English for Specific Purposes for the Development of Communicative Competence in Engineering Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the main linguistic needs of engineering students in courses taught in English, focusing on the contents of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). This article presents the results of implementing a research instrument, which consisted of a questionnaire conducted at a public university in Nuevo León. The methodology used for this study was action research, characterized by an iterative cycle of planning, action, observation, and reflection, as described by Kemmis and McTaggart (2007). Based on a Likert-type questionnaire and a series of open-ended questions, the linguistic needs of the students were gathered to inform the development of a curriculum proposal. The participants were 100 engineering students currently enrolled in courses taught in English. Their responses were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The results from the instrument’s application reveal that students perceive a high level of difficulty in understanding technical terminology, which highlights the need for a specialized course. It is concluded that integrating ESP into general English courses can help students overcome academic challenges, enhance their performance in English-taught subjects, and reduce dropout rates.