Stuck in the Gap: EAP Needs Assessment of Undergraduate Students of Computer Science

English for academic purposes (EAP) is a significant part of the curriculum inIranian universities. However, it seems that EAP programs are in need of morerigorous needs analysis. This study was an attempt to assess present and targetsituation needs of two groups of computer science undergraduate students atAssociate of Science (AS) and Bachelor of Science (BS) levels. A total of 320students and 44 instructors participated in this triangulated survey. Data wascollected through self-assessment, needs-analysis questionnaires, and semistructuredinterviews. The results indicated a noticeable gap between the currentEAP courses and both the present and target situation needs of learners. Basiclanguage skills and sub-skills were more important to AS students due to their lowlevel of general English proficiency; however, BS students focused on higher orderlanguage skills. Moreover, there were discrepancies between the two groups ofundergraduates and their instructors regarding perceived needs. The findingsprovide implications for revising the current EAP curriculum for computerscience students.

Keywords:

English for academic purposes , needs assessment , computer science , undergraduate students