Are ESP Courses Necessary? The Perspectives of Students and Graduates from a Northern Mexican University

Abstract

Nowadays, university students need to be proficient in English if they want to be competitive in the globalized world. Nevertheless, studies show that when finishing university, not all Mexican students achieve this proficiency as they are not always interested in English classes. English for specific purposes (ESP) courses could aid in the motivation of university students, as they are designed according to the learners’ needs of a specific field. The present paper is derived from two bachelor thesis and explores the needs of including ESP courses in four high-demand majors in a Mexican university in the North of Mexico, Medicine, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and Business Administration, based on the perceptions of 77 students and graduates from these programs. Findings suggest that ESP courses are necessary at the university level as they can positively impact the professional development of students, provided that they are well-designed and that they complement the general English courses that students take, through the acquisition of jargon and the development of the students’ communicative competence.