ESP Needs Analysis in Moroccan Higher Education: The Case of Computer Engineering Students

Abstract

This paper investigated the English academic requirements of Moroccan computer engineering students at the National School of Applied Sciences in Berrechid. Questionnaires were the major data collection method used in this study. Data were collected from 32 undergraduate computer engineering students. The results of the study indicated that the perceptions of computer engineering students toward English learning are highly favorable. The findings alsorevealed that these students have difficulty with listening, speaking and writing skills.Basedon the obtained results, a task-based approach was applied to foster students’ needs in the three skills by ways of delivering in-class presentations, writing reports, sitting for mock interviews, and taking part in a public speaking contest. More importantly, the study suggests a renewal of the current pedagogies by adopting a learner-centered approach to meet students’target needs.