Reframing ESP for Educational Technology Students
A Needs Analysis of English Language Demands in Higher Education
Abstract
The development of English courses across various disciplines in higher education has gained increasing attention to address students’ needs. However, few studies have examined the English-language needs of Educational Technology students who serve as instructional designers who must navigate pedagogical discourse and technical documentation in English. The study aims to identify the Educational Technology students’ needs regarding their current abilities, learning difficulties, and perceived needs. The analysis was conducted through three views: Discrepancy, Diagnostic, and Democratic. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 93 students and a semi-structured group interview with eight participants. Findings revealed significant gaps in speaking and academic writing, while listening and reading demonstrated moderate proficiency, underscoring the need to strengthen communication skills. Students also demonstrated strong awareness of English's importance to their academic and professional futures, despite considerable gaps in their productive performance. This study contributes to the ESP needs analysis literature in the Educational Technology context, revealing discipline- specific communicative gaps with direct implications for ESP course design. This study furthermore offers concrete guidance for instructors and curriculum developers seeking to design contextualized ESP courses that reflect authentic communicative demands of instructional design practice.
References
Aarvidurai, E., Anandhan, H., Thiyagarajan, T. K., & Vveinhardt, J. (2025). Education as panacea: Paradigm shift in assessing the English for medical purposes needs and learning preferences of allied health science students. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 13(3), 998–1013. https://doi.org/10.18488/73.v13i3.4376
Agustina, I., & Sinaga, R. (2023). Needs analysis in learning English for specific purposes (ESP) in the graphic design study program. International Journal of Economy, Education and Entrepreneuship, 3(1), 207–218. https://doi.org/10.53067/ije3.v3i1
Anwar, I. W., & Sailuddin, S. P. (2022). Academic reading difficulties in higher education. JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 10(2), 309. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v%vi%i.4849
Bedenlier, S., Buntins, K., Bond, M., Händel, M., & Marín, V. I. (2025). Evidence syntheses in educational technology research: What is not published in English is not visible? A tertiary mapping review. Review of Education, 13(1), e70022. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.70022
Brown, J. D. (2016). Introducing needs analysis and English for specific purposes. Routledge.
Chemir, S., & Kitila, T. (2022). English for academic purposes learners’ needs analysis: Language difficulties encountered by university students in Ethiopia. Celtic : A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching, Literature and Linguistics, 9(1), 97–119. https://doi.org/10.22219/celtic.v9i1.20646
Damayanti, I. L., Derinalp, P., Asyifa, F., & Suryatama, K. (2024). Exploring English for academic purposes program: Needs analysis and impact evaluation. Studies in English Language and Education, 11(3), 1616–1635. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v11i3.38329
Dewi, N. M., & Qamariah, Z. (2023). The function and role of needs analysis in English learning curriculum. Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin, 2(5), 116–123. https://doi.org/10.56127/jukim.v2i02
Garcia-Ponce, E. E. (2020). Needs analysis to enhance English language proficiency at a Mexican university. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 22(2), 145–162. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v22n2.82247
Generoso, J. C., & Arbon, A. M. M. (2020). Language needs analysis: An EAP curriculum design to develop foreign students’ English skills. Journal of Asia TEFL, 17(2), 428–445. https://doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2020.17.2.8.428
Hoang, T. N., Tran, D. T., Hoang, G. T. H., & Tran, T. T. T. (2024). English communication needs of professional engineers and the relevance of English language training in higher education. Taiwan Journal of TESOL, 21(2), 33–64. https://doi.org/10.30397/TJTESOL.202410_21(2).0002
Kehal, M. (2024). Needs analysis: The cornerstone of effective ESP program development. Annals of Guelma University for Social and Human Sciences, 18(1), 511–530. https://dspace.univ-guelma.dz/jspui/handle/123456789/15914
Kelderak, S. (2023). Academic reading challenges and coping strategies: A mixed-methods study of Indonesian EFL undergraduate students. Huele: Journal of Applied Linguistics, Literature and Culture, 3(2), 2023. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.30598/huele.v3.i2.p89-99
Koçali, Z., & Aşık, A. (2026). Exploring mindfulness and language learning: EFL students’ journey coping with speaking anxiety. BMC Psychology, 14, 370. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04161-w
