Drawing the line : a study of the communication and language needs of accounting, business and economics students in a tertiary EFL context

This study investigates the specificity of students' language and communication needs in the related disciplines of business, economics and accounting in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context in Israel. The objective was to identify the convergences and divergences of their perceived needs in order to consider how students should be prepared during their tertiary education for these needs, and in particular whether the same course can meet the needs of students in neighbouring disciplines. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with subject specialists in the three disciplines, workplace representatives, third-year students and Business English course providers, comparing the perceived specific language and communication needs of business, economics and accounting students for short-term academic purposes and long-term professional purposes. Qualitative analysis of the interviews reveals that differences between these disciplines for EFL courses extend beyond technical vocabulary and topics of readings, and include tasks and genres, with the most unexpected findings in the field of accounting. Results suggest that business, economics and accounting should not be regarded as one discipline category, and the English course should be customised for each of these disciplines with greater emphasis on long-term professional needs. This research contributes to the specificity debate in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in favour of provision of English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) courses.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo