The Business English (BE) degree in China was established as an independent dis-cipline in 2007. Business English used to be taught as a component of English lan-guage and literature degrees. There are now about 50 universities in China offer-ing BE degrees, but the change in the status of Business English has not been with-out attendant problems. Most Chinese universities offering degrees in BE have failed to combine the teaching of English language and literature and the teaching of business in very meaningful ways, and have given English language learning a much larger share of the curriculum. Business English is taught in university Eng-lish departments rather than in Business Schools, and most BE teachers only have a background in English language and literature, with no practical work experience in the area of international business. These teachers have little knowledge of how English is used in the workplace, and might have difficulty contextualizing BE teaching in real business situations where English is used as a lingua franca (BELF). The fact that non-native speakers’ communications predominate in the BELF environment calls into question the emphasis on native-like correctness in university BE teaching. Language needs analysis (LNA) was conducted in order to discover the English language needs of BE graduates starting work in Chinese companies with an inter-national clientele. Data from questionnaires, interviews and business emails sent to and from recent graduates were analysed. The findings from questionnaires and interviews indicate that emailing is the most frequent mode of communication in English in the Chinese companies that employ BE graduates, although speaking skills are also highly prized. All groups of re-spondents (BE teachers, company employers and RGs) thought standardized na-tional English tests (e.g. TEM4, TEM8) were important for securing a job. It was found that most of the company employers and recent graduates believed that ad-hering to native-like norms was not important in a BELF environment where most of their clients were non-native English speakers who did not have a very high lev-el of English. The findings from analysis of my corpus of 86 business English email chains (307 messages, 34,837 words) suggest that MEMC graduates are communicatively adept at business email communication and can establish rapport with their cli-ents and mitigate potential face-threats, despite the fact that their English is some-times non-standard. Current teaching materials, methods and practices in BE teaching in China still place greatest emphaisis on conformity to a set of native-like norms, however, rather than pragmatic competence. These findings have interesting implications for ESP course content and the teach-ing of Business English as a lingua franca (BELF). BE lecturers might be unwilling to use authentic BELF emails as models in the classroom, because the writers have a restricted command of English. There were no signs of any miscommunication in the email exchanges, however, and specifically BELF usage may well have had a disarming effect on clients, helping to achieve the writers’ purposes more effec-tively than textbook English would have done.

Thesis (M. A.(English Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Although the University of Limpopo (UL) students have been taught Business English (BE) for a number of years, their needs were never formally analysed. Hence, an exploratory research design was used to explore the needs of UL BE students, and a qualitative approached was followed. Thus, students and lecturers in Accounting and Financial Management were requested to fill in a questionnaire and to respond to interview questions, respectively, to identify students’ needs which were later analysed. However, Needs Analysis (NA) ought to be at the core of discipline-specific teaching and learning because it is learner-centred. This essential NA exercise is at the core of courses such as the UL BE one. Findings of this study indicate that students’ as well as content lecturers’ input is authentic and remain invaluable to BE courses as some of these mechanisms are vital for assisting lecturers fulfil students’ needs

Dans cette recherche consacrée à l'emploi des connecteurs à l'écrit par des apprenants persanophones de français langue étrangère, nous avons étudié leur contribution à l'organisation des textes, ainsi que le rôle de ces connecteurs dans la construction de la cohésion textuelle et dans l'évolution de l'information. Après avoir observé les différences structurelles entre la langue française et la langue persane, surtout en ce qui concerne les connecteurs, nous avons formé l'hypothèse que la langue maternelle de nos apprenants pourrait contribuer à l'emploi erroné des connecteurs. Dans cette optique, nous nous sommes inspirés des théories relatives à l'analyse d'erreurs et à l'analyse contrastive. Celles-ci nous ont permis dans un premier temps de formuler une typologie des erreurs relevées, et dans un second temps de proposer une explication des erreurs constatées. L'analyse de l'emploi de différents types de connecteurs dans les productions écrites d'un groupe d'étudiants iraniens a révélé des points intéressants à la fois sur les compétences des apprenants mais également à propos de leurs besoins langagiers. Cette recherche a confirmé notre hypothèse initiale tout en la nuançant, car elle démontre que le recours à la langue maternelle ne conduit pas inexorablement à un emploi erroné des connecteurs en français L2. / In this research, by focusing on the usage of the connectors in the written texts of the Iranian students in a French language course, we investigated their contribution of the connectors to the text organization in addition to the role of these connectors in the construction of textual cohesion and in the information evolution. After observing the structural differences between the French language and the Persian language, especially regarding the connectors, we formed a hypothesis that the mother tongue of our students may cause the wrong usage of the connectors. To this end, we were inspired by the theories relative to the error analysis and contrastive analysis which allowed us initially to further clarify a classification of the errors and to propose an explanation of the errors found. The analysis of the usage of different types of connectors in the written productions of the group revealed some interesting points on both the students' competence level and their language needs. This research confirmed our initial hypothesis while showing that the recourse to the mother language was not necessarily a cause for wrong usage of connectors in French L2.

