A Study Of The Curriculum Design For English Majors In Universities Of Posts And Telecommunications Based On Needs Analysis

With globalization,English major becomes very popular in many universities.In order to cultivate excellent English talents,the curriculum design for English majors is very important.Needs analysis is an important theoretical basis for foreign language teaching research.However,fewer studies have explored the curriculum design for English majors from the perspective of needs analysis.Posts and telecommunications universities have great advantages in such fields as communications and information system,inrmation and information processing,electronic science and technology,computer application and other information disciplines,and they need to build English majors courses around this characteforistic.Thus,this study investigates and analyzes the needs for the English major curriculum design in universities of posts and telecommunications from multiple perspectives in order to understand how the current English major curriculum design and its implementation are perceived and make suggestions for a better English major curriculum design.Based on the model of needs analysis proposed by Dudley-Evans & St.John,this study adopts questionnaire and interview,i.e.qualitative and quantitative analyses.140 undergraduate English majors from Year 1 to Year 4,32 graduates,10 teachers and 15 corporate recruiters have been surveyed in order to find out: 1)What's the overall satisfaction of the undergraduate English majors,graduates,teachers in Posts and telecommunications universities and social employers on the English major curriculum design? Why? 2)What are the needs of the undergraduate English majors and graduates in universities of posts and telecommunications in terms of the curriculum design?Are they satisfied? Why? 3)Based on the above research and the National Standards for Teaching Quality of Foreign Languages and Literatures,how can we further improve the curriculum design of English major in universities of posts and telecommunications?The study findings indicate that: 1)Generally speaking,four groups of participants are generally satisfied with the current English major curriculum design in universities of posts and telecommunications;2)Their needs for the study English major are mainly extensive knowledge of English language and literature,solid language skills,rich practical courses and characteristic courses about posts and telecommunications.They believe that the current English skills courses are basically satisfactory,but the knowledge courses,practical courses and characteristic courses havenot been sufficient,and the current curriculum design needs to be further improved.3)In view of the deviation between the needs of the four groups of participants and the current curriculum design of English majors in posts and telecommunications universities,this study makes the following recommendations.First of all,the English major curriculum design should meet the needs of the National Standards for Teaching Quality of Foreign Languages and Literatures;it must reduce the skills-based curriculum and increase the knowledge courses,practical courses and characteristics courses.Secondly,the curriculum design should focus on the needs of students in order to attract students' interests.Thirdly,the curriculum design should focus on the needs of the society in order to improve the current employment situation of English majors.Fourthly,the curriculum design of the English major should be distinguished from that of the non-English majors.The curriculum design of the English major should increase the breadth and depth of their courses and highlight professional advantages.Fifthly,the curriculum system with the characteristics of posts and telecommunications universities must be built.Finally,the curriculum design should focus on the dynamic needs analysis.Based on the above research results,this paper proposes the prototype of the English major curriculum in universities of posts and telecommunications,as a reference for the follow-up curriculum research.At the same time,the author points out the limitations and shortcomings of this study,as well as suggestions for further research.