A Triangulated Analysis of the English Language Needs of Iranian EAP Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students

Considering the leading role of needs analysis (NA) in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses and the necessity of reconsidering such courses in Iran, this study was designed to investigate the present and target academic English language needs of undergraduate physiotherapy students through triangulation of sources and methods. To this aim, data were elicited from 132 undergraduates, 20 graduates working as physiotherapists, 20 content teachers, and 9 language teachers at four medical universities in Tehran. The quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through two versions of an NA questionnaire and semi-structured interview protocols, respectively. The findings indicated that, although most of the skills and sub-skills in target needs were considered important or very important by all the stakeholders, there were differences in the preferences and priorities of different groups. The results of the self-assessment section also revealed the skills in which the students need improvement. The findings also signified some issues and options in EAP courses for physiotherapy students and promise implications for refining and enhancing EAP courses and materials through triangulating the multiple points of view on the students' target needs and demands of their present situation.