Developing ESP Material Based on Tertiary Students’ Needs for Promoting Speaking Skills

Needs analysis is a critical step in ESP curriculum design to ascertain learners’ linguistic requirements. ESP offers a customized approach to language learning, targeting the specific communication needs of students in various professional domains. The research aimed 1) to investigate the needs analysis of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in tertiary students’ speaking material, 2) to develop the ESP material based on their needs, 3) to compare their speaking ability before and after using the material, and 4) to investigate their satisfaction with the usage of the ESP material developed by the researchers. The population was composed of the 4th year students majoring in English under the English Program, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Buriram Rajabhat University (BRU). The samples consisted of 29 students who were selected via a purposive sampling method. The research instruments consisted of a focus group discussion, ESP material developed, a pre-test and post-test, and a satisfaction form. The statistics used for analyzing the quantitative data were percentage, mean, and standard deviation while content analysis was made for analyzing the qualitative data. The research results revealed that: 1) They needed the ESP material with an emphasis on speaking skills with the topics relevant to the campus tour at Buriram Rajabhat University. 2) The ESP material developed in line with the BRU campus tour included the following six topics: Buddha Statue, Library, Multi-Purpose Sport Facility, Lower Northeastern Cultural Center, Phanompiman Hotel, and International Hostel. 3) Their speaking ability was significantly improved after using the ESP material for the BRU campus tour. 4) Their satisfaction with the ESP material developed was at the highest level.