English for Specific Purposes: A Study Investigating the Mismatch between the “Cutting Edge” Course Book and the Needs of Prince Sultan Air Base Students

Abstract

Needs analysis is generally believed to be important in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) context because it enables practitioners and material writers to find out about their learners' needs. Thus, the main research question focuses on the perceived English language needs of the learners at Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB), and the study involves an investigation into the mismatch between the Cutting Edge course book and the needs of PSAB students. A total of 70 students from different technical sections at Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB), Saudi Arabia participated in the study. Two types of data collection methods were used in this study: quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interviews). The results obtained reveal that the current course book being used at PSAB does not meet their needs because the activities provided are not relevant to the specific context of their field, which is mainly military and aviation. Finding and adapting a textbook that is clearly linked to these students' needs and to the course objectives is suggested as one possible solution. In the context of PSAB, data from the interviews and surveys shows the need to assess the content of the course book in relation to the needs of the learners. It also indicates the strong demand of the students for supplementary materials that provide linguistic input to match their needs. Finally, offering supplementary materials and content-based instructions for those students would help to bridge the gap between language training and practical performance needs in real situations. 1. Introduction The statement of the problem: The textbooks used for teaching English to cadets attending the Prince Sultan Air Base English Language School (ELS) were developed at the Technical Studies Institute (TSI), Dhahran city, Saudi Arabia, by the department for curriculum development. It is argued that this book is not appropriate for meeting the needs of those students. As an officer and from experience working as a teacher, it has been noticed that the current course book is not entirely appropriate, although it has many advantages. It has also been found that the English language of the students is weak and that their needs are better served by replacing the textbook currently in use with the world renowned Cutting Edge textbooks developed by Pearson Education. Through using the new course books, the students' levels have been improving, and they are now able to use the English language adequately. However, the course book that most students are currently using is a general English course book, despite the learners having very specific needs.