Investigating the language needs of undergraduate science students in Libya

Abstract

Although English for Specific Purposes (ESP) approach is widely applied in science to many non-native speakers around the world, higher education institutions in Libya are striving to remain competitive in on-going changes in the science field. There is an ever increasing demand for communication in English in study and in work places, and some institutions have taken steps to develop newer academic programs as a means to meet students’ needs. However, few studies have been carried out to customise ESP courses to suit the Libyan scientific environment.
The primary focus of this study is to explore the language needs of undergraduate science students in Libya. The Needs Analysis Framework was used to investigate the extent of English use among computer science, chemistry and physics undergraduates. For this purpose, multiple-instruments were used including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and teaching materials. The questionnaires were completed by 127 science students while the semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 faculty members. The classroom observations were conducted with three classes namely Computer Science, Chemistry and ESP, and teaching materials were collected from each of these subjects.
The study reveals that English language is generally needed in the science settings. Moreover, it plays a significant role in computer science in particular, as most of its discourses are conducted in English. However, it plays only a limited role in the teaching of Chemistry and Physics. The study suggests that collaboration between science disciplines and English teachers are needed in terms of the ESP programme if such programmes are to be successful.

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ORCID for Rosamond Mitchell: orcid.org/0000-0003-0325-528X

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