Cette thèse pluridisciplinaire clarifie la situation de la langue espagnole dans les formations françaises d’ingénieurs. À partir du moment où la formation poursuit des objectifs spécifiques, la question de la méthodologie d’enseignement-apprentissage la mieux adaptée doit être posée. Cette problématique centrale exigeait la consultation des acteurs impliqués dans le processus afin de connaître leurs besoins langagiers réels. Si beaucoup a déjà été dit sur ce genre d’analyse, il manquait pourtant des indications sur les variables pertinentes pour passer au crible les exigences de ce public cible. En faisant dialoguer cadres théoriques et expériences de terrain, deux modèles ad hoc d’instruments d’enquête, de type quantitatif et qualitatif, à destination des ingénieurs et des élèves-ingénieurs ont été proposés et testés. Les résultats obtenus montrent que les avis convergent sur un nombre considérable de points et, notamment, sur la manière la plus appropriée pour enseigner et apprendre l’espagnol. La méthode préconisée doit être active et viser les aspects pragmatiques de la langue à partir d’un travail en équipe, privilégiant la collaboration entre pairs, dans une perspective communicative et actionnelle priorisant les tâches d’expression et d’interaction basées sur une approche « projet ». L’analyse des implications didactiques de cette demande conjointe permet de conclure qu’elle peut être satisfaite en adoptant la démarche de l’« apprentissage par problèmes ». Un protocole de déroulement de cette approche innovante, accompagné d’un exemple d’application dans un cours d’espagnol spécialisé pour ingénieurs, est présenté dans le but de transférer les avancées scientifiques de nature à renouveler la pédagogie universitaire. / This multidisciplinary thesis clarifies the situation of the Spanish language in French engineering courses. Once language training has to meet specific objectives, the question of the most appropriate teaching-learning methodology must be asked. This central issue required consultation with the actors involved in the process in order to know their real language needs. While much has already been said about this kind of analysis, there is a lack of information on the relevant variables to sift through the requirements of this target audience. By bringing together theoretical frameworks and field experiments, two ad hoc models of survey instruments, both quantitative and qualitative, were proposed and tested for engineers and student engineers. The results show that opinions converge on a considerable number of points and, in particular, on the most appropriate way to teach and learn Spanish. The recommended method must be active and aim at the pragmatic aspects of the language, based on teamwork, favoring peer collaboration, in a communicative and action-oriented perspective, prioritizing “project” based expression and interaction tasks. The analysis of the didactic implications of this joint application leads to the conclusion that it can be satisfied by adopting the "problem-based learning" method. A protocol for the implementation of this innovative approach, accompanied by an example of application in a specialized Spanish course for engineers, is presented with the aim of transferring scientific advances likely to renew university pedagogy.

This thesis deals with the examination in the Czech language for permanent residence in the Czech Republic. The aim is to identify its basic characteristics, the success rate of the participants and whether it corresponds to the required A1 level. In the theoretical part, basic theoretical concepts of migration and integration and conditions for granting permanent residence in different countries are presented. In the practical part, the analysis itself is elaborated. It consists mainly in the comparison of the exam with the publication Referenční popis češtiny pro účely zkoušky z českého jazyka pro trvalý pobyt v ČR - úrovně A1, A2 and evaluation of its integration potential. Included in the considerations are data on average results and success rates of candidates in the period January 24, 2018 - April 24, 2019. From a didactic point of view, the thesis also deals with the available preparatory materials: a handbook Připravte se s námi na zkoušku z českého jazyka pro trvalý pobyt v ČR. Nový formát testu A1, web portal www.cestina-pro-cizince.cz and related documents. This part evaluates the information about the test and how much the materials correspond to the exam. The results showed that the success rate of candidates is only 61.82% in the period under review. Despite the low results, we...

The thesis is focused on ESP, English for Specific Purposes, namely English for tourism. Another specific feature is that it focuses on one particular student and the preparation of an individual course for him. In this thesis the student's needs are analyzed, the course syllabus is developed and teaching materials are prepared. After the study of the theoretical literature, the needs of the particular student are analyzed in terms of language needs, language skills and intercultural competence. The analysis is carried out through a guided interview and synthesized in a case study. A one-semester course syllabus design is the result of the analysis. In accordance with the syllabus, the lesson plans containing specific topic, aim, language skills, language sub-skills and teaching materials are created.

