From Classroom to Workplace: An Investigation of the ESP Students' Readiness for Language-Based Professional Tasks in Algeria

Abstract

This research sheds light on the linguistic needs of ESP university students, the would be language-based professionals in Algerian companies. These students should be well prepared to be skilled LBPs (language-based professionals) with high English language competencies. Hereby, the aim of this research is to investigate their extent of readiness for being in charge of language-based professional roles, as well as instilling the LBP concept as a clinical solution that would offer a strong support for improving their English language proficiency, which eventually, seeks global competitiveness. This research paper mainly includes two parts, the first one deals with basic concepts of ESP, with heavy emphasis on the Algerian ESP situation, while the second part, tackles the practical portion of the research. For the last, data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire with Master 2 ESP students in the English department of Oran 2 university. The findings highlighted a significant gap in ESP education, with very limited language skills for effective communication in professional settings. The findings similarly showed that the implementation of LBP can be a challenging task in the light of the current situation of ESP in Algerian universities. Through this investigation, the researcher attempted to throw light on a delicate linguistic issue in the Algerian enterprise that is originally stemming from the university. However, deeper insights into language challenges and communication issues in Algerian companies, that the researcher could not deal with in this research paper, should be stressed for further investigation.