teaching learning process.
Basturkmen (1998) has stated that needs analysis is finding difficulties and standard
frameworks using observation; interviews and questionnaires from participants
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functioning in a target situation. Stout, 1995, as cited in Elkili and et al, 2003, notes that
need assessment is a systematic exploration of the way things are and the way they
should be. In similar manner, Dudley-Evans and St Johns (1998) have stated that Needs
analysis is the process of establishing the what and how of a course (P. 121). The
preceding definition focuses on the content and methodology of a course. Moreover,
Nunan (1988, p.30) states that techniques and procedures for collecting information to
be used in syllabus design are referred to as needs analysis. The more specific definition
is given by Richards (1990), as cited in Elklic, Bayrak and Parlac (2003, p.61) which
states that needs analysis focuses on A specific language needs, such as the special kind
of reading comprehension training that foreign students need in order to study
engineering, biology, or veterinary medicine. The above definitions pinpoint the choice
of the language is eminently left to the learning and language needs of the students.
Though the above definitions are from different literatures and different educators in the
field of language teaching, their main focuses are on leveling: the areas of study, the data
collection methods, and the language items (contents) in ESP. All the above definitions
can be categorized, in one way or the other, under Nunans general description for every
need analysis is made to design better syllabus that meets the students subjective and
objective needs.
2.4. Conducting needs analysis and its rationale

In spite of their different outlooks, scholars strongly support conducting needs analysis in
the process of learning a certain discipline for specific purposes (Munby, 1978;
Hutchinson and Waters, 1987, Yalden, 1987, Nunan, 1988; Canagarajah, 2006). One main
purpose of conducting needs analysis is, according to Gardner and Winslow (1983, p.76),
as cited in Poon (1985) to produce information which when acted upon makes courses
better adapted to students needs. Richterich (1984), as cited in Elklic and et al. (2003),
has asserted that the purpose of needs analysis is to provide the means by involving
learners, teachers, administrators and employers in the planning process

to obtain

substantial input about the content, design and, implementation of a language program.
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Hutchinson and Waters (1987), too, explain it as a procedure for identifying general and
specific language needs of students to find appropriate goals, objectives, methods and
contents. Needs analysis is also vital instrument in curriculum development. For this what
Long & Crookes (1992:37) say is quoted below.
The role needs analyses play in curriculum development is obvious. It
almost acts as a standpoint for the goal setting and material selection,
and syllabus design in general. With a systematic analysis of needs in a
school environment more consistent and rational decisions can be made
for the modification and renewal of the language programs.
As we can see from the above quotation, need analysis may possibly go unto
modification and renewal of the existing material so as to meet the salient needs off the
students in their learning.
Similarly, Yalden (1987) asserts that needs analysis has to be accomplished even before
frameworks are drafted in order that the characteristics of learners and their entire
language needs can be understood through needs analysis. In the same way, Munby
(1978) has strongly asserted that syllabuses and materials in ESP are determined by the
communicative needs of the learners. From the above brief explanation we can deduce
that needs analysis identifies the principal purposes of learning a specified language; the
language type the students need to master; the best methods of teaching to undergo the
teaching-learning process; and the possible implementational problems in the program.
2.5. Why do we conduct needs analysis in medical colleges?

Though needs analysis is the preliminary element in designing a course book and a
textbook, in Ethiopia it is rather conducted in a national level than considering particular
specificities of different disciplines across the country. The basic essentiality of preparing
and developing materials depending on the students needs is missing in medical colleges,
which are included under the study. The medical colleges in Bahir Dar do not have their
own specialized language curriculum, syllabus and texts that are related to the medical
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disciplines which the students are studying. Students are expected to take two English
courses that are prepared for all preparatory high school students across the country.
These texts are prepared in focus of text-based communicative language teaching. These
texts are imposed upon medical college students without conducting realistic needs
analysis of the students. The textbooks are designed in line with the 1994 New
Educational and Training Policy of Ethiopia, a document which states that general needs
analysis has been conducted in some selected high schools.
Nevertheless, conducting nationwide needs analysis of high school students does not
testify the characteristic features of medical students. Students in the medical colleges
vary in their age, needs and purposes of learning English to high school students. Hull
(2007) has also dictated that English for Medical Purposes (EMP) is classified under the
category of discipline-specific language learning (see also Dudley-Evans and St John,
1998). He has also added that recognizing who the students are and what motivates them
to learn EMP (English for Medical Purposes) is a basic ground to curriculum
development. He has further enriched his argument by saying that scholars need to
recognize the students as willing customers of the educational process. Likewise, Elklich
et al. (2003) have explained that skills needed for medical students and their literature
that they are exploiting are different from other subjects. The work of Mparutsa et al in
University of Zimbabwe and the work of Starfield (1994), as cited in Dudley-Evans and
St Johns (1998), have shown that more specific and subject-related courses have been
more successful in motivating the students by meeting their needs. These scholars have
strongly argued that the language courses and syllabi differ from discipline to discipline.
Subsequently, the specific language needs of the learners should have been used as a
basis in designing a curriculum of medical students.
Long and Crookes (1992), quoted in Sari (2003) dissertation, have explained that need
analysis is used as basis for setting goals; designing a syllabus so as to select materials
and to further revise or alter the existing language program. It may also be used to select
a method of teaching and to level appropriate contents. The syllabus, in turn, should
principally be written based on the students needs and implemented through teaching
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materials, and again be evaluated for its effectiveness using the needs analysis. Thus,
conducting needs analysis of medical college students is part of a solution for discipline
specific material development and evaluation. From the aforementioned reviews,
therefore, it is possible to conclude that conducting needs analysis and preparing the
English language courses according to the needs of the students, is obviously
fundamental.
2.6. Components of needs analysis
The present researcher has found adapting the model of Dudley-Evans and St Johns
(1998) presumably fitting, for they focus on ESP and other related essentialities to it.
They have looked needs analysis and the model of needs analysis from ESP perspective.
Let us see the comprehensive explanation about component parts of needs analysis that
are dictated by them. They have identified that the main stages in ESP: Needs analysis,
course (and syllabus) design, materials selection (and production), teaching-learning, and
evaluation (p.121). These authors have also explained that these elements are
interrelated and overlapping. Moreover, they have also asserted that need analysis helps
practitioners to know possible learning elements with their consequent means of delivery
(the what and how) of the teaching-learning process. The above discussions disclose
two main important issues; these are: ESP is becoming fundamental in meeting the
students interests and expectations; and needs analysis is a means to untie problems in
teaching learning process.
According to Dudley-Evans and St John (1998, p.125), needs analysis in ESP constitutes:
A. professional information about the learners. This includes the tasks and activities
(learners are/will be using) and target situation analysis;
B. personal information about the learners. Previous learning experiences, cultural
information, reasons for attending the course and expectation of it, attitude to
English and wants fall under this category;
C. English language information about the learners: what their current skills and
language use are (present situation analysis). These allow us to assess the learners
needs);
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D. the learners lacks: the gaps between target situation analysis and present situation
analysis;
E. language learning information: this refers to effective ways of meeting learning
needs in order to fill their gaps;
F. knowledge of how language and skills are used in the target situation;
G. information about the environment in which the course will be run.
The following radial-organizational chart shows the component parts of needs analysis in
which a researcher need to focus on conducting needs analysis. The type of
organizational chart is determined by the researcher. In Dudly-Evans and ST John (1998),
environmental situations have got a central position. The researcher gave learners need
analysis a central position and made environmental situations at the periphery, like the
other elements of needs analysis. Apart from these, all the elements of needs analysis are
vividly expressed in the works of the above scholars.

Figure 2.1. What needs analysis establishes (Adapted from Dudley-Evans & ST John,
(1998, p. 125)
Though many scholars have written fundamentals of conducting needs analysis
(Robinson 1980; Hutchinson and Waters 1987; Richards 1990 and Johnson 1989),
focusing on the communicative needs of the students, teachers needs and administrative
24

needs are also part of the literature of the above scholars. Masuhara (1998) has clearly
dictated component parts of students needs analysis in the following table. Masuhara has
underlined the inclusion of teachers and administrative needs in identifying the students
language needs. Let us see the subjects, the type and sources of needs analysis in the
following table.
Table 2.2. List of needs identified in needs analysis literature
Ownership

Kind
Personal needs

Source
Age; sax;

Learners

Cultural background;

Needs

Interests;
Learning needs

Educational background;
Learning styles;
Previous language learning experiences;
Gap between the target level and the present level in
terms of knowledge (target language and its culture)
Gap between the target level of proficiency in various
competence areas (e.g. skills, strategies)

Future

Learning goals and expectations for a course

Requirements for future undertakings in terms of:

professional

Knowledge of language

needs

Knowledge of language use

Personal needs

L2 competence
Age; sax;

Teachers

Cultural background;

Needs

Interests;
Educational background;

Administrat
ors Needs

Professional

Teachers language proficiency

Preferred teaching styles;Teacher training experience;

needs
Institutional

Teaching experience
Sociopolitical needs;

needs

Market forces;
Educational policy;
25

Constraints (e.g. time, budget, resources)

(Masuhara 1998; Pp. 240-241)

The above two tables clearly indicate basic elements of needs analysis that should be
focused on the data collection mechanisms which the researcher employ. Thus,
questions in the questionnaire and in the interview are related, in one way or the
other, to these basic elements of needs analysis. However, learning styles of the
students have not basically been discussed in this research work for the researcher
wanted to emphasize on the language needs of the students and from the belief that
learning style can be a topic of discussion by its own.
2.7. Methods, materials, skills, language, and testing in ESP

On chapter two (page 10) we have discussed that EMP is discipline specific language
teaching approach for students in medical fields. Scholars (Dudly-Evans and ST John,
1998; Robinson, 1991 and Elklic & et al. , 2003, for example) explain that method of
teaching, the materials employed, the skills emphasized, the language items selected and
the evaluation system employed in ESP differ from the general language teaching. Let us
discuss the above essentialities as follows.
2.7.1. Methods of teaching in ESP

