Investigating the English Language Present and Target Needs: A Study of Undergraduate Science Students at the Faculty of Science-University of Aden, Yemen

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the present and target English language needs of the science students at the Faculty of Science, University of Aden. In the light of Hutchinson and Waters’ (1987) learning and target needs frameworks, the study depends mainly on two approaches: the present situation analysis and the target situation analysis. The data was collected by using a semi-structured interview with ten faculty members, namely, one English teacher, seven science subject teachers and two academic administrators. The study obtains a number of results that although English language plays an important role in students' academic studies and future careers, it is more important in academic studies than future careers, reading and writing skills are the most needed skills followed by listening and speaking, and most importantly the present situation of teaching English at the Faculty of Science, University of Aden is not appropriate and must be improved. The study includes a number of suggestions and implications that may hopefully contribute to developing the English programme at the Faculty of Science, University of Aden.