Language for specific purposes and non-native students needs Language for specific purposes and non-native students needs
Abstract
This article deals with the role of teaching and testing language for specific purposes within the context of the Czech language and preparatory courses at the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies at Charles University in Prague. These courses are designed for non-native students who wish to study at Czech universities.
It is hoped that these findings will influence both the course syllabus and the end-of-course examination. The first part of the article aims to explore how the term 'language for specific purposes' is understood and how it is reflected in language testing.
The second section introduces the intensive two-semester language and preparatory courses and questions whether they involved language for specific purposes or rather language for academic purposes. An observation is made, that during this course, students must not only learn how to survive in the Czech Republic in terms of language, but also need to prepare themselves for university entrance examinations.
In addition to all the above-mentioned preparations, they should develop the skills, competencies and knowledge they will need to study at Czech universities. The third part of the article details the results of a small-scale needs analysis, which was carried out on former ILPS students.
It shows that all language skills are considered important by the students, in order for them to be able to study at Czech universities. Therefore, it is not possible to give preference, for instance, to receptive skills during their education at the ILPS, although some may believe receptive skills are crucial for entrance examinations.
The respondents seem to be aware of the role of grammar and field-specific vocabulary.