The issue of method is one important concern in ESP. As Strevens (1998) has noted,
materials and methods in ESP are specific and that there are many classifications of ESP
which need materials and methods appropriate to them. Strevens has further
recommended that Great variety and interest in the presentation of the teaching
improves the effectiveness of learning (p.43). He has also added that ESP must not be
forced to follow methods and techniques that already exist in General English.
Likewise, Huckin (1998) suggested methods for Generalized ESP (p.61). These
suggested methods are team teaching, problem solving, higher order reasoning (analyze
a variety of solutions, and select the best solution based on the best evidence) and
26

argumentation, where students lay out arguments and persuade skeptical readers.
Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) have rectified that there are distinguishable ESP
methodologies depending on the learners: latent and conscious knowledge; the cognitive
and learning processes (from learning or working in their discipline) and their learning
strategies and styles. They have also recommended that PPP (present, practice, perform)
can be used for beginners to intermediate where the language and communication event
is new to the learners. For advanced students, Dudley-Evans and St John have suggested
the deep strategy in which the teachers set tasks and ask the students to work by giving a
preparation time before performance (see also Hutchinson, 1998).
The second method of these two authors methodology is related to the methods that
Huckin has forwarded to university students above. Teachers of ESP can use these
methods depending on their students needs, levels of understanding, learning strategies
and learning styles. Likewise, this study aims at finding methods of teaching which
students favor.
2.7.2. Materials in ESP

A chosen method without sound material will not be effective. Hutchinson (1998) has
insisted that materials should be instruments for both the language use and language
learning. According to Hutchinson, the language needs are readily observable while the
learning needs are not, for we know little, actually, about how people learn. Thus,
material designers need to know that learning is a development, a thinking process, an
active agendum, an emotional experience which involves making decisions (Hutchinson,
1998). Moreover, it has often been claimed by ESP practitioners, however, that only
through the development of original teaching materials in relation to the context of
learning that particular pedagogic priorities and processes can be made clear and explicit
(Mounford, 1998).
In the view of Mounford, ESP teaching materials tend to be both subject specific and
skill specific (p. 79). Besides, Robinson (1980) has noted that the obvious differences
27

between ESP and general ELT is that the ESP teacher will not expect to use a general
course books organized around general human interest topics, situations, functions, but
will expect at least to relate to the students subject specializations. Widdowson, as cited
by the same person, has advocated the construction of materials which are within the
competence of the students performance. The above mentioned scholars prescribe
materials in ESP need to develop the students language use based on the existing context
of learning which fit the students levels. How about the materials in which the medical
colleges are learning with? This is one area of concern of this research.
2.7.3. Skills in ESP

Skills of a language in ESP are not delivered, balanced and exercised in the same way to
the General English. Depending on the discipline, the essential activities and the four
skills in particular profession are not expected to be acquired in a balanced manner. The
demanding skills for the journalist and for a nurse would not be the same. For example,
in Barbaras study the Law students in Addis Ababa University have selected speaking
more than the other skills. Dudley-Evans and St John have recommended that the ability
to listen to lecture monologue is particularly essential in EAP situation and this notion is
now accepted both in research and teaching materials. On the listening side much
comprehension work, particularly in EAP, has evolved around note taking and showing
understanding by answering questions on the content (mostly by writing information
down, whether in prose or in diagrammatic format) (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998,
p.111). The same authors have dictated that oral presentation skills (speaking
monologues) are features of EAP.

With regard to speaking, they were not focused in

EAP in earlier days (Evans John 1998). They say that speaking to avert interruptions and
to judge how long it is appropriate; are most effective in seminar work.
Regarding the writing skill, Dudley-Evans and St John have recommended the socialconstructionist approach which determines writing as a social act by making writers
aware of the context they are writing. In this approach genre analysis is central in ESP
texts (Bazerman, 1988; Myers, 1989 cited in Dudley-Evans & St John 1998). DudleyEvans and St John have viewed that most scholars advocate process oriented approach
28

(especially in the USA) for teaching writing. They have also further explained that
medical students need to read textbooks and articles and compile short clinical essays and
reports in their career. Since medical students do frequently report their work, creating
awareness among their clients, manipulating passive voice (Robinson, 1980) and using
reported speech are also fundamental elements. The communicative skills of the learners
need to be disclosed and this research goes to this end.
2.7.4. Language in ESP

The focus of the language items also vary like the demanding skills for different
professions. Employing grammar in ESP depends on the priority given in the field to
accuracy or fluency (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998). The texts employed in Alkan,
Kiyamed and Gambi Medical Colleges are based on text-based integrated approach of
communicative language teaching (Grade 12 Teachers Textbook, p. 3). Thus, the aim of
language teaching relies on fluency. In ESP, however, technical and semi-technical
vocabularies need to be focused. On the other hand, genre analysis with its particular
focus on distinguishing particular features of different texts is especially useful in looking
at both written and spoken tests in all areas of ESP (Dudley-Evans & St John, p. 87).
The writer of this research wants to see which vocabulary types are central and whether
the students give priority to fluency or accuracy in the medical colleges of Bahir Dar.
2.7.5. Testing in ESP

Alderson (1988) has explicitly put that the need for ESP courses arose from the
dissatisfaction with English for No Particular Purpose (ENPP). Unitary view of testing is
also questioned by the growing divergent needs of the students in learning English for
Academic Purposes. Scholars have actually believed that a good ESP test is related to the
students reason for learning the target language (Alderson, 1988; Dudley-Evans & St
John, 1998). Alderson has listed out four major roles of tests within ESP. These are:
discrimination value (particularly passes or fails on examinations), decision making value
(requesting for exemption, for example), certifying value (rectifying learners as
competent employers to a certain institution and vise versa) and motivational and
29

disclosure value (instigating the students to achieve their goals and justifying the
existence of the course). Thus, tests in Alkan, Kiyamed and Gambi Medical Colleges will
be assessed whether they are related to the students reason of learning English language
or not.
2.8. Highlights of the research works that have been done abroad

There are a number of research works that have been done in other geographical areas.
Ounis (2005) at the University of Hadj Lackhdar Batna, Algeria, shows that the students
urgently need English courses designed on their language needs. Based on the findings,
Ounis has recommended practitioners to consider the curriculum to deliver an urgent
training in teaching ESP in Algeria. Likewise, Poon (1985) has shown that most of the
commercial school students ranked ESP as useful to their career and leveled (feel
confident in) reading and writing as the most often used skills at work.
Sari (2003), as well, has conducted a research to evaluate the English teaching program at
Glhane Military Medical Faculty and suggest a new program based on the Monitor
Model. The study also show that students do not like the contents of the course books. By
the same token, Basterkmen (1996) has noted that the results of the research work have
indicated differing perceptions between students and faculty on the relative importance of
reading. Based on the above premise, the faculty saw reading and listening as almost
equally important skills, while students perceived listening as far more important than the
other skills. As Basturkmen confirmed, few students reported inadequacy in any skill
areas other than speaking. In contrast, 60% faculty members perceived students as having
inadequate skills.

Hull (2007) has clearly established a comprehensive review on different literatures that
have been done around the world in teaching of English for Medical Purposes. This
scholar underlines the significance of learner-focused curriculum in EMP. Horani (1995),
as cited in Hull, has found that the pronunciations of non-native speakers English
30

speaking physicians have a paramount attitudinal effect on their nurses. She discovered
that physicians having poor pronunciation were evaluated negatively, while those who
have better pronunciation were considered as better physicians by their nurses.
Likewise, Williams (2006), as cited in Hull has found that communication and
vocabulary learning strategies should be emphasized. Albano, Cancade-Pragnell, and
MacGarry (1998), too, as cited in Hull, have conducted needs analysis based on the
concerns about the English proficiency levels of medical graduates. They have found that
the objectives of EMP were not sufficiently defined, nor were there specific standardized
minimum skills across the universities. Likewise, Hayes and Farnill (1993) in Australia,
as cited in by the same person, have shown how English language proficiency negatively
affects the medical training of the students.
The above discussed research works have shown that the differing needs and perceptions
of the students of EMP from place to place, from discipline to discipline, and from one
model of English (such as EFL and ESL) to the other. The influence of L 1 is now
positively accepted and be taken as a variety (there is today Indian English, Nigerian
English, etc). With all these differences, however, conducting needs analysis of medical
students and meeting the essentialities of student-centered curriculum is now accepted as
prerequisite of designing curricula, syllabi and courses, (Sari, 2003; Hull, 2007). These
are some research works around the world. How about conducting needs analysis in
Ethiopia? The following sub-section summarizes the objective reality of needs analysis in
Ethiopia over time.
2.9. Highlights of the research works that have been done in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, a need analysis has not been exercised as it has been else where in the Far
East, Europe and America. However, there are some research works that have been done
in Addis Ababa University. Barbara (1982) has studied The English Language
Communicative Needs of Addis Ababa University Students. The result showed that both
the175 teachers and the 2420 students selected the receptive skills more than productive
ones. However, there was a disparity from Law and Medicine faculties respondents. For
31

example, speaking skill had been chosen first in the faculty of Law. Respondents from
faculty of science, pharmacy, technology and medicine had selected the macro skill, lab
reports most frequently. In the same way, faculty of Pharmacy respondents had ranked
listening and writing as the two most important skills.
The above study has a significant effect in the present study which focuses on students
from medical colleges in Bahir Dar. The selected skills have differed for both Medicine
and Law Faculty students. This shows that the needs of medical students and law students
were different to that of other faculties students. Thus, the need of medical students in
Barbaras study had been specific to their needs.
Similarly, Abiy (1990) has also explored The communicative Needs of the High Schools
in Addis Ababa city. The result showed that the macro-skills were found fundamental
and were ordered as follows: listening- reading- writing and speaking. Besides, the
students have selected most important macro-skills in each of the four skills. Abiy finally
recommended the forthcoming studies on the language needs of the learners.
The other research work in this area has been done by Haile (1989). He has studied The
Attitude of Students and Teachers towards the Use of ESP Teaching Material in Technical
School in Addis Ababa. Haile has noted that the attitudes of both the teachers and the
students towards the ESP materials were found positive. Haile has also recommended,
like contemporary researchers before him, to undergo a research on other ESP variables.
Similarly, Ephreme (2004) has done a need analysis in Minelik II and Asella government
nursing schools. He finds that the students prefer to learn English for nurses (EMP) rather
than the GPE. He notes that oral skills show precedence over the need for written in EAP,
where as these skills are reversed in EOP. From his research results, he recommends the
preparation of English courses which satisfy the students needs. However, the result of
this study has not been exploited and further been confirmed by other researchers.
Though these research works have been found substantial to the present study, they have
not aimed at finding specific needs of medical students. The principal purpose, the
32

subjects, the area, and time reference of the study differ to the above research works.
Abiy and Haile have recommended further research works on the language of ESP and its
variable respectively. Though the level and discipline that this research work emphasizes
differ, attempting to find out the specific language needs of medical colleges may partly
meet the recommendation given by them.

