NEEDS ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH FOR ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING STUDENTS AT UIN ALAUDDIN MAKASSAR

Abstract

The growing significance of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in higher education highlights the necessity of aligning English instruction with the specialised needs of learners. However, gaps often exist between theoretical frameworks and practical implementation in English courses for architecture students, where generalised content fails to address specific professional and academic requirements. This study investigated the English language needs of students in the Architecture Engineering Department at UIN Alauddin Makassar, with the aim of informing a more relevant and effective syllabus. Using a quantitative survey approach, data were collected through a needs analysis questionnaire completed by [[n]] fifth-semester architecture students and analysed descriptively using mean scores. The findings indicate that speaking and reading are the skills students consider most important for academic success and professional readiness, and that reading is the skill they use most often. Participants also rated technical vocabulary, accurate grammar and the comprehension of specialised texts as important, and reported lack of motivation, spelling errors, inadequate grammar and reliance on their first language as frequent learning problems. Design architecture was the most preferred topic, and small-group work and picture-based learning were the most preferred ways of learning. The study concludes that a tailored ESP syllabus addressing these needs can help bridge the gap between students' current competencies and the demands of their field. These results emphasise the importance of systematic needs analysis in designing ESP courses.