Lasekan, O. A., Moraga-Pumarino, A. F., & Pachava, V. (2023). Using needs analysis to foster sustainability of business English courses: A case study of a university in the south of Chile. Sustainability, 15(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/su152216074
Leotta, P. C., & Dolidze, T. (2022). The role of needs analysis in English for academic purposes in higher education. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 18(5), 8. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2022.v18n5p8
Maftuna, D. (2025). Approaches to needs analysis in teaching English for specific purposes. European International Journal of Pedagogics, 5(11), 166–171. https://doi.org/10.55640/eijp-05-11-39
Mahadewi, L. P. P., Wibawa, B., & Syahrial, Z. (2025). Configuring culturally relevant e-adaptive learning design to facilitate students’ digital communication skills acquisition. International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 8(4), 315–327. https://doi.org/10.53894/ijirss.v8i4.7783
Marín, V. I., Buntins, K., Bedenlier, S., & Bond, M. (2023). Invisible borders in educational technology research? A comparative analysis. Educational Technology Research and Development, 71(4), 1349–1370. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10195-3
North, C., Shortt, M., Bowman, M. A., & Akinkuolie, B. (2021). How instructional design is operationalized in various industries for job-seeking learning designers: Engaging the talent development capability model. TechTrends, 65, 713–730. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-021-00636-2
Noviasmy, Y., & Hassanah, N. (2025). English language needs assessment for economics students: An ESP analysis. JELITA: Journal of English Language Teaching and Literature, 6(1), 140–155. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.56185/jelita.v6i1.860
Pang, B., Majid, F. B. A., & Narayanan, G. A. (2025). Systematic literature review on needs analysis in ESP within higher education: Implications for future research. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 10(1), e003162. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v10i1.3162
Park, E. (2022). A needs analysis to develop new curriculum for Korean college students in higher education. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 12(1), 79–87. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v12i1.46564
Pongklee C., & Sukying, A. (2022). A need analysis of english language of Thai pre-service teachers. Journal of Modern Learning Development, 7(10), 184–194. https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jomld/article/view/257215
Prasetya, R. E. (2021). The English language needs for information technology: A comparison case of professionals and students. Journal of English language teaching and learning (JETLE), 3(1). http://ejournal.uin-malang.ac.id/index.php/JETLe
Prasongko, A. (2023). English for specific purpose (ESP) teaching design based on accounting students’ needs analysis. Education and Linguistic Knowledge Journal (Edulink), 5(2).
Raikhanova, D., Kassymova, G., & Bakić-Mirić, N. (2025). Developing needs analysis-based ESP curriculum for chemistry-biology students in higher education. Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 13(2), 351–360. https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP250310027R
Rinawati, R., Trisnadi, S., & Murwantono, D. (2022). Needs analysis of English for medical purposes: A student perspective. Language Circle: Journal of Language and Literature, 16(2), 348–356. https://doi.org/10.15294/lc.v16i2.35445
Saldaña, J. (2013). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Sarwanti, S., Sotlikova, R., Novianto, D., & Indriani, L. (2023). Needs analysis of English skills amongst Electrical Engineering students in ESP Context. JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 11(4), 669–682. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v%vi%i.9016
Sasabone, L., Irman, Taufiq, A., & Amaliah Hasbi, N. (2024). Needs analysis of English for specific purposes (ESP) in students’ speaking materials. Education, Language, and Culture (EDULEC), 4(1), 108–116. https://doi.org/10.56314/edulec.v4i1
Sharmin, S. (2023). A study on needs analysis on English language needs of undergraduate students in Bangladesh. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 19(4). https://www.jlls.org
Vongsawath, K., Prasitiwi, Y., & Hidayat, N. (2025). EFL learners’ reading comprehension challenges and strategies: A case study of Champsack University in Laos. Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics, 10(1), 11–25. https://doi.org/10.21462/jeltl.v10i1.1495
Yacoub, E. S. (2025). Aligning English language instruction with engineering needs: Comprehensive needs analysis framework for ESP syllabus design. Anatolian Journal of Education, 10(2), 203–216. https://doi.org/10.29333/aje.2025.10215a
Copyright (c) 2026 Lucia Ekawati Ikanubun, Luciana Calixto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
In submitting the manuscript to the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- The publication has been approved by the author(s) and by responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.
License and Copyright Agreement
Authors who publish with FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
.jpg)
.jpg)
1.jpg)
.jpg)