33

CHAPTER THREE_ METHODOLOGY

3.1. Participants
Participants of this research project were second year students, teachers and executive
bodies of Alkan, Kiyamed and Gambi Medical Colleges and expertise of Region
Three Education Bureau and Health Bureau. Second year students were selected
for they are familiar with their previous English course and they were still taking
similar English courses in the college. Private medical colleges were selected as
institutional subjects for they accept magnificent number of students and hence
they play principal role in the society. Though information from all these
participants was presumably fundamental, the main target groups were students
who have been taking the English courses in the colleges.
3.1.1. The students background

Almost all the students (except 13 students that fall above 23) belonged to the same age
group that ranges from 18_22. These groups directly joined the private medical colleges
from grade 10, when they failed to join the preparatory classes. As you see from the table
below, the total number of students was 294 from this 150 were female. 98 students from
each of the colleges were taken as subjects. 98 clinical nursing students were taken from
Kimed for this medical college specifically has this discipline. From the rest Alkan and
Gambi Medical colleges 196 pharmacy and laboratory technician students were taken.
Regarding their language experience, they were all from similar background having
studied English as a subject at school.

34

Table 3.1._Biodata of students

Alkan
Department
1. Laboratory Technician

2. Pharmacy Technician
3. Clinical Nursing
Total

Sex
F
23
26
M
24
F
M
25
F
M
F
47
M
51

Gambi Kiamed

Age

Total

Range

Subjects

20
28

18_28

23
27
43
55

60
38
60
38

18-25
18-25
150
144

3.1.2. Teachers profile

There are five male teachers in the colleges from whom two of them hold BAs and two
of them have BEDs Bahir Dar Universities and one of them has had MED after his BA
from Addis Ababa University. Their age ranges from 33-45; three of them are in their
early thirties while the rest were in the middle of forties. All of them have more than ten
years teaching experience of teaching English in the high school and in the colleges. They
all testified that they had no special training in ESP as well as medical issues which the
students are studying.
3.2. Sampling Techniques
The researcher used quota sampling to determine the number of participants in each
medical college. Then, random sampling was utilized to identify 100 participants to each
group to give equal chance of selection of the population assuming the total numbers of
students were 300 from 779 second year students. A lottery was drawn to each of the two
sections in each the colleges and those students in the drawn classes were given
questionnaires to be filled. The researcher had distributed 21 more questionnaires to
compensate the none response of the students questionnaires. The students had got word
35

by word Amharic translation assistance to each of the questions. With all these effort, the
total finalized questionnaires were 294 (98 subjects to each of the medical colleges).
Regarding the teachers, all five of them had participated in the study for they were
manageable in number. Moreover, three medical college principals and two executive
bodies of the Bureau of Education and Bureau of Health have participated in the study.
Though the researcher wants to know the language needs of the students, teachers and
administrators are also participants of the study. Their inclusion is intentionally needed
for self-perceived needs of the students tend to be valid and reliable when perceived
needs and objectively measured needs of teachers and administrators towards the students
language needs are cross-referenced with the identified students needs (Masuhara 1998).
In addition to the benefits of validity and reliability of the study, teachers and
administrators are practitioners who should participate directly in the teaching-learning
process and in designing and developing the syllabus and in preparing the course books.
Thus, letting them part of the study sought constructive comments and suggestions to the
ultimate achievement of the study.
3.3. Data gathering instruments.
In this research both quantitative and qualitative data gathering tools had been employed.
Semi-structured questionnaires were computed quantitatively; while information from
semi-structured interview had been described qualitatively.
3.3.1. Semi-structured questionnaire

A semi-structured questionnaire is often used when a combination of quantitative and

qualitative information is required. This kind of questionnaire gives a greater depth than
is possible with a totally structured questionnaire. The semi-structured questionnaire was
chosen to access a wide area of contents and participants, as well. The semi-structured
questionnaire is also a means to collect a considerable amount of data with a minimum of
effort. The semi-structured questionnaire had yes/no answers; three to five scale
questions and sparingly respondents had been asked to give their comments and
suggestions of their own.
36

The questions refer to professional, personal, language learning information, and their
English language information, their lacks, knowledge of how language and skills were
used dispatched to the students. The total numbers of items were 12. Most of the
questions were structured. There was only one question that requests the students to
suggest making the English courses more effective and useful to their study. Similar
semi-structured questionnaire had also been accessed to the teachers regarding the
language items, the method of teaching, and their orientation in ESP, syllabus, testing, the
language skills and other similar issues. The total numbers of items were 15.There were
two questions that let a room to the teachers to express their views without the choices
given by the researcher.
Both the students and the teachers questionnaires were adapted from Basterkmen (1998)
and Ounis (2005) ESP thesis and Sari (2003) ESP dissertation.The questions have been
piloted two times on four teachers and twenty students had participated in each of the
pilot studies. The participants were not the same to each of the pilot studies. The teachers
and students participants were chosen on purposive and simple random odd or even ID no
selection using coin toss respectively (see Appendix 1 and 2).
3.3.2. Semi-structured interview

Semi-structured interview is chosen to ask higher officials of the Bureau of Education of

Region Three and executive bodies of medical colleges which were under the study. The
questions were geared towards their view on the existing program basing upon the
students performance, general questions about ESP, institutional needs, the existing
curriculums and the textbooks employed. Semi-structured interview was chosen among
other data collection methods for it allows the interviewer to get opportunity to probe and
expand the respondents responses than structured interview. The researcher had
interviewed in English each of these stakeholders for 15 minutes. The questions were
given to two teachers who have knowledge of preparing interview questions. Based on
their comments some amendments have been made and piloted to two college executive
37

bodies that were not participated in the final interview process. Here again two questions
were further illustrated for clarity (see Appendix 3).
3.3.3. Document analysis

The researcher had assessed the textbooks of the students, the curriculum guide to have a
brief overview of the materials.
3.4. Data collection procedures
The method of data collections had the following four consecutive stages:
Stage 1. Exploratory interview had been forwarded based on the curriculum guide or
syllabus, instructional process, tasks and activities, methodology, and problems
incurred in teaching- learning process. Oppenheim, quoted in Basturkmen
(1998), defines this interview as It is...essentially heuristic, to develop
ideas...rather than gather facts and statistics. It is concerned with trying to
understand how common people think and feel about the topic of concern to
research (p.67). Thus, the general nature of data collection methods employed
had been designed from the information recorded. However, results from the
informal interview had not been tabulated and analyzed for they were not
representative sample of the total population. The participants in this stage are
four students, two executive bodies and four teachers who were chosen on
purpose.
Stage 2. Based on the responses of informal interview of stage one, questionnaires had
been adapted and dispatched for further diagnosis of need analysis.
Stage 3. In this stage executive bodies from both the Amhara Bureau of Education and
Health and principals of medical colleges had been interviewed.
Stage 4. In this stage documents which are related to the study will be closely examined
to crosscheck the conception of the subjects, to the manifestations that are
revealed in other data collection methods.

38

3.5. The methods of data Analysis

The researcher had employed both descriptive and inferential statistics in analyzing the
raw data of this research work. The mean scores of the participants responses and their
relative percentage (when needed) and their implication to the wide area of teaching
learning English had been analyzed. The tabulated data had further been thoroughly
discussed for its implication to the wide area teaching learning process. Other qualitative
information has been recorded, transcribed, analyzed and described qualitatively and
have been contrastively discussed with quantitative data collected in the research.

