Quality of ESP Courses for Nursing Students: Expectations and Challenges

Background: The present study set out to examine English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for nursing instructors’ perceptions of what constitutes quality ESP delivery and their perceptions on the challenges that may inhibit the provision of the quality in ESP education for nursing students.

Methods: To obtain data, first, the questionnaire of quality of education in ESP was given to ESP instructors. They were asked to fill in the questionnaire and rank strategies for effective ESP education. Secondly, 13 volunteer instructors were interviewed to delve into the problems of teaching ESP to nursing students. Thirdly, to examine ESP students’ expectations, 15 students were interviewed.

Results: The findings from the first research question showed that the quality of ESP courses was not satisfactory. Comprehension of the texts and communication in the foreign language were among what the students’ prioritized. With particular reference to the strategies for effective ESP education, the instructors pointed to the integration of skills. Moreover, the instructors believed that certified professionals need to be hired to go with ESP specialization as well as the fact that a needs-based curriculum has to be redesigned. The major problems that ESP instructors often cope with were i. e., organizational, learner-related, and teacher-related problems.

Conclusion: ESP for the students of nursing seems to be experiencing a deeply-felt demand for reform and this kind of reform depends on a series of remarkable changes. Hence, the present study has important implications for ESP educational policymakers, and curriculum designers.