Headway as an Alternative English Language Syllabus for Non-Specialists in English: A Case Study of the 1st year University Students

Abstract

The major aim of this study is to identify the perceived needs of non-specialists in English at tertiary level in Sudan post arabicisation period. As the study tries to examine the content of Headway Intermediate. In order to accomplish these aims, the researcher has followed the descriptive and the analytical approach to interpret the relevant data of the study. Added to that, various tools were used to collect data for this study these included: two questionnaires and a semi-structure interview with the students. Moreover, in this study, two groups of subjects are used students and teachers. The students are the preliminary year arts students whose major is not English from two universities: SUST and University of Gazera. As for the teachers, they are the teachers those who teach English language in the English departments at SUST, College of languages, AlNeelain University, faculty of Arts, University of Gazera, faculty of education in Hasahisa, and Al Zeim Al Azhari University, faculty of education.

The core of this study focuses on two areas: needs analysis and textbook evaluation. The major findings that the study has come out with are as follows: Most of the English materials taught for the preliminary year arts students who are not majoring in English at tertiary level in Sudan post Arabicisation period are not designed on basis of investigation of learners' needs. Consequently, they do not to a large extent meet the students' various needs. In addition, Headway Intermediate ( second edition) is mostly a comprehensive English course which likely satisfies a great deal of the students' needs which have been analysed and identified in this study.