39

CHAPTER FOUR_ FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

4.1. Findings

All the students, teachers and other stakeholders in study have responded to the questions
forwarded to them fully as far as their realm of knowledge, their preferences and attitudes
are concerned. The researcher, thus, is going to present the findings of the participants of
the study in order mentioned above.
4.1.1. Students responses to personal information

Personal information about the learners include their background information, their
purposes of learning English, their learning preferences, their attitude towards the English
language, the different situations in which they use the language and the school
environment. Thus, here follows the students responses with both quantitative and
qualitative descriptions.
4.1.1.1. Students purposes of learning and language use

The students were given likert scales questions that signify degrees of agreement and
importance to some of the questions they have asked. Adjectives that signify agreement
and disagreement were given weights 1 to 5 most important respectively. 1 represents the
highest positive value of the counted frequencies. For example, if 278 students strongly
agree on the statement, it would be multiplied by 1 and put as it is. Similarly, if 20
students strongly disagree on certain intent, 20 would be multiplied by 5 and becomes
100. Thus, the lower the mean score the better rank it would take. This weight allotment
is valid to the rest of the analysis in this paper.
As you can distinguish from the table below, the first three ranks of the students
purposes of learning English were to study other subjects (= 1.04), to perform activities
( =1.153) in their study, and to interact with people (= 1.163). The students choices
have been attributed to the communicative language teaching and EAP. The students
40

without a established thought about EAP, they had said that they want English for
learning other subjects and to perform medical activities in their study. When the students
selected interaction from the outset, we can easily understand that they tend to learn
functional use of the language.
Table 4.1. Students purposes of learning English

Purposes Of Learning English

I learn English to:
Study other subjects
Interact with people
Read medical articles
Perform activities in my study
Write medical reports
Use in my future career

fx
308
342
375
339
358
477

1.04
1.163
1.275
1.153
1.217
1.622

Rank
1
3
5
2
4
6

The students were also asked their preferred situations of using the language. The first
three selections of the students use of the language were: at school, during studying and
during apprenticeship. Though the students purposes of learning were interacting with
people, they had not select interaction in this regard. For this, we may correspondingly
see the students reluctance with their poor proficiency which was testified by themselves
when they level their present language proficiency (see Table 4.7). The students lower
capability of English was also testified by both the teachers and the executive personnel
of all institutions under the study.
4.1.1.2. Students attitude towards the English courses
Students were asked to level their consideration of the English course in their study. Most
of the students regarded English as most important (90.5 %) and important (5.4 %). This
shows that the students have given weight to the English course they are studying.
Actually, this is an asset to the teachers and to all other stakeholders to teach students
English courses to the trainees. When learners attitudes found positive, they would then

41

possibly motivated to learn for they have also instrumental and functional purposes of
their own in learning English.
Table 4.2. Students attitudes towards English courses
Attitude of the Students

Towards the English Courses

MI
VI
F
fx
f
266 266 16 32
I consider English courses as: 90.5%
5.4%

I
I
f
fx F fx fx
fx
12
36 - - 294 334 1.136
4.08%

4.1.2. The students language, evaluation and learning needs

Similar to the above personal needs, the students were also expressed their best choices
of macro and micro skills and grammar item preferences. Students have suggested also
the best evaluation method they want to be evaluated with. Likewise, they have also
pinpointed their perceived weaknesses in learning English. Let us see these essentialities
one by one with their statistical discretions.
4.1.2.1. The students macro skills choices
Students were asked to level each of the major language skills by selecting the
appropriate adjective from most important, very important, important and not important.
Their frequencies of their selection was then counted and given weight from one to four
in the same order as they have explained above. With a slight variation of the frequency
numbers, all the three department students anonymously select speaking and reading
skills than listening and writing. However, the emphasis given to each of the skills in the
course books was balanced by integrating the four skills. This had been checked by the
researcher when he referred the textbooks and the teachers guide in which the learners
are learning with.
Table 4.3. Students macro skills choices in departments

42

Department

Nursing
Laboratory
Technicians

Pharmacy Technician

Skills
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing

Fx
225
125
161
24
223
147
163
212
224
136
160
215

2.2959
1.2755
1.6428
2.1836
2.2755
1.5
1.6632
2.1632
2.2857
1.3877
1.6326
2.1938

Rank
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3

4.1.2.2. The students micro skills choices

The micro skills choices of the students slightly vary from department to department.
Regarding reading skill, for example, reading study notes of the courses, reading course
handouts in their fields, reading manuals in their study and reading instructions of
assignments and projects have been found the best chosen micro skills having stood from
one to four respectively. Likewise, students have chosen note taking from lecture and
other spoken sources, answering comprehension questions, writing apprenticeships
reports and writing assignments from writing skill as their best micro skills from one to
four. Similarly, the students have also chosen listening to lecture and other spoken
sources, listening to instructions for assignments and listening to drama, role play, etc. as
their best from the lists given to them. Likewise, speaking to a public on medical issues,
learning conversational English, such as telephoning, greeting, departing, invitation, etc.
and giving spoken presentation have been selected as their favorite speaking skills.
Reading laboratory instructions has been chosen fourth among the Laboratory Technician
and Pharmacy students though it stood seven in the interdisciplinary rank. Except to some
of the order changes, micro skills choices of the students were found similar gearing
towards meeting instrumental functions. Students have chosen the skills in relation to the
43

possible achievement value they have in their academic success. Considering their needs,
the institutional goals, and the present day EMP status, teachers and material writers can
possibly amend the specific needs of each department students in the instructional
process without affecting the interdisciplinary courses of English which possibly
prepared for them.
Though the generic view of micro skills seem as mentioned above, there are variations
from department to department in choosing the micro skills in their learning. For
example, reading laboratory instruction is chosen fourth in both laboratory technician and
pharmacy technician departments, while it is selected eighth among nursing department
students. Similarly speaking to a public on medical issues has been selected fourth among
laboratory technician students while the other two departments stood it six. Though there
are such slight variations that can be compensated by the subject teacher by varying
activities to each of the departments, the selection of the micro skills have diverse
similarity among them. Specially, the listening skill and writing skill choices of the
students are almost similar which quests interdisciplinary material preparation across the
department. This has been also testified by the executive bodies of both Alkan and
Kiamed Colleges and expertise from Bureaus of Education and Health of Region Three.
4.1.2.3. Students grammatical and functional language needs

Students had also their own choices of grammatical and functional language items in
learning. Knowing these demanding elements is also pretty essential to language teachers
and other concerned bodies to design the materials from these perspectives. In this
research, students have selected reported speech, active and passive voice and
communicative activities as their best prioritized items which they want to learn. As you
can perceive from the table below, the mean score of reported speech is 1.17 while the
mean score of communicative activities and tenses are 1.258 and 1.646 respectively.
Table 4.4. Students language items preferences

44

Language item preferences.

I prefer to learn:
Reported speech
Conditional tenses
Active and Passive voice
Tenses
Communicative activities

fx
344
539
431
484
370

1.17
1.83
1.465
1.646
1.258

Rank
1
5
4
3
2

4.1.2.4. Students choices of evaluation systems

Students have also their own evaluation preferences. A continuous assessment ( = 1.112)
has been selected first, seconded by pair work evaluations ( = 1.625) with group and
class performances ( =1.8) as a third entry. For students have selected talking with a
friend and learning social English as micro skills in speaking sessions, their choices of
evaluations have also corresponded with micro skill needs of them. One of the positive
tenets of their evaluation preference is their low preference of individual achievement to
other evaluation systems that are mentioned. This shows that the students have scored
one extra ingredient of communicative approach which favors discussions, group and pair
works as a means to an end. The existing evaluation system has also a positive spillover
to the students choices. As we see later in the interview the college principals testified
that their evaluation system is 70% to practice sessions and 30 % to theory. As they have
further illustrated, the practice part is evaluated recurrently to see the students gradual
development.
Table 4.5. Students evaluation system needs
Ways of Testing.
I want to be tested through:
Mid and final semester

fx

Rank

examinations
Pair works
Individual achievements
A series of tests, quizzes,

347
478
592
327

1.8
1.625
2.013
1.112

4
2
5
1

assignments, class works,

45

homework etc.
Group and class performance

522

1.77

4.1.2.5. Students own judgments of their present language ability

The students were also asked to evaluate their own English ability using a likert scale that
ranges from excellent to poor. They have illustrated they have lower belief in their
English ability. Most of them have leveled themselves that they have satisfactory (47.6%)
and poor (36.7 %) ability of English. This actually has been supported by both the
teachers and executives that are participated in the study. During the interview sessions
the dean and coordinators of the colleges and executive concerned bodies from Bureau of
Education and Bureau of health have testified that the students have lower English
proficiency in their learning. Here,E represents excellent; VG means very good; G
signifies good; S is satisfactory and P represents poor.

Table 4.6. Students own evaluation of their present English language proficiency

How do you
level your

E
f

fx

VG
f
fx

G
f

fx

S
f

Fx

P
f

Fx

present English
language
proficiency?
%
- fx

10 10 17 34 29 87 140 560 108 540

3.4
5.78
9.86
47.6
36.7
1231 4.187
0.03
0.1
0.
4

29
46

1.9

1.83

4.1.2.6. Students reaction to the learning process

Students have also given their responses to some of the elements in the instructional
process. Learning is a complex process which is a bit difficult to quantify its result for it
comprises immense components that contribute their own to the end result. In this section
what the students need in their learning, how they could see their in environment, the
activities, evaluation methods, vocabularies, contents of course books, and English use
after college were selected among others to put their degree of agreement and
disagreement from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The less weight is given to
strongly agree (one point); agree (two points); disagree (three points) and strongly
disagree (four points) repectively. Thus, the lower the mean value, the better rank it
would have. Based on Table 4.10, the students further strengthened their need of medical
English too by giving the priority to medical English in the learning process. Students
have also testified that their teachers are using variety of evaluation systems in measuring
their achievements. As we see later in the teachers questionnaire, this actually coincide
with the teachers own testimony when they were asked whether they use variety of
evaluation method to evaluate their students performances.

