Exploring the learning needs of electronic students at hue industrial college: Towards a suggested esp syllabus

 Tạp chí Khoa học Ngôn ngữ và Văn hóa ISSN 2525-2674 Tập 2, Số 3, 2018 
249 
EXPLORING THE LEARNING NEEDS OF ELECTRONIC 
STUDENTS AT HUE INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE: 
TOWARDS A SUGGESTED ESP SYLLABUS 
Truong Thi Phuong Chi*; Ho Thi Hong Phuc 
Hue Industrial College 
Received: 09/07/2018; Revised: 20/08/2018; Accepted: 20/12/2018 
Abstract: Designing an ESP course-book for technical students to meet their demand for 
applying effectively in workplace is crucial and practical. This study explored the needs of 
electronic students at Hue Industrial College (HIC) towards a suggested syllabus. Also, the 
research aimed to gain some insights into material sources, language structures and 
functions needed in ESP course. Subjects for this study included 50 electronic students, 4 
English teachers and 5 subject instructors at HIC and 30 former electronic students 
currently working in domestic and foreign companies in Vietnam. Data were collected 
through questionnaires and interviews, then analyzed by quantitative and qualitative 
methods. The findings of study pointed out students’ needs in ESP course, such as purposes 
of learning, learning activity preference, language skills and language areas, topics and 
testing form as well as learning assessment preference. 
Key words: Learning needs, syllabus development, English for specific purposes (ESP) 
1. Introduction 
In recent years with the globalization of trade and economy, our world has entered the era 
of international communication and advanced technology. The boom of foreign investment in 
Vietnam has created more and more opportunities for graduates, especially technical graduates 
in general and Electronic graduates in particular, to work in foreign companies. Like students of 
other different fields in Vietnam, electronic students, must be equipped with basic knowledge of 
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) as well as their subject knowledge. ESP will help graduate 
students communicate effectively at the work site. ESP and their major knowledge are two 
crucial factors that help them adapt and exist in the current socio-economic development. In 
response to the demand of society for improving students’ ability of English communication at 
the work-site, the ESP course quality is of much concern. 
However, there are not many ESP course-books appropriate for Electronic students 
available at Vietnamese universities in general, and at Hue Industrial College (HIC) in 
particular. ESP teaching materials for technical students in HIC have remained a big problem. 
Therefore, designing an ESP course-book for Electronic students in HIC to meet their demand 
for developing English language proficiency and for communicating in the workplace 
effectively is very crucial and practical work. The existing problems noted above made the idea 
of exploring the needs of Electronic Students at HIC to design a syllabus in order to meet the 
learners’ needs. Therefore, the researcher decides to carry out a study entitled: “Exploring the 
Learners’ Needs of Electronic Students at Hue Industrial College: Towards a Suggested ESP 
Syllabus”. The study covered the Electronic students’ needs in the ESP course including 
purposes of learning, language skills and language areas required, topics and testing form. In 
* Email: ttpchi@hueic.edu.vn 
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addition, the results from the study also revealed the sources of materials needed to be taught in 
the ESP course and language functions and language forms are included in the syllabus. The 
study ended with pedagogical implications for efficient and effective ESP course preparation at 
HIC- a vocational college. 
2. Theoretical background 
2.1. What is ESP? 
Hutchinson and Waters (1986, p. 19) define that "ESP is an approach to language 
teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner's reason for 
learning". Duane and Gu (2004, p. 121) also have the same definition, “ESP is a pedagogy in 
which the syllabus, contents and methods are determined according to the needs of learners’ 
specialized subjects”. Wright (2001, p. 57) considers that “ESP is, basically, language learning 
which has its focus on all aspects of language pertaining to a particular field of human activity, 
while taking into account the time constraints imposed by learners”. 
All of the three definitions clearly express the main ESP characteristics: it is relevant to 
the learners and being focused on the learners’ needs. Thus the aim of ESP teaching is to help 
students use English effectively that they will meet in real situations in their future professions 
or need for their further education. Consequently, it provides learners’ motivation and makes the 
learning better. Based on the definition of Hutchinson and Waters, the content and method of 
this syllabus are designed under the basis of learners’ needs. 