This study was an exploration of how language is managed in the subordinate courts of Machakos County in Kenya. It was an investigation into the language policy used in the courts, and whether the languages serve the needs, uses and preferences of the people. Language use in Kenya is constitutional (The Constitution of Kenya, 2010).The national language of the Republic of Kenya is Kiswahili and its official languages are English and Kiswahili. The constitution shall protect and promote indigenous languages of the people of Kenya. The constitution further indicates that there shall be general provisions to the Bill of Rights, fundamental freedoms, and that the authority of courts shall uphold and enforce the Bill of Rights. (The Kenya Constitution, 2010, (Cap 4, entitled “The Bill of Rights” has subcategories ranging from Part 1 to Part 5. Part 1 elaborates on general provisions relating to the Bill of Rights, Part 2 on Rights and fundamental freedoms, Part 3 on specific application of Rights, Part 4 on state of emergency and Part 5 on Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission). The study attempts to establish whether or not the subordinate courts adhere to these provisions, which policy makers need to adhere to. This research further explores solutions to the problem of communication during court proceedings. Its aim was to advance scientific information that would inform the formulation of a more accommodating language policy in Subordinate Courts. The background information and the history of the courts language gave an overview of how language in subordinate courts is used according to various scholars. The evaluation of how language is used during court proceedings shed light on the people‟s language needs, uses and preferences. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt et Phil. (Linguistics)

The effect of the academic literacy intervention programme on the SATAP English scores was evaluated. This study begins as a longitudinal study in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology (FSET). 120 subjects from the Electrical, Civil, Building and Mechanical departments in the FSET were randomly selected to serve as an experimental group. The research design employed a quantitative methodology. Data was collected using the Standardised Assessment Tests for Access and Placement (SATAP) English Test. The test was administered to the experimental group as a pre- test and post-test measure at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year. The SPSS statistical programme with frequency tables and graphs was utilised to analyse the data obtained. The results indicated that the difference between the pre-test scores and the post-test scores was statistically significant. The post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test ones. It was concluded that the academic literacy intervention programme was effective in increasing the SATAP scores and therefore addressed some of the language needs of students. / Language Education Arts and Culture / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

Writing proficiency in the English language is one of the critical workplace competencies required in the police workplace. The aim of this study was to investigate and determine the perceptions and experiences of South African police constables’ workplace English writing needs in selected police clusters in the Gauteng province, South Africa and recommend suitable strategies to address those needs. Therefore this thesis reports on workplace English writing needs from a professional perspective to determine how they impact on the workplace English writing competencies of police constables and also as a basis for the development of a language-integrated learning curriculum in SAPS police training academies. Data was collected through a questionnaire and interviews with selected sample of the respondents. This data was collected on: their perceptions of their workplace English writing competencies, the areas within English writing which they consider to be a challenge, their perceptions about the extent to which the SAPS training programme addresses police officers’ workplace English writing needs and their suggestions regarding the type of SAPS training programme which can enhance their workplace English writing competencies. This study was prompted by concerns from various research studies and media which reported that police officers have inadequate English writing competencies. Among other things, the study found that the absence of an English writing course in the Basic Police Development Learning Programme contributes significantly to the inadequate workplace English writing competency of police constables in South Africa. The lack of awareness of the importance of other writing sub-skills such as punctuation, word classification and correct capitalisation, contributes to police constables incompetence. This research underscores the importance of police constables’ workplace English writing research on a large scale. Such research can be used for improved pedagogy in police training academies in South Africa. Finally, the findings from this study can also be used as a basis for the development of language-integrated learning curricula in the South African police training academies and also to foster awareness about different factors impacting on the workplace English writing competencies of police constables in South Africa. / English Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (English)

The effect of the academic literacy intervention programme on the SATAP English scores was evaluated. This study begins as a longitudinal study in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology (FSET). 120 subjects from the Electrical, Civil, Building and Mechanical departments in the FSET were randomly selected to serve as an experimental group. The research design employed a quantitative methodology. Data was collected using the Standardised Assessment Tests for Access and Placement (SATAP) English Test. The test was administered to the experimental group as a pre- test and post-test measure at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year. The SPSS statistical programme with frequency tables and graphs was utilised to analyse the data obtained. The results indicated that the difference between the pre-test scores and the post-test scores was statistically significant. The post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test ones. It was concluded that the academic literacy intervention programme was effective in increasing the SATAP scores and therefore addressed some of the language needs of students. / Language Education Arts and Culture / M. Ed. (Adult Education)