Table 4.7. Students reaction to the learning process

Issues In The Instructional Process

f
Contents in the teaching learning process of English are

fx

Rank

related to the medical discipline

294
Instruction should focus on the English needed for my

908

3.088

study
294
Teachers use variety of evaluation methods in the

411

1.397

process of instruction
294
The school environment is convenient to study English
294
some instruction need to foster my English use after 294

437
641
495

1.486
2.18
1.638

2
5
3

47

college completion
My medical vocabularies of other subjects are helpful in
my English class
Activities in the instruction help my study very well

294
294

797
588

2.71
2

6
4

4.1.3. The teachers responses

As cited in Hull (2008), Suslu (2006) of Turkey explored what motivates the ESL teacher
and found that teachers are more motivated, inspired and able to inspire when they
themselves feel energized and empowered in their work. As the educator further explains
when teachers have job satisfaction, they perform better and this is directly correlated to
higher levels of learner-outcomes and learner-satisfaction. Suslu explores the importance
of psychological reward for the teacher: the ability to function with a degree of autonomy
and creativity on the job, familiarity with the subject matter and ability to make changes
in same for the students benefit as well as increase ones one professional competency.
He/she clearly points how that lack of support and acknowledgement by the educational
institution and constraints of an imposed curriculum will greatly effect teacher
satisfaction and learner-results.
Similar to the students, teachers were also asked the goals of the course books, their
attitudes towards learners weaknesses, their levels of macro skills and their selections of
micro skills together with their suggestions of language items to medical college students.
They were even asked whether they had training in ESP or not. Let us see these elements
one by one with their responses to each of the categories they have asked.
4.1.3.1. Teachers levels of the macro skills

All the teachers have leveled all the macro skills as most important and very important
and important negating not important scale at all. The top two macro skills are speaking
and writing which overlap with the findings of Ephremes thesis which has been done in
Addis Ababa Nursing School of Minilek II and Asella Nursing School. Students,
however, have leveled writing skill fourth. Teachers ideal assumptions were not found
48

equally shared by their students. As you see from the table below, the teachers have
selected speaking as the most important skill with a mean score of one. The mean score
of writing and listening have also been 1.6 and 1.8 respectively. As you see from the
mean scores, teachers focus of attention is towards speaking skill.

Table 4.8. Teachers suggested macro skills to medical college students

MI
Skills
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing

F
1
5
2
3

fx
1
5
2
3

F
1
1
1

VI
fx
2
2
2

I
F
2
2
1

NI
fx f fx
6 - - - 6 - 3 - -

f
5
5
5
5

fx
9
5
10
8

1.8
1
2
1.6

Rank
3
1
4
2

4.1.3.2. Teachers views of students difficulty

Teachers are the principal practitioners who are engaged with teaching to give the
students fresh, convincing and practical pieces of information. Similarly, they are
expected to deliver constructive comments in developing, in changing the curriculum, in
49

designing syllabuses and in developing teaching learning materials so as to solve

institutional problems together with other stakeholders. In this research paper teachers
were asked to pinpoint the weaknesses of their students which they are experienced.
Writing Projects, listening activities, composition activities, conversational skills and
general vocabulary are the top five areas of failures of the students in the eyes of the
teachers. The same have said students when they have testified their micro skills choices.
In turn, medical vocabulary, medical and technical activities, reading assignments and
sentence structure were found the least problems of medical college students. In the
following table you can clearly see the teachers views of students levels of difficulty by
looking at the mean scores. For a corresponding clarity, SA means strongly agree; A
represents agree; D holds disagree and SD is strongly disagree.

Table 4.9. Teachers levels of students weaknesses

50

AREAS

OF

WEAKNESSES:
STUDENTS
USUALLY

ARE
WEAK

IN:
Listening Activities
Speaking Activities
Reading Assignments
Writing Projects
Grammar

F
4
3
1
5

fx
4
3
1
5

F
1
1
1
-

fx
2
2
2
-

f
1
1
-

fx
3
3
-

f
.
.
2
-

Applications
Composition

Activities
4
Conversational Skills 3
Medical and Technical

4
3

1
2

2
4

Activities
General Vocabulary
Medical Vocabulary
Sentence Structure

3
-

1
2
1
4

2
4
2
8

3
2
1

3
-

fx
8
-

f
5
5
5
5

fx
6
8
14
5

1.2
1.6
2.8
1

Rank
2
6
9
1
7

1 4

10

.
.

5
5

6
7

1.2
1.4

2
4

9
6
3

1
.
2
.-

4
8
-

5
5
5
5

15
7
16
11

3
1.4
3.2
2.2

10
4
11
8

4.1.3.3. Types of tests which the teachers use

Teachers anonymously said that they use textual questions, multiple choice questions,
essay questions and oral questions to evaluate the students performances. Variety of tests
can possibly answer the multivariate nature of interests of the students to foster their
capability across levels of questions in testing.

4.1.3.4. Goals of the medical colleges from the teachers perspective

Teachers were also asked to level the goals that the courses possibly satisfy using the
weighted adjective given to them. They were expected to level the goals that satisfy the
courses by saying excellent, good, not bad, insufficient and poor. Depending on this, the
teachers have noted that General English, writing, and speaking are the top three goals
51

that the course books satisfy while translation, medical English and preparation for future
exams were regarded the bottom three goals that the course books satisfy. This again
discloses that medical English is not the goal of the course books that are emphasized.
Negating translation and preparing students for the future exams, however, is something
missing from the colleges ultimate goals that are generally expected.
From documents analysis, the writer of this thesis has found mismatch between
institutional goals and teachers perceived goals as we have dictated earlier. The Revised
Curriculum for Diploma Medical College Students, (2000) dictates the students are
expected to attain the following objectives:
speak the language in a simple and understandable manner,
listen and comprehend clients health information,
write clear, legible, and accurate medical activities in their fields,
receive instructions correctly,
develop the ability to carryout orders,
communicate with clients, health team members and other, and
develop study skills for further education.
Though the Ministry of education proposes such objectives, preparing the students for
further education and medical English were not selected as goals of the courses by the
teachers.

Table 4.10. Goals of the English courses from the teachers vantage point

Goals
Translation
Listening

f
5
5
52

fx
23
12

4.6
2.4

Rank
9
5

Speaking
Writing
Grammar
Preparation for future exams
Reading
comprehension
vocabulary development
General English
Medical English
Additional comments:

5
5
5
5

9
9
16
17

1.8
1.8
3.2
3.4

2
2
6
7

and
5
11
2.2
4
5
6
1.2
1
5
17
3.4
7
No additional Comments

As you see from table and the institutional goals described in the preceding section, the
focus is to develop integrative skills of the students which are by far the essence of GPE
than EMP.
4.1.3.5. Teachers reactions about the course books and other teaching materials

Teachers have also rectified that the distribution of emphasis on different skills is relevant
to the students needs. Course books need supplementation and activities in the course
books are interesting and varied are chosen issues they agree at. However, teachers have
also shown their reservations or reluctance on three points. These are: subjects in the
books are appealing to the students; course books are well suited to the students wants
and needs; exercises are relevant to the institutional goals and students enjoy following
activities in the books.

Table 4.11. Teachers attitudes on the language teaching materials

Issues about the course books and teaching materials

f
The level of the language in the course books is

fx

Rank

appropriate to students level

5
Course books are well suited to the students needs and

12

2.4

wants.

17

3.4

5
53

Students enjoy following the activities in the books.

Activities in the course books are interesting and varied.
Exercises are relevant to the institutional goals
Course books need supplementation

5
5
5
5

19
13
17
8

3.8
2.6
3.4
1.6

8
4
6
2

Subjects in the books are appealing to students.

5
Distribution of emphasis on different skills is relevant to

16

3.2

students needs
Additional Comments

5
6
1.2
1
No further comment given

In here, the teachers have said that the activities in the textbooks are interesting and
varied and similarly, they have not agreed upon on the statement that reads the students
do enjoy following the activities in the course books. These two issues seem
controversial superficially; however, they have no something contradictory if we look at
them deeply. Though activities in the course books are varied and interesting from
scholarly point of view, students do not practically enjoy those varied and interesting
activities in reality. Something that we say interesting may not practically be so, for there
are other variables that interfere (like the students ability, the discipline they are
studying, the teachers way of delivery and so on) and cause variations. Thus, the former
one is normative (theoretical scholarly belief), while the latter one is descriptive (emanate
from the practical teaching learning process).

Likewise, respondents have also been asked to list five factors of teaching English in the
college. This question has been asked to diagnose areas of failures in the colleges in
relation to the material in use and the approach of teaching English. Thus, teachers have
listed: the missing of relevant course books, low students motivation, large class size,
inadequate teaching facilities, lack of recurrent professional development, unavailability
of standardized tests in Ethiopia, and lack of recently published English books in their
colleges, as the major factors that obstruct the teaching-learning process of English in
their colleges.

54

4.1.4. Analysis of interviewees responses

The executive bodies from each of the colleges and concerned bodies from bureau of
education and bureau of health of Amhara Region were asked seven questions. Each of
the questions are semi structured in order to elicit the interviewee further explanation
when a need arise. The first question which was forwarded to the interviewees was
whether they think the curriculum and the textbooks that are presently in use in the
colleges are relevant and related to the students study. One of the interviewee has
responded that these basic documents (mean the syllabus and the curriculum) have no
basic problem of their own in teaching English in particular and in using English as
medium of instruction, in general. Though the interviewee testified this, he has also noted
that the proficiency of English is below the standard. Furthermore, this interviewee has
affirmed that this does not necessarily relate to the curriculum and the textbooks which
are being employed.
Similarly, the two interviewees have suggested comprehensive textbooks to all similar
colleges across the country. One among them has said that the topics from Grade 11 and
Grade 12 textbooks are not taught to the students haphazardly, topics are selected from
each of the grade levels that fit the medical students needs. For example, the topics The
Human Body and Mind Your Manners related with the medical students. Thus, as he
has said, changing the present materials is unnecessary. The third interviewee has also
raised the practicality of issuing textbooks to each of the discipline across the nation. The
interviewer further asked whether he believe in discipline specific textbooks or not. He
has explained that there are procedures in developing a certain textbooks; based on these
principles we can prepare a textbook to certain section of students. One of the principal
components is need analysis, as he has rectified. However, the fourth and the fifth
interviewees have testified that there should be specific texts in the area of medicine that
meet their needs. As of these personnel, the use and need of English in medical students
is different and so the textbooks have to be developed in line with this.