2.2. Definition of syllabus 
To get an exact conception about syllabus, the terms “curriculum” and “syllabus” should 
be clarified. Nunan (1988, p. 9) distinguishes clearly these two terms. According to him, 
“Curriculum is related to planning, implementation, evaluation, management and 
administration of education programs meanwhile Syllabus focus more narrowly on the selection 
and grading of content”. 
There are many different ways to define a syllabus. In the word of Widdowson (1984, p. 
26), “a syllabus is simply a framework within which activities can be carried out: a teaching 
device to facilitate learning”. Yalden (1996 p. 75 as cited in Pham, 2002) gives another 
definition of syllabus: “The syllabus is now seen as an instrument by which the teacher, with the 
help of the syllabus designer, can achieve a degree of “fit” between the needs and aims of the 
learner (as social being and individual) and the activities which will take place in the 
classroom”. Hutchinson and Waters (1986, p. 80) define syllabus in a simple way: “a syllabus 
is a document which says what will be learnt”. 
2.3. Process of designing a syllabus 
Successful teaching requires an appropriate syllabus, therefore, syllabus design in 
language teaching is of taken fundamental importance and learners' needs analysis should be the 
point of departure in the designing process. In the light of this view, we can divide designing a 
syllabus into the following steps: 
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- Needs analysis 
- Goals and objectives determining 
- Content selecting and grading 
- Teaching method suggesting 
- Testing and evaluation forming 
2.4. Needs analysis 
The term “Needs analysis” is also called “Needs assessment” (Brown, 1995). According 
to Richards and Platt (1992, as cited in Izaiah, 2005), a needs analysis is the process of shaping 
the needs for which a learner or a group of learners requires a language and arranging the needs 
according to priorities. In a more formal term, Grave (2000, p. 98) defines: "Needs assessment 
is a systematic and ongoing process of gathering information about students' needs and 
preferences, interpreting the information, and then making course decisions based on the 
interpretation in order to meet the needs”. 
The role of needs analysis is mentioned by Wright (2001, p. 63), "The content of any ESP 
course should only be determined by a comprehensive need analysis" as this first step is seen as 
being absolutely crucial if ESP practitioners wish to design a course that will bring maximal 
benefits to their learners. In addition, Mackay and Mountford (1978, as cited in Xenodohidis, 
2002) state that if needs are clear, the learning aims can be expressed more easily and the 
language course can become motivating. On the contrary, if the learners' needs are not taken 
into account, the course will be based on unsuitable or irrelevant material, as a result, it will 
disappoint the students and lead to a low motivation. Therefore, it is of vital importance to 
conduct a needs analysis in designing an ESP syllabus. 
2.5. Testing and evaluation forming 
 Evaluation, according to Robinson (1991, p. 65) ‘is the discovery of the value of 
something for some purpose’. In the form of various types of testing and teaching observation 
and records, it is the process of determining and finding out how far the goals and objectives of 
the syllabus are being achieved. Since the syllabus is essentially a plan for helping the learners 
to learn, ultimately all evaluation goes back to the criterion of effectiveness of learning. There is 
no doubt that evaluation serves an important role in syllabus design, teaching and learning. 
Evaluating, particularly testing, therefore, is likely to create a broad motivation for learning. 
3. Methods 
3.1. Method orientation 
 This research employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The research 
instruments as questionnaires and interviews were used. 
Data collected from the questionnaires for teachers and students are analyzed 
quantitatively through tables and charts according to statistical frequency and percentage. The 
additional ideas specified in the questionnaires for the teachers as well as for the students are 
basically used for qualitative analysis. In addition, data collected from interviews are also 
contributed to the qualitative analysis. 
