The English Language Needs Of Undergraduate Agriculture Students And Their Implications For Designing A Needs Based Syllabus: Focus On Communicative English Skills

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to investigate the English language needs of undergraduate agriculture students and assess to what extent these needs are addressed in the preparation of course materials. To achieve this objective, the study employed a descriptive case study design using a mixed-methods approach. It involved 317 participants, including current students, graduates, major course instructors, Communicative English Skills instructors, and agricultural employers. Participants were selected through comprehensive sampling (all students), purposive sampling (Communicative English Skills instructors, graduates, and employers), and random sampling (major course instructors). This study used questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis to collect data. The questionnaire gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from 258 students, 21 graduates, and 26 instructors, focusing on language needs and course material assessment. Semi-structured interviews with 5 English instructors, 4 major course instructors, and 7 employers provided additional insights. Document analysis of the FLEn 1011/1012 textbooks assessed their alignment with agriculture students' language needs. The collected data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaire data were entered into SPSS version 25 and analyzed with descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, ranking, and percentage). Interview data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed qualitatively. The CES course materials were evaluated using a rubric adapted from Cunningsworth (2001) and Ellis & Johnson (2015) to assess their relevance to students' needs. The study assessed the Communicative English Skills (CES) course against five objectives and found it poorly aligned with the academic and professional needs of agriculture students, scoring only 31 out of 100 in relevance. It focused on general topics while neglecting key agriculture-specific tasks (ESP) like writing farm reports or interpreting manuals. The study found out that Students faced significant challenges in using English, with 70% reporting speaking anxiety and 65% struggling with technical writing. Additionally, 80% lacked essential agricultural vocabulary. English was found necessary for writing theses, accessing academic resources, engaging with NGOs, and handling technical documents. Speaking, writing, and listening were identified as the most crucial skills, and participants recommended including agriculture-related vocabulary, local case studies, and practical communication tasks in the CES curriculum to improve students’ academic performance and career readiness. Finally, the study recommends revising the CES syllabus to include agriculture-specific content, adopting task-based learning, and enhancing instructor training to better align English instruction with students’ academic and professional needs (ESP). It also suggests developing targeted materials, reducing speaking anxiety, and advocating for national policies supporting discipline-specific language training in agriculture