55

The fourth interviewee has strongly asserted that the English textbooks do not satisfy the
deficit of the students. The textbooks do not take into account the background knowledge
of the students. She has further explained that most of the students have failed the tenth
grade examination; in spite of this they are forced here to learn the preparatory school
students texts. This is something irrational, as of this interviewee.
The next question was, What skills and language items do you recommend to medical
college students? The first interviewee has recommended writing, reading and
vocabulary skills to medical students. He has further added communicative activities and
ways of reporting medical cases, (such as laboratory reports, apprenticeship reports) need
have to be emphasized effectively. The second interviewee has prioritized speaking and
writing to other macro skills (verifying skills are integrated, interdependent). The rest
three respondents have recommended integrated language skill teaching learning
processes in the colleges. The deans of the colleges have also been asked whether the
students need to be taught with texts related with the profession that they are studying or
with texts of universal nature. The first respondent has replied the students should be
learned with general texts than with texts of specific nature. He has also suggested
interdisciplinary macro skills than micro skills of medical discipline. The interviewer has
asked him why he has suggested general textbooks and macro skills to medical
professionals. The reason he explained was the students may further proceed their study,
students are not special persons having special universe of their own, thus, as he has
strongly argued, they need to be taught with textbooks of universal nature focusing on the
macro skills. Similar reply has also been made by second interviewee. Likewise, the third
respondent has testified that integrative teaching is demanding all across the disciplines.
Thus, the expert has said that selecting a certain skills to specific discipline is not
necessary for we need the four skills in different occasions. However, he has
recommended that reported speech, oral presentation skills need to be emphasized in the
medical colleges. According to him, this has directly related to the teachers competence
in teaching. Efficient teachers take into account and focus on the immediate and lasting
needs of the students.

56

The rest interviewees have not supported teaching nursing, pharmacy and laboratory
technician students with micro skills needed to each of this disciplines. Rather they have
suggested interdisciplinary general texts that fit to all of the medical disciplines. Actually
this has almost go along with the students responses with a little bit of deviation (see
Appendix 5). Though there are minor micro skills that are selected by the students of
each of the disciplines, this does not necessarily lead to preparing course books to each of
these disciplines. The demanding micro skills can be pacified by the classroom teachers
special attentions to each of the disciplines thirst. The assessment type which the
interviewees anonymously selected is continuous assessment. This has also been
supported by the students (see Table 4.6) for they have ranked first having evaluated with
a series of tests, quizzes and assignments. Interviewees have also been asked why they
have selected continuous assessment to the students. They all said that this type of
assessment type is convenient to measure the day today practical progresses of the
students achievement as it should. However, continuous assessment does not all mean
giving tests, quizzes and assignments regularly without a due follow up of the students
strength and weaknesses so as to amend failures on time and strengthen positive sides of
the teaching learning process.
Except the two interviewees, the three respondents have responded that some knowledge
of medical issues in each of the discipline is not at all necessary. Similarly, giving special
trainings to English teachers in medical college have not been accepted by latter
respondents; rather, they have suggested Continuous Professional Development
uniformly with other English teachers across the country. In another way round, they
have supported GPE than EMP. This, however, contradicts with the essence of effective
teaching, for one of the prerequisite of teaching is scientific knowledge mastery of the
subject matter. Besides, CBLT is now being supported to students of ESP to make
students reach the intended language level in a shorter time and in a better way (Elkilic
et al. 2003).As Vigers (2005) explains, there are many textbooks designed to be used by
teachers of Medical English, many with nurses-patient dialogues, many with extensive
lists of medical vocabulary, and many presenting more-or-less realistic scenarios from
medical practice. Thus, as this scholars point out, surface knowledge of medical
57

disciplines is demanding to teachers of English of medical colleges. The general

recommendations that most of the interviewees gave is working on the early foundations
of the students (starting from Kindergarten to elementary) for better English language
skill developments of students. They have said that most of the students are coming to the
college with poor English ability that challenges the medium of instruction in the college.
As it has been proved from the four language class teachers, mother tongue translation
are always demanding to break the information gap between the teachers and the
students.
4.2. General discussion

As Hull (2007) notes, what motivates the students had been known in this paper. The
students in these private colleges have chosen speaking and reading. Similarly, teachers
have prioritized speaking and writing than speaking and reading choices of the students.
This finding is partially in agreement with the finding of Ephreme (2004) and completely
disagrees with Barbaras (1982) conclusion that Pharmacy students have selected
listening and writing. College principals and executive bodies have supported the use of
integrated macro skills. However, this does not essentially mean that the students have no
their own choices of micro skills from both listening and writing. Though the students
want speaking and reading among other major skills. They claimed that the methods used
by teachers did not help the students mastery of speaking skill as they aspired.
In addition to the macro skills mentioned above, students in the study have also specific
interests from each of the negated skills which the students interested in. Students have
chosen speaking to a public on medical issues, learning conversational English, such as
telephoning, greeting, departing, invitation, etc. and giving spoken presentation as the
first four micro skill choices.

These students choices seem emanated from the

integrative motivation they have. They have shown great interest to interact with people
using English. Regarding reading skill, for example, reading study notes of the courses,
reading course handouts in their fields, reading manuals in their study and reading
instructions of assignments and projects have been chosen by the students from one to
58

four. As Dudley-Evans and St John have recommended that the ability to listen to lecture
monologue is particularly essential in EAP situation and this notion has been rectified by
the students when they chose their best micro skills from the lists given to them. From
listening skill, listening to lecture and other spoken sources, listening to instructions for
assignments and listening to drama, role play, etc. were chosen as the top most priorities
of the students. Similarly, students have put note taking from lecture and other spoken
sources, answering comprehension questions, writing apprenticeships reports and writing
assignments from writing skill as their best micro skills of writing. Often activities
demand integrated skills to under go medical activities altogether. That is why Hull
(2008) says that medical students need to read textbooks and articles and compile short
clinical essays and reports in their career. Thus, judging the students and preparing
materials from only macro skills perspectives is misleading. Micro skills choices of the
students have tied with the academic activities which the students need to focus on.
Scholars have also mentioned that students of EMP have their own distinct grammatical
and functional language needs depending on their level and the disciplines they are
studying. For example, Robinson (1980) says that EMP students want active and passive
voice for they are enticed with reporting medical cases to the concerned bodies.
Similarly, Dudley Evans and St John (1997) note that the language choices of the
students are evitable and are always affected by the emphasis given to fluency or
accuracy. The students grammatical and functional language needs were found similar to
these scholars substantially. Learning reported speech, communicative activities and
tense types withhold the first three choices of the students. However, materials and
methods in ESP need to be specific to meet special needs of the students (Strevens, 1998;
Dudley-Evans & St. Johns, 1998). The materials need to be instruments for both the
language use and the language teaching (Hutchinson, 1998). Thus, the textbooks of the
college and other published books which were used by college instructors need to solve
the objective problems of the students.
Varied tests that were employed by teachers have been attested also by both the students
and executive bodies, for both have chosen formative evaluation from other alternatives
59

given to them. The teachers use of varied tests might have met to the divergent needs of
the students, for tests need to match with the reason for learning. Thus, textual questions
and multiple-choice questions need to be related to the skill needs (speaking and reading)
of the students. Testing is one of the elements in ESP that scholars have actually say a
good ESP test is related to the students reason for learning the target language (Alderson,
1988; Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998). Teachers use textual questions, multiple choice
questions, essay questions and oral questions to evaluate the students performances. As
Alderson lists these varied evaluation methods have discrimination value, decision
making value, certifying value and motivational and disclosure value to the students
learning in particular and the institutional goals attainment in general. Thus, variety of
tests can possibly answer the multivariate nature of interests of the students to foster their
capability across levels of questions in testing. As Bachman (1991) notes, demonstrating
correspondences between test performance and language use is important. As of this
scholar, language tests have two broad functions. These are to make inferences about test
takers' language abilities or to make predictions about their capacity for using language to
perform future tasks in contexts outside the test itself and to make decisions (e.g.,
selection, diagnosis, placement, progress, grading, certification, employment) about test
takers on the basis of what we infer from test scores about their levels of ability or their
capacity for different language use. The fundamental essence in the two functions is the
extent to which the specific test tasks we include elicit instances of language use from
which we can make such inferences or predictions.
Both the teachers and the students have shown a positive interest in learning with EMP
materials while the majority of executive bodies have recommended a general English
text with integrated skills. The executive bodies GPE choice may possibly emanated from
the practicality of discipline specific language course books. In this regard, however,
there are practical application of ESP course materials in Addis Ababa University, in
Gondar University and other private colleges. For example, there are Business English,
English for Law students and English for Medical Doctors in the above institutions. This
gap reflects that there is no general consensus among the stake holders in the teaching
learning process of English language.
60

There were mismatches, however, between the students responses and the teachers
confirmations. For example, teachers speculative identifications of possible failures of
students did not represent the students real needs. Students say that their problem was
speaking; teachers affirmed that vocabulary, sentence structure, reading comprehension,
etc. as their failures. Besides, while the students claimed that they are interested in
learning, teachers mentioned lack of motivation of the students as one of the basic
problems in teaching-learning English. Thus, further investigation by using through
document analysis and observation is crucially recommended to find solutions and to
compromise differences. Teachers need to analyze students needs to know what to teach,
how to teach and why to teach. As Sari (2003) explains, needs and goals in syllabus
design need to match with the objectives for specific language learning. When the
syllabus is designed with the aim of teaching certain language skills to be used in
particular settings for specific needs as in ESP conditions, the specific needs are going to
shape the selection, organization and the presentation of the language material in the
syllabus (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987; Johns & Evans, 1991; Robinson, 1991). Thus, the
colleges needs to assess the link between English and its effect to other academic subjects
and prepare the materials in line with ESP to meet the students needs to the best possible
extent.