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3.2. Subjects 
This study has been carried out on a scale of HIC and electronic foreign and domestic 
electronic companies in Vietnam during one year with 89 participants divided into 3 groups: 
 - Group 1 consists of 50 first-year students of electronic engineering who are attending 
classes at HIC. Their age ranges from 18-25 and they are from different provinces in the Central 
Vietnam. The researchers chose first-year students to do the survey as the ESP course if often 
conducted in the second semester of the first-year curriculum. As a result, the students’ 
responses gave the researchers an overview of students’ needs towards their ESP course. 
 - Group 2 consists of 30 former electronic students (FESs) who are working in domestic 
and foreign companies. Their age ranges from 24-37 with over-3-year experience. 
 - Group 3 includes 4 general English teachers and 5 experienced instructors of electronics 
who are teaching at HIC. 
3.3. Data analysis 
The quantitative method was used to analyze the numerical data from the questionnaires 
and materials. The results of the data were grouped and analyzed by statistical frequency then 
transferred into percentages and presented in tables and figures. 
The qualitative method was used to analyze information obtained from the interviews. 
The qualitative analysis is a systematic process of selecting, categorizing, comparing, 
synthesizing, and interpreting data. 
All of the information above helps the researcher to interpret the precise goals and 
objectives of the course, language skills and language areas, topics, student grouping, testing 
form included in the syllabus. 
3.4. Procedures 
50 copies of questionnaire A were distributed to the ESs who are learning at HIC. 
30 copies of questionnaire B were delivered to the FESs who are working at electronic 
domestic and foreign companies in Vietnam. 
Questionnaire A aimed to investigate the ESs’ backgrounds, interests, their needs in an 
ESP course, language skills and areas, testing form and the English themes they are concerned 
about and wish to deal with in an ESP course. 
Questionnaire B has been designed to identify to the FESs’ backgrounds, the use of 
English in their job, the frequency of their use of English, language skills and areas, kinds of 
materials and the English themes needed in their jobs. 
Interviews were conducted with 4 general English teachers at HIC. In addition to the 
interviews with general English teachers, there were interviews with 5 electronic instructions as well. 
All the data from these sources were mainly quantitatively processed. In addition, for 
interview data, qualitative approach was also applied to help the researcher get more insights 
into the nature of the issues investigated and maintain the reliability of the data collected. 
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4. Findings 
4.1. The importance of ESP for the electronic students’ current study and for the former 
electronic students’ jobs 
Question 5 in questionnaire A and question 7 in questionnaire B deal with the electronic 
students’ and former electronic students’ awareness towards the necessity of ESP in the English 
courses at HIC. The result of the data analysis reveals a high percentage on the necessity of 
learning ESP of electronic students at HIC. An overwhelming majority of the electronic students 
(45 out of 50 students) have emphasized the necessity of ESP course at HIC. Only 5 out of 50 
students (10%) considered that ESP course at HIC is of little necessity. 
In an in-depth interview, a male student named N.T.A. from 16CDDT11 class said that: 
“I think ESP is very important for my study now as well as my job in the future. Most of 
electronic machines and equipment use English for their instructions, if I do not know about 
ESP, how can I understand what to do with the machines?” 
 As for former electronic students, from the results of data analysis, the percentage of the 
importance of ESP is also very high (100% of the former electronic students considered that 
ESP is very necessary or necessary for their jobs; of which 18 former electronic students (60%) 
thought that ESP is very necessary and the rest (12 former electronic students, accounting for 
40%) asserted that ESP is necessary. 
A worker from Hue Electronic Company totally agreed that ESP is really necessary for 
his current job. He claimed that “I work a lot with electronics machines, most of which use 
English as instructions and guidance. A wide knowledge of ESP will certainly help us a lot in 
our work. In addition, each year my company invites trainers from Australia to train the 
employees. This opportunity will be useless if I cannot understand English.” 
 The data in the Figure 1 below deals with Question 8 in Questionnaire B 
0
10
20
30
40
50
Very often Often Sometimes Rarely
Figure 1. The frequency of using ESP of former electronic students at work-site 
The result in Figure 1 on the frequency of using ESP at the work-site of former electronic 
students also reaffirms the above mentioned findings that learning ESP at HIC is of necessity or 
even great necessity. Mostly former electronic students (23 out of 30 former electronic students) 
very often or often use ESP at the work-site. The rest (23.3%) sometimes use ESP, nobody 
rarely use ESP for their jobs. 
