English usage and problems of industrial pharmacists at two large multi-national pharmaceutical manufacturers in Thailand

Abstract

In pharmaceutical industry, insufficient English proficiency of industrial pharmacists in international communication can cause adverse outcomes in the process of overseas product registration and regulatory audits. This study explores English use and problems of 51 industrial pharmacists within two large multinational pharmaceutical manufacturers by using a self-developed questionnaire based on the frameworks of needs analysis (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987) and communicative competence (Canale & Swain, 1980). The findings indicate that reading is the most frequently used skill, followed by writing, listening and speaking, respectively. Specific communicative tasks which Thai industrial pharmacists most commonly performed were: 1) reading emails, 2) writing emails, 3) reading validation protocols/reports, 4) reading pharmacopoeias and pharmaceutical textbooks, and 5) reading procedural documents. A major problem lies within oral communication skills. The implications of the findings show valuable sources of target language events which can benefit ESP educators and pharmaceutical trainers in the development of ESP courses.