CHAPTER FIVE_ SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Summary
The study was aimed at identifying the students language needs in private medical
colleges in Bahir Dar. There were a total of 294 students, five teachers and five executive
bodies participated. The researcher has conducted exploratory informal interview to
establish the data collection instruments questions. The researcher has known the overall
61

teaching learning conditions from the informal questions forwarded to the interviewees.
The main data collection methods were semi-structured questionnaire and semistructured interview. Document analysis has been sparingly used to testify the disparity of
responses among the participants. The data collected in the study were analyzed using
percentage, mean score and descriptive analysis.
The result has shown that speaking and reading are the first two prioritized macro skills
to the students. With a partial agreement, teachers have selected speaking and writing as
the most important skills to the students study. In contrast to the teachers and the
students selections, most of executive bodies and college principals have suggested
integrated macro skills to the students study. Though the students have preferred speaking
and reading, they have chosen micro skills from all skills from the lists given to them.
Reported speech, active and passive voice and communicative activities were chosen by
the students. The students themselves, the teachers and other stakeholders in the study
have testified that the language proficiency of the students is low. Both the teachers and
the students have shown positive attitude towards ESP. In contrast, college principals and
executive bodies have recommended General English to medical students.
The three parties in the study have chosen continuous assessment than discontinuous.
From the brief overview of the course materials that are being used, the researcher found
there are balanced textual course books which only reflect the institutional needs.

5.2. Conclusion
In general, the students macro language skills needs have not been magnificently taken
into account when the materials principally designed. Basing on sample high schools that
has been done by the Ministry of Education doesnt totally represent the language needs
of medical college students. Since the basic purposes of teaching medical college
students and preparatory school students are entirely different, teaching medical college
students with their demanding needs is the crucially important.

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Students should basically be central reference points of material preparation, course

design and other essentialities of the teaching learning process. From this angle, English
courses are being taught in medical colleges without the full consent of the students and
the partial stakeholders that are included in the study. English courses must not be taught
in alienation to the disciplines the students are studying, the purpose of English language
teaching to medical students. Courses, thus, need to be designed incorporating the needs
of students with supplementation of other stakeholders needs. Without doing so, teaching
English courses which are not principally designed to medical college students is
imposing a curriculum in favor of the students language needs. In general, the students
needs, the teachers and other stake holders perceived suggestions and needs have not
sufficiently included in the course books. Thus, material designers need to and policy
makers need to revise again the course books in line with the students needs illustrated in
the discussion in chapter four.
5.3. General recommendation
Based on the findings of the research, the researcher wants to recommend the following
notions to each of these colleges.

The colleges need to conduct needs analysis sparingly and develop or adopt the
existing materials or new course books respectively. For the colleges are using
English as a medium of instruction, giving due emphasis for the students needs is
demanding. Thus, speaking and reading skills, reported speech and passive voice
have to be emphasized. Other micro skills which are chosen by the students
should also be included in their textbooks.

The colleges have to have short term and long term plans to solve the students
language problems by conducting needs analysis. The researcher has found a gap
between what the students want to learn; what the teachers suggest as the goals of
the course books and the institutional goals. Students are learning textbooks that
are prepared to preparatory schools that are expected to join the higher education.
Thus, the researcher wants to suggest short-term plan and long-term procedure for
the instructors and other concerned bodies to develop course books having
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verified the problems from this and other similar research works based on the
following (See Sysoyevs procedures (n.d) for the long-term plan).
Short-term solution
To solve the students problems and to satisfy their needs, teachers can possibly amend the
present textbooks with other textbooks of EMP from abroad or they can adapt related
materials by evaluating its success recurrently (it may be by receiving feedbacks from the
students). Teachers can also create different forums on the course books development and
they can use those stage feedbacks for the betterment of the present course books.
Long-term suggestions
The long-term suggestions run to develop or alter the present course books. A textbook
which is not in line with the students needs must not be imposed upon the rights of the
students. Thus, material writers, experts of Ministry of Education, Deans of the medical
colleges, English and other subject teachers of the medical colleges together with other
concerned bodies need to analyze the students needs on their own terms cognizant of the
research works in medical fields and related ESP works. The second essentiality that
these stakeholders need to do is formulation of goals and objectives of the course. The
next step is conceptualizing the content to determine which aspects of EMP learning will
be included, emphasized, integrated, and used as a core of the course to address students'
needs and expectations.
The fourth step is selecting and developing EMP materials based on the formulated goals
and objectives. After formulating major objectives and choosing teaching material
developers need to start planning a new course. It is recommended that course planners
need to be flexible in course planning, i.e. that they be ready to adjust the syllabus and
make slight changes in the course while the teachers are teaching, for example, so that
they can best address students interests and needs.

64

The fifth one of the procedures is evaluating the course which can be done either
implicitly or explicitly. Implicit evaluation takes place during the semester, when
learners, by their grades, participation, and motivation, give clues to the teacher on how
their learning is going on. Explicit evaluation may take place at the end of the course or
after students have experienced it. The last two steps are round up and taking course
developments as an ongoing process. The former one refers to an overview on all the
processes in order to verify their validity and evaluate them, and the latter one refers to
professional experience, views, teaching concepts, and methodological knowledge are
continuously changing that demand practitioners to look through the materials in line
with the changing essentialities of the materials. Generally, teachers and other concerned
bodies need to work together and undergo either of the short-term or long-term or both
solutions to meet the students language needs periodically.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abiy Yigzaw. (1990). The Communicative Needs of the High Schools in Addis Ababa.
Addis Ababa University (Unpublished MA Thesis).
Alderson, C. (1988). Evaluation and Administration: Testing and Its Administration in
ESP. In Brumfit, C.J (Ed.) The Learner and the Teacher of ESP. (pp. 87-97).
Hong Kong: Modern English Publishers 1998 and The British Council.
Barbara, L.M. (1982). The English Language Communicative Needs of Addis Ababa
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University Students. Addis Ababa University (Unpublished).

Basturkmen, H. (1998). A Needs Analysis Project at Kuwait University. Retrieved from
theWeb on December11,2007.
http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol36/no4/p2. htm
Canagarajah, A.S. (2006). What Are the Issues? TESOL Quarterly, 40, 17-18.
Dudley-Evans. T. & St John, M. J. (1998). Development in English for Specific Purposes.
United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Elkili, G., Bayrak, I., and Parlak, E. (2003). The Role of Needs Assessment in
the Developing ESP Courses. Kastamonu Education Journal. March 2003
Vol:11 No:1(59-64).
Ephrem Tessema, (2004). Government Nursing Schools English Course Needs Analysis:
Minelik II and Asella Nursing Schools and the Respective Hospitals in Focus.
(Unpublished MA Thesis). Addis Ababa: Addia Ababa University.
Geoffrey C. W and Edward L. D. (1999). The Importance of Supporting Autonomy
in Medical Education. Annals of Internal Medicine, 129, 303-308.
Graddol,D. (2006). English Next. Plymouth: Latimer Trend and Company Ltd.
Haile Mehari (1989). The Attitude of Students and Teachers towards the Use of ESP
Teaching Material in Technical School in Addis Ababa. (Unpublished MA
Thesis). Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University.
Hinkel, E. (2006). Current Perspectives on Teaching the Four Skills, TESOL Quarterly,
40, 111-113.
Huckin, C. (1988).Methodology: Achieving Professional Communicative Relevance
in a Generalized ESP Classroom. Brumfit, C.J (Ed.) The Learner and the
Teacher of ESP. (pp. 61-70). Hong Kong: Modern English Publishers 1998 and
The British Council.
Hull, M. (2007). Whose Needs Are We Serving? How Is The Design of
Curriculum for English for Medical Purposes Decided? Retrieved from the web
November 27, 2007. http://www.usingenglish.com

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Masuhara, H. (1998). What do teachers really want from course books? In Tomlinson, B.
(Ed.). Material Development in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Hutchinson, T. (1988). Making Materials Work in ESP Classroom. In Brumfit, C.J (Ed.)
The Learner and the Teacher of ESP. (pp. 71-75). Hong Kong: Modern English
Publishers 1998 and The British Council.
Mountford, A. (1988). Factors Influencing ESP Materials Production and Use. In
Brumfit, C.J (Ed.) The Learner and the Teacher of ESP. (pp. 76-86). Hong Kong:
Modern English Publishers 1998 and The British Council.
Munby, J. (1978). Communicative Syllabus Design. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Ounis, S. (2005). An Attempt to Identify and Analyze Students Needs in Learning
English for Specific Purposes. Algeria : University of Hadj Lackhdar Batna.
Poon, W. (1985). Needs Analysis of Business Students and Its Implications
for Curriculum Review and Development. Retrieved on 07/03/2008 from the
Web http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/10/1000018.pdf
Sari, R. (2003). A Suggested English Language Teaching Program
For Glhane Military Medical Academy. Middle East Technical University
(unpublished Thesis).
Tekeste Negash (2006). Education in Ethiopia From Crisis to the Brink of Collapse.
Stockholm: Nordiska Afrikaninstitute, Upsula
Robinson, P.C. (1980). ESP (English for Specific Purposes).UK: Pergamon Press Ltd.
Southhampton University. (n.d). Key to Good Language Learning. Retrieved from the
Web on November 25, 2007. http://www.lang.soton.ac.uk
Strevens, P. (1988).The Teacher and The Learner: The Learner and Teacher of
ESP. in Brumfit, C.J (Ed.) The Learner and the Teacher of ESP. (pp. 39-44).
Hong Kong: Modern English Publishers 1998 and The British Council.
Sysoyev. P.V. (2000). Developing English for Specific Purposes Course Using a Learner
Centered Approach. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VI, No. 3, March
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Taylor, R. (1997). English for Ethiopia: Secondary English Course Grade 12-Teachers
Book. Addis Ababa: Educational Materials Production and Distribution Agency.
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Prefectural University of Medicin: Sino-US English Teaching, e;Vol. 2, No.7
(Serial No.19). Retrived on 02/02/2008 from the Web
http://www.linguist.org.cn/doc/su200507/su20050708.pdf.
Williams, G. C., & Edward L. Deci, E. L. (1998). The Importance of Supporting
Autonomy in Medical Education. The American College of Physicians: Annals of
Internal Medicine15 August 1998, Vol. 129 Issue 4, Pp 303-308

APPENDIX 1 STUDENTS QUESTIONNAIRE

Bahir Dar University
School of Graduate Studies
Faculty of Education,
English Department
68

Questionnaire to be Filled by the Students of Medical Colleges in Bahir Dar

General Information
I am currently conducting a study entitled Identifying Students Language Needs in
Private Medical Colleges in Bahir Dar. The questionnaire has four sections. The first
section refers to your background details; the second part is about the use of English that
you are applying. The third section demands you to select one or more alternatives from the
lists given. The last section requests your opinion regarding English language, in which
you are going to express your agreement or disagreement. Since the information you offer
plays a great role in the conclusion of the study, the researcher highly requests you to be
genuine and sincere in responding the questions.
Note:1. All the responses that you offer will be kept confidential and used for research
purposes only.
2. There is no need to write your name on the questionnaire.

