Journals / Uluslararası Özel Amaçlar için İngilizce Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 4 Sayı: 1

A Comparative Study of Medical Students’ Target Needs: Investigating English for Medical Purposes through Hutchinson and Waters’ Framework from a Dual Vision

Tıp Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin Hedef İhtiyaçları Üzerine Karşılaştırmalı Bir Çalışma: Tıbbi Amaçlı İngilizcenin Hutchinson ve Waters Çerçevesi Aracılığıyla İkili Bir Bakış Açısıyla İncelenmesi

Naima Meraihi(Souk-Ahras University)
Haron Bouras(Souk Ahras University)0000-0003-8313-0016
Pages
30–43
Publication Date
2026-06-26
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Consequently, the implementation of a needs-based EMP curriculum that integrates communicative tasks with systematic vocabulary development is recommended to enhance the efficacy of course design and professional readiness.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study investigates first-year medical students’ target needs, proficiency gaps, and preferred modes of English for Medical Purposes (EMP) training through a comparative analysis of learner and practitioner perspectives.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Grounded in the framework of Hutchinson and Waters (1987), the research systematically explores the necessities, lacks, and wants of students within the Algerian tertiary context.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Consequently, the implementation of a needs-based EMP curriculum that integrates communicative tasks with systematic vocabulary development is recommended to enhance the efficacy of course design and professional readiness.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Tıbbi amaçlı İngilizce · ihtiyaç analizi · Hutchinson ve Waters çerçevesi

Abstract

This study investigates first-year medical students’ target needs, proficiency gaps, and preferred modes of English for Medical Purposes (EMP) training through a comparative analysis of learner and practitioner perspectives. Grounded in the framework of Hutchinson and Waters (1987), the research systematically explores the necessities, lacks, and wants of students within the Algerian tertiary context. The sample comprises 83 first-year medical students and 10 EMP teachers at Oum Bouaghi University in Algeria, with data collected via two structured questionnaires designed to triangulate stakeholder perceptions. The findings disclosed that while both cohorts recognize all four macro-skills as crucial prerequisites for academic success, with a particular emphasis on reading and listening, significant proficiency gaps persist in writing, speaking, vocabulary, and communicative competence. Teachers’ evaluations corroborated student self-assessments, identifying moderate-to-low efficiency levels across both skills and linguistic subcomponents. Furthermore, students expressed a strong preference for interactive, practice-oriented training focused on clinical communication, whereas teachers advocated for a more structured and comprehensive instructional model. The study concludes that a pronounced mismatch exists between current student proficiency and the rigorous linguistic demands of the medical profession. Consequently, the implementation of a needs-based EMP curriculum that integrates communicative tasks with systematic vocabulary development is recommended to enhance the efficacy of course design and professional readiness.

Özet

Bu çalışma, öğrenci ve uygulayıcı perspektiflerinin karşılaştırmalı bir analizi yoluyla, birinci sınıf tıp fakültesi öğrencilerinin hedef ihtiyaçlarını, yeterlilik açıklarını ve Tıbbi Amaçlı İngilizce (EMP) eğitiminde tercih ettikleri yöntemleri araştırmaktadır. Hutchinson ve Waters’ın (1987) kuramsal çerçevesine dayanan araştırma; Cezayir yükseköğretim bağlamında öğrencilerin gerekliliklerini (necessities), eksikliklerini (lacks) ve isteklerini (wants) sistematik olarak incelemektedir. Araştırmanın örneklemi, Cezayir'deki Oum Bouaghi Üniversitesi'nde öğrenim gören 83 birinci sınıf tıp öğrencisi ve 10 EMP okutmanından oluşmaktadır. Veriler, paydaş algılarını üçgenlemek amacıyla tasarlanmış iki yapılandırılmış anket aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Bulgular, her iki grubun da dört temel dil becerisini (okuma, yazma, dinleme, konuşma) akademik başarı için kritik ön koşullar olarak kabul ettiğini ve özellikle okuma ile dinleme becerilerine vurgu yapıldığını ortaya koymuştur. Bununla birlikte; yazma, konuşma, kelime bilgisi ve iletişimsel yetkinlik alanlarında önemli yeterlilik açıklarının devam ettiği saptanmıştır. Öğretmen değerlendirmeleri, öğrenci öz değerlendirmelerini doğrular nitelikte olup hem beceriler hem de dilsel alt bileşenler genelinde orta-düşük düzeyde bir verimlilik tespit etmiştir. Ayrıca öğrenciler, klinik iletişime odaklanan etkileşimli ve uygulama odaklı bir eğitimi güçlü bir şekilde tercih ederken; öğretmenler daha yapılandırılmış ve kapsamlı bir öğretim modelini savunmuştur. Çalışma, mevcut öğrenci yeterliliği ile tıp mesleğinin zorlu dilsel talepleri arasında belirgin bir uyumsuzluk olduğu sonucuna varmaktadır. Sonuç olarak, kurs tasarımının etkinliğini ve mesleki hazırlığı artırmak için iletişimsel görevleri sistematik kelime geliştirme ile bütünleştiren, ihtiyaç temelli bir EMP müfredatının uygulanması önerilmektedir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Meraihi, N., Bouras, H. (2026). A Comparative Study of Medical Students’ Target Needs: Investigating English for Medical Purposes through Hutchinson and Waters’ Framework from a Dual Vision. Uluslararası Özel Amaçlar için İngilizce Dergisi, Cilt: 4 Sayı: 1, 30–43. https://doi.org/10.70870/joinesp.1933055

