An Evaluation of the graduate level preparatory course as a needs assessment for a new syllabus desing for basic sciences

Abstract

SUMMARY.v. This thesis is devoted to a suggested English for Specific Purposes syllabus design which is mainly based on needs assessment/ analysis because the main hypothesis is that needs analysis is the 'irreducible minimum' of the English for Specific Purposes syllabi. In order to suggest a model syllabus, the Preparatory-year ceurse at graduate level at the Institute of Basic Sciences, The University of Çukurova is chosen for need assessment» First, the present language syllabus, the aims of the course and the facilities are examined. Later, for assessing/analysing the needs, two devices a Questionnaire and a Structured Interview-are used. The Questionnaire is applied to 44 graduate students who had suoceeeded the language course. The Structured Interview is applied to 85 lecturers who have been teaching graduate courses in English* At the same time, with the review of literature seven different type of syllabi utilised in English for Specific Purposes are overviewed. As a result of the two surveys, needs are specified and objectives are set-up. Accordingly, the suitable syllabi are selected. With this thesis, it is found out that an English «or Specific Purposes syllabus is essential for the course chosen. Also the reason of the problems is found out as the lack of needs assessment/analysis. The selection of the syllabi is determined according to the level of the students.The chapters are organise* in the following way; In chapter I, the problem and the purpose of the study are explained. The scope and the limitations to the study are also stated. ' In Chapter II, some approaches to language teaching for for gpecific Purposes, the concept of needs assesment /analysis and different type of syllabi utilised in English for Specific Purposes are reviewed. In Chapter III, the data collected for the purpose of the study are presented, the results are analysed and detailly explained* Chapter IV, consists of a suggested model. The steps of the suggested model are stated and a sample unit - as an example - is presented. Chapter V, contains the conclusion.