English for Academic Purposes Needs of Research Assistants: A Qualitative Needs Analysis

Abstract

English for Academic Purposes (EAP), which aims to help the learner research and study in English, is one of the problematic areas within the Turkish academia, as put forward in numerous research studies. However, the literature seems to lack field-specific needs analysis studies within the Turkish context with regards to EAP. In this regard, the present study aims to fill a gap in the literature by documenting the EAP needs of the research assistants working for a Nursing department in Turkey. The study is of a qualitative nature and the data is collected through an open-ended questionnaire, whose questions are based on Hutchinson & Waters’s (1987) framework which aims at identifying the target needs of language learners. The findings of the study reveal that the participants are in need of improving their academic speaking and writing skills within the context of Nursing in order to perform better in writing research articles and giving presentations in international conferences.

Keywords

• english for academic purposes
• needs analysis
• english for nursing