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In general, most electronic students and former electronic students at HIC have fully 
recognized the necessity and significance of learning ESP. Nobody denied the importance of 
learning ESP at HIC. 
4.2. English skills and areas for electronic students 
4.2.1. The electronic students and former electronic students’ view on the importance of 
English skills and areas 
 Question 8 in Questionnaire A and Question 9 in Questionnaire B are designed for the 
electronic students and former electronic students’ evaluation on the importance of skills and areas. 
 It is revealed from the answers to the questions that vocabulary, reading skill and 
speaking skills are much more concerned both by electronic students and the former ones. 
0
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Figure 2. Electronic students’ view on the importance of English skills and area 
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Figure 3. Former electronic students’ view on the importance of English skills and areas 
The result of the data analysis in Figure 2 reveals a surprising high percentage on the very 
importance of vocabulary. An overwhelming majority of the students in question (35 out of 50) 
have emphasized on the very importance of learning vocabulary. Furthermore, 15 informants 
(accounting for 30%) stated that vocabulary is important and none considered that vocabulary is 
not important at all. Of the four skills, reading and speaking are the most used ones at work and 
listening skills and writing skills are the least used ones. 29 students (58%) thought that reading 
is very important, only 6% stated that it is not important. Communicating at work is one of the 
main purposes of the students in the ESP course; therefore, speaking skill is much more 
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concerned than reading skill (38% of very importance, 48% of importance and 14% of 
unimportance). A majority of students (72%) considered that writing skill is unimportant. 
The result from interview revealed the same opinion. Student named T.V.H. expressed 
his idea that “ESP vocabulary is important because it helps us understand a lot about our 
major. We can read the materials, search for information, exchange our ideas. Without 
vocabulary, I can’t express myself to be understood.” 
In term of English skills, N.V.B. agreed that “I think speaking and reading skills are 
more important in our major. In fact, we often read the materials to improve our knowledge 
about electronics and speak with each other to communicate or to share our viewpoint”. 
A remarkable high percentage of former electronic students (80%) revealed that 
vocabulary is very important and no one stated that it is unimportant. Along with technical 
vocabulary, reading and speaking skills are much more emphasized. 70% (22 out of 30) of them 
stated in the questionnaire that reading is very important. (Figure 3). 
In the interview, a worker named N.H.A. from Minh Tran Electronic Company also 
confirmed that “In my work, reading skill is very important and vocabulary is of great necessity”. 
4.2.2. Topic selection 
 The table below deals with Question 10 in Questionnaire A and Question 14 in 
Questionnaire B. 
Table 1. The choice of subject topics of electronic students and former electronic students in the ESP Course 
Topics Electronic 
students 
(N=50) 
% Former 
electronic 
students 
(N=30) 
% 
Digital input and output 
Television technology 
Audio and video 
transmission and reception 
Alarm system 
Semiconductor diodes 
Transmission 
Amplifiers 
Digital communication 
Test and measurements 
Wave and wave forms 
Oscilloscopes 
Safety at work 
Others 
38 
36 
34 
29 
25 
25 
21 
18 
13 
10 
8 
7 
0 
76% 
72% 
68% 
58% 
50% 
50% 
42% 
36% 
26% 
20% 
16% 
14% 
0% 
12 
9 
17 
20 
11 
13 
8 
7 
8 
5 
3 
1 
0 
40% 
30% 
56.7% 
66.7% 
36.7% 
43.3% 
26.7% 
23.3% 
26.7% 
16.7% 
10% 
3.3% 
0% 
The topics in Table 1 are given by the subject teachers in the interviews. According to 
them, these topics are popular and the electronic students have to read many materials in English 
related to them. Furthermore, they are all in the subject curriculum for electronic students. 
Data from the above table gives us overall information about the topic selection of both 
electronic students and the former ones. Although the choice of these two g