The Study Of Curriculum Design Of Business English (CIMA) In College Based On Needs Analysis

With the gradual deepening of economic globalization, especiallysince the accession to the WTO in2001, China opens more deeply andwidely to the world. Thus the demand for inter-disciplinary talents with agood command of English in economy, trade and international businessactivities is increasing by leaps and bounds. At the same time, thediscipline construction of foreign language and its talents cultivation mustcoincide with the development of the new times. Therefore, BusinessEnglish (BE) is highly concerned and gradually developed. In March2007, Business English was authorized and approved by the Ministry ofEducation as a major for undergraduates. By2013, more than1000universities and colleges in China have set up Business-related Englishmajor. And at the same time the cultivation model of Business English isshowing a tendency of diversified development. Xi’an InternationalStudies University (XISU) has developed an innovative cultivation modelof Business English--“Business English+CIMA Certificate Orientation”in2009and became the earliest university to implant the core courses ofCIMA qualification test which covers all aspects of the businessknowledge and skills in management, strategy, marketing, humanresources.Based on the need analysis theory of English for Specific Purpose(ESP), this thesis intends to answer the questions of (1) what are thetarget needs and learning needs of the college Business English (CIMA)students?(2) To what degree does the existing BE (CIMA) curriculumdesign meet the target and learning needs of the college Business English(CIMA) students and can it satisfy graduates obtaining certificates needsand social needs by adding CIMA Certificate Courses into presentcurriculum? This study adopts the methods of questionnaires and interviews whose participants are the two grades of pre-experiencedlearners (3-4) of Business English (CIMA) major and graduates fromXISU. This thesis aims to investigate the learners’ and graduates’ attitudeabout the current curriculum design of this major, put forward somesuggestions for improvement and perfection of it, and shed some light onthe diversified and sustainable development of Business Englishcultivation model.