Investigating the Impact of EFL Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Using ESP Courses on Developing Students’ Communicative Competence in Sudanese Universities

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the Impact of EFL teachers’ attitudes towards using ESP courses on developing students’ communicative competence in Sudanese universities. The descriptive analytic method was adopted in conducting the study. A questionnaire and interview were chosen as data collection tools. The questionnaire was distributed to (104) ESP teachers. The interview was given to experts in ESP course. The SPSS program (Statistical Package for social Sciences) was used for data analysis. The statistical analysis for the results of the questionnaire and interview showed that ESP courses at health sciences at Sudanese universities do not fulfill students’ needs in communication. Students are unable to produce simple discourse, express various utterances in communication, talk and think about a text in new ways. The findings also revealed that ESP teachers have negative attitudes towards the current ESP courses in developing students’ communicative competence. The contents of the course are not covered properly to develop students’ communicative competence; the courses are not revised and developed regularly, the courses concentrate on structures and grammar rather than communicative competence. The results of the questionnaire reveal that the courses do not enhance the students’ communicative competence. Based on the findings, the study recommended that an alternative course to fulfill the real needs of the students developing the basic standards in designing the ESP courses. The researcher also recommends a continuous evaluation system that gives scope for improvement in health science context. The study involved some suggestions for further studies.