Thanks in advance for taking your time to fill this questionnaire!

I. Please provide some information about yourself by putting a tick mark in the
space(s) provided or by giving the necessary answer to the questions given below..
1. Sex
Male.. Female
69

2. Age..
3. Year (first; second; third).
4. The name of the college that you are learning
.
5. Department in the College:
Nursing
Laboratory technician Pharmacist..
Other (please specify).
6. English language experience before you join the college:
I studied English as a subject at school
I attended English at medium school
I have been abroad with native speakers.
Other (please specify)
7. When do you use English?
When studying
During interaction for social purpose
At home..
During apprenticeship
At school
Other (please specify).
8. The following table refers to your purposes of learning English, your language
preference and ways of testing that you prefer in learning English. Choose the number
that represents your answer.
1 = strongly agree 2 = agree 3 = disagree 4= strongly disagree
Purposes Of Learning
I learn English to:
Study other subjects
Interact with people

70

Read medical articles

Perform activities in my study
Write medical reports
Use in my future career
Language item preferences.
I prefer to learn:
Reported speech
Conditional tenses
Active and Passive voice
Tenses
Communicative activities
Ways of Testing.
I want to be tested through:
Group and class performance
Pair works
Individual achievements
A series of tests, quizzes, assignments, class works,
homework etc.
Mid and final semester examinations
9. To be well qualified in the discipline that you are studying, you would consider English
as:
Most Important
Very Important
Important
Least Important
10. The teaching methods in which the teachers employ do not help you to acquire the
necessary level of:
listening skill
speaking skill
reading skill
writing skill
11. Which sub skills do you want to learn? Thick in the box provided depending on the
selection you make from: most important (number 1), very important (number 2),
71

important (number 3) and not important (number 4)

Major Language Skills
1
2
3
4
Reading
Reading technical articles in medical fields
Reading manuals in my study
Reading course handouts in my field
Reading instructions of assignments and projects
Reading laboratory instructions
Reading study notes of the courses
Reading medical books
Reading general books
Writing
Writing prescriptions
Writing lab reports
Writing projects
Note taking from lecture and other spoken sources
Note making from written sources
Writing apprenticeships reports
Writing assignments
Answering comprehension questions
Listening
Listening to lecture and other spoken sources
Listening to oral presentations
Listening to instructions for assignments
Listening to audio video sources
Listening to drama, role play, etc.
Speaking
Asking questions in the class
Giving spoken presentation
Talking with a friend
Sharing ideas with classmates
Speaking to a public on medical issues
Learning conversational English, such as telephoning,
greeting, departing, invitation, etc.
Other, Please Specify.

12. Please indicate how far you agree or disagree to each of the following statements. Put
a tick mark parallel to the number that you choose.
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1 = strongly agree 2 = agree 3 = disagree 4= strongly disagree

No. Statements
1
Contents in the teaching learning process of English are
1
related to the medical discipline
Instruction should focus on the English needed for my
2
study
Teachers use variety of evaluation methods in the
3
process of instruction
some instruction need to foster my English use after
4
college completion
5
6

Activities in the instruction help my study very well

My medical vocabularies of other subjects are helpful in
my English class

The school environment is convenient to study English

Do you have any suggestion for making the English courses more effective and more
useful to you as a students of medical college? ...................................................................

N.B. The questionnaire is partially adapted from Basturkmen, H. (1998) and Ounis,
S. (2005) which are both ESP studies in Kuwait University and University of Hadj
Lackhdar Batna in Algeria respectively.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!

73

APPENDIX 2 TEACHERS QUETIONNAIRE

Bahir Dar University
School of Graduate Studies
Faculty of Education,
English Department
Teachers Questionnaire
Dear Colleague!
I am currently conducting a research work entitled Identifying Students Language
Needs in Private Medical Colleges in Bahir Dar. The purpose of this questionnaire is to
find the language needs of medical college students in Bahir Dar town in learning English
for specific purposes. Your current view regarding the students needs is fundamental to
the study. As you are among the people who are directly involving and influencing the
teaching-learning process of English language in medical colleges, your genuine
responses are highly appreciated.
Note:1. All the responses that you offer will be kept confidential and used for research
purpose only.
2. There is no need to write your name on the questionnaire.

74

General Instruction: Put a Tick Mark to each of the Choices That You Select in the
Free Boxes Given to You.
1. Your status in the Medical College is:
Part time teacher
Full time teacher
2. Your qualification:
Batchelor/Education
Degree
Master of Arts/ Master
of Education
3.

Doctoral Degree

Did you have any ESP (English for Specific

Purposes) training courses?

Other
Yes
No
4. Specify your teaching experiences.

Years of teaching in secondary schools

Years of teaching at the college
5.

Years of teaching at the university

Do you have any

special
material
designed for medical

Other
students who are studying in different fields of study?
Yes
No

6. Do you use any published textbooks other than the students text?
75

Yes
No

If you say yes please specify the focus of the text: it is:
grammar focus
meaning focus (social English)
Micro skills focus
Other

7. How would you classify the following skills in terms of importance to your students
study?
8.

Macro Skills

Very important

Important

Not important

Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Course Books and Language Teaching Materials: Please indicate your ideas about
each
of the following statements by marking the in relevant box.
1= I completely agree 2= I agree 3= I have no idea 4=I disagree 5=I strongly
Disagree
No. Issues about the course books and teaching 1
materials
1
The level of the language in the course books
is appropriate to students level.
2
Course books are well suited to the students
needs and wants.
76

3
4
5
6
7
8

Students enjoy following the activities in the

books.
Activities in the course books are interesting
and varied.
Exercises are relevant to the institutional
goals.
Subjects in the books are appealing to
students.
Distribution of emphasis on different skills is
relevant to students needs
Course books need supplementation.

9. How successful do you think are the courses in relation to the attainment of the
following goals? Mark your ideas from 5 to 1.
1=Excellent 2= Good 3= Not bad 4=Insufficient 5= Bad / Poor
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Goals
1
2
3
4
Translation
Listening
Speaking
Grammar
Preparation for future exams
Writing
Reading comprehension and vocabulary
development
8
General English
9
Medical English
Additional comments

10. Tick aspects of English that you think the students are usually weak. Tick the number
that represents your answer.
1= I completely agree 2= I agree 3=I disagree 4=I strongly Disagree

77

Weaknesses
1
2
3
Listening Activities
Speaking Activities
Reading Assignments
Writing Projects
Grammar Applications
Composition Activities
Conversational Skills
Medical and Technical Activities
General Vocabulary
Other (please specify)...
.
.

11. What type of tests do you use? (you can choose more than one alternative)
A text with questions with it
Multiple-choice questions
Essay questions
Oral tests
Others
12. How do you find the students participation with texts in their textbooks?
Excellent
Better
Good
Low
13. Level five factors that you have faced in teaching English at the medical college that
you are working in.
1. .
2. .
3.
4. .
5. .
78

14. Which of the following do you recommend to your students in order to make them
successful in their study?
15.

Reading comprehension
General vocabulary
Medical vocabulary
Listening comprehension
Grammar
Conversation
Writing composition
Other (please specify)
Have you any suggestion for making the English courses more effective and more
relevant to the students needs in their field of study?
Yes
No

If you say yes, what are your suggestions?

N.B. The questionnaire is partially adapted from Basturkmen, H. (1998) and Ounis,
S. (2005) which are both ESP studies in Kuwait University and University of Hadj
Lackhdar Batna in Algeria respectively.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR GENUINE RESPONSES!

79

APPENDIX 3 STAKEHOLDERS INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

Interview Questions to Medical Colleges Executive Bodies and other Stakeholders
This study aims at identifying students language needs of Alkan Medical College,
Medico_Biomedical College and Kiyamed Medical College. In order to achieve this
objective, your responses are fundamental. The interview is quite confidential and is only
used for the objective stated above.
Thank you for your genuine and constructive responses in advance!
1. Do you think the curriculum and the textbooks that are being used in medical colleges
relevant and related to the students study?
If you say no to the above question, what kind of syllabus and textbooks are desirable?
2. What skills and language items do you recommend to medical college students?
3. Should the students be taught with texts related with their profession or with texts of
universal nature?
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4. Do you think that the micro (specific) skills that needs to be covered to students of
nursing, pharmacy and laboratory technician be the same or different?
5. Which type of assessment type is essentially fundamental to medical colleges;
formative or summative; continuous or discontinuous? Why?
6. Do you think that English teachers of medical colleges have some knowledge of
medical discipline? Do you recommend special trainings to English teachers in medical
colleges?
7. What general recommendations do you suggest for better English language proficiency
of medical college students?

81