Assessing the Specific English Needs of Isfahan Province Gas Company to Develop In-service Instructional Materials

The aim of the present study was to investigate the job-related English language needs of employees at the Isfahan Province Gas Company (IPGC) through a systematic needs analysis, with the ultimate goal of developing tailored in-service ESP materials for designated departments and operational units within the IPGC. To achieve this objective, a qualitative approach was adopted to collect and analyze the required data and extract the real-world needs of IPGC personnel in Isfahan, Iran. The participants were ۲۰۰ randomly selected IPGC personnel working in several departments in Isfahan, Iran. Semi-structured interviews and mixed-item questionnaires were used for data collection. Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) was the cornerstone based on which the collected textual data were analyzed. The study resulted in systematic ESP needs priority lists of all IPGC units, with specific focus on Technical Inspection Unit, for which Vocabulary and Translation, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Listening, and Writing, respectively were identified as prior needs. The findings of the study add significant emphasis to the importance of needs analysis in ESP courses for industry and demonstrate how needs analysis can help curriculum developers design effective ESP courses or programs. The study succeeded in designing ESP courses based on job-related needs for IPGC departments. The results also highlight the need to fill the existing gap between real-world English needs at workplace and the existing ESP material.

کلیدواژه ها:

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) ، Isfahan Province Gas Company ، Needs Analysis