ENGLISH FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MAJORS: A NEEDS ANALYSIS FROM UNDERGRADUATES’ PERSPECTIVE AT UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION - THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG

Abstract

This article presents the results of a needs analysis on learning English for Specific Purposes (ESP) from the perspective of undergraduate teacher students majoring in Early Childhood Education (ECE) at University of Education – the University of Danang. The survey has been conducted based on a questionnaire delivered to 254 ECE teacherstudents within the university, with an expansion of consultation from 24 lecturers who major in either ECE or English Teaching. The results show that most of the students are well aware of the significance of the course for their own professional development; however, a large number of them do not feel ready to get involved in the course. They prefer a syllabus aimed at helping them improve their research and academic capacities. They also prefer teachers to apply active learning and teaching methods rather than traditional ones. The results of this study bring back some guidelines for the design and compilation of an ESP course for ECE teacher students in general.