English for Doctors: An ESP Approach to Needs Analysis and Course Design For Medical Students

Abstract

English is considered a language of communication as well as language of fashion and status in Pakistan. For last some decades, it is being taught in different institutions to meet specified academic and professional needs of learners. As far as medical profession is concerned, doctors need English language during their academic studies as well as in their professional settings. The study investigated the communicative needs of doctors at academic and professional level in survey based research. The data was collected, analyzed and interpreted quantitatively by administering questionnaire among medical students and doctors. The findings revealed that there is huge gap between the acquired competencies of doctors with their desired level of English proficiency skills. Majority of the respondents stressed upon the need to introduce English language courses and workshops for medical students and doctors respectively, so that they may fulfill their communicative needs in effective way.