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (30)

  1. Antic, Z., & Milosavljevic, N. (2016). Some suggestions for modelling a contemporary medical English course design based on need analysis. Lingua, 184, 69-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2016.06.002
  2. Atai, M. R., & Nazari, O. (2011). Exploring reading comprehension needs of Iranian EAP students of health information management (HIM): A triangulated approach. System, 39(1), 30–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2011.01.015
  3. Azzhrani, M., & Alghamdi, A. (2020). An analysis of the English language needs of medical professionals within the saudi context: an exploratory study in light of covid-19 pandemic. International Journal of Linguistics, 12(6), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijl.v12i6.17866
  4. Basturkmen, H. (2006). Ideas and options in English for specific purposes. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  5. Basturkmen, H. (2014). Ideas and options in English for specific purposes. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410617040
  6. Boumaza, S. (2023). The status of English in the Algerian medical landscape: Challenges and prospects. Journal of Applied Languages, 16(1), 848-864.
  7. Bououden, F., & Rouaghe, F. (2025). Uncovering the specific English learning needs of medical students: A case study of the University of Bejaia. ALTRALANG Journal, 7(1), 342-353.
  8. Brown, J. D. (1995). The elements of language curriculum: A systematic approach to program development. Heinle & Heinle.
  9. Brown, J.D. (2016). Introducing needs analysis and English for specific purposes. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315671390
  10. Çelik, H. (2017). Perceived language needs of undergraduate medical students enrolled in a consecutively running ESP course. The Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 5(2), 209–218.
  11. Dudley-Evans, T., & St. John, M. J. (1998). Developments in English for specific purposes: A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge University Press.
  12. Farea, W. A., & Singh, M. K. M. (2024). A target English needs analysis on ESP course: Exploring medical students’ perceptions of necessities at a Yemeni university. Training, Language and Culture, 8(1), 57–71. https://doi.org/10.22363/2521-442X-2024-8-1-57-71
  13. Gollin-Kies, S., Hall, D. R., & Moore, S. H. (2015). Language for specific purposes. Palgrave Macmillan. Grynyuk, S. (2016). Foreign language teaching for specific purposes: Basic aspects. ScienceRise, 3(5), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.15587/2313-8416.2016.64803
  14. Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: A learner-centred approach. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511733031
  15. Hyland, K. (2006). English for academic purposes: An advanced resource book. Routledge.
  16. Karimnia, A., & Khodashenas, M. R. (2018). Medical students’ English language learning: Needs and perceptions. Sustainable Multilingualism, 13(1), 164–190. https://doi.org/10.2478/sm-2018-0016
  17. Khaksari, M. (2002). An evaluation of the ESP courses of management, accounting and social sciences at the Islamic Azad University, Kerman [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Islamic Azad University.
  18. Mackay, R., & Mountford, A. (Eds.). (1978). English for specific purposes: A case study approach. Longman.
  19. Maher, J. (1986). English for medical purposes. Language Teaching, 19(2), 112–145. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444800012003
  20. Mauranen, A., Hynninen, N., & Ranta, E. (2016). English as the academic lingua franca. In K. Hyland & P. Shaw (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of English for academic purposes (pp. 68–79). Routledge.
  21. Mazdayasna, G., & Tahririan, M. (2008). Developing a profile of the ESP needs of Iranian students: The case of students of nursing and midwifery. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 7(4), 277–289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2008.10.008
  22. McDonough, J. (1984). ESP in perspective: A practical guide. Newbury House.
  23. Messahel, M. A., & Idri, N. (2025). A systematic review of needs analysis research in English for medical purposes (2010-2024). ALTRALANG Journal, 7(2), 283–301. https://doi.org/10.52919/altralang.v7i2.587
  24. Pritchard, R. M., & Nasr, A. (2004). Improving reading performance among Egyptian engineering students: Principles and practice. English for Specific Purposes, 23(4), 425–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2004.01.002
  25. Richards, J. C., Platt, J., & Platt, H. (1992). Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics. Longman.
  26. Robinson, P. (1991). ESP today: A practitioner's guide. Prentice Hall.
  27. Shuib, M. (2005, August 15–16). An English language needs analysis of factory production operators in
  28. Malaysia: A case study. International Literacy Conference, Penang, Malaysia.
  29. Tardy, C. (2004). The role of English in scientific communication: Lingua franca or Tyrannosaurus rex? Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 3(3), 247–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2003.10.001
  30. Willey, I., Tanimoto, K., McCrohan, G., & Nishiya, K. (2020). An English needs analysis of medical doctors in Western Japan. JALT J, 42(2), 143-169. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTJJ42.2-3