English Language Sub-Skills Needed by Diploma Theology Students in their Academic and Professional Lives

Abstract

The study assessed the needs of diploma theology students' English language sub-skills and tasks in their academic and professional areas. The study is a descriptive survey that makes use of a mixed method approach. The data were collected using a questionnaire, interview, and content analysis. The participants of the study were first and second year diploma theology students, the former theology students, theology instructors, and EFL teachers. Additionally, one unit of the teaching material contents were evaluated using the checklist. For the evaluation of the unit, the researcher prepared checklists which were adapted from the literature and gave them to the two coders. Then, based on that, they evaluated the sample unit. In this line, the researcher collected quantitative data using a questionnaire and coding form, and he collected qualitative data using interviews. The data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The study indicated that the most needed sub-skills for theology students were identified according to their order of importance: speaking (1.284), listening (1.494), reading (1.95), writing (2.191), vocabulary (2.23), and grammar (2.513). Based on the findings, the ELT materials hardly meet the needs and interests of diploma theology students. Finally, the researcher recommended that the teaching material has to be revised as it lacks the sub-skills that are perceived by diploma theology students as the most needed.