Document Analysis of English Language Course Outlines in Pakistani Universities: Exploring the Needs of Undergraduates in the EFL Context

Abstract

Being proficient in English opens several doors of opportunities all over the globe and this ability is especially important for students who are about to enter their professional lives. The main objective of this qualitative research was to analyze the Basic English course outlines of private Pakistani universities to examine the inclusion of skills-based strategies for the effective teaching and learning of English language skills at the undergraduate level which was conducted through document analysis. Another purpose of this study was to explore the needs of undergraduate English language students regarding their English language course for which a questionnaire was administered. The findings of the document analysis showed that the content of the English language outlines mostly included grammar and focused very little on language skills necessary for the development of proficiency. The responses of the undergraduates in the questionnaire clearly expressed their weaknesses in English skills and the need for developing proficiency. Based on the findings, this study recommends developing an effective skills-based English language course outline for the undergraduate level.