Reassessing English for Specific Purposes in Technical Education: Linguistic and Communicative Needs of Technical Education Learners in Mezam Division (Cameroon)
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ABSTRACT
This article reassesses English for Specific Purposes in Technical Education: Linguistic and Communicative Needs of Technical Education Learners in Mezam Division, Cameroon. It is guided by the following central research question: what are the linguistic and communicative needs of technical education students in Mezam Division? How well are these needs addressed by the Mastering English High School Students’ Textbook? The main objective of this study is to evaluate the extent to which Mastering English High School Students’ Textbook supports the development of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) competencies in Mezam Division. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including questionnaires and semi-structured interview group discussions, this study investigates how the linguistic and communicative needs of technical learners are addressed by the textbook. The analysis is guided by the Needs Analysis Theory (Dudley-Evans & St. John, 1998) to demonstrate how the target needs, learning needs, and present situation needs of students are identified within the context of ESP teaching principles and language teaching and learning in technical schools. The findings reveal that while the textbook provides a foundation in general English, it does not sufficiently meet the specific linguistic and communicative needs of technical education students in Mezam Division due to its limited coverage of technical contexts, specialized vocabulary, and authentic communicative tasks. This highlights the need for adaptation or supplementary materials aligned with ESP principles. This study contributes to a broad understanding of the relationship between textbook evaluation and English for Specific Purposes principles and language teaching in technical education contexts. It shows how the linguistic and communicative needs of technical learners can be met by selecting ESP-sensitive materials.
Keywords: English For Specific Purposes, Linguistic And Communicative Needs, Mezam Division, Needs Analysis, Technical Education
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Copyright (c) 2026 ABRAHAM WEGA SIMEU, 1) Secondary School English language teacher, PhD candidate, University of Bamenda (Cameroon) , Professor of Linguistics and African languages at the University of Bamenda
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