INVESTIGATING EAP OF TOURISM IN IRAN: A CASE STUDY OF STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS

The study presented here was conduced to investigate the present needs of sixty MA students of Tourism Planning and Management who were asked to present their opinions concerning their preferences for the target proficiency needs, their present level of proficiency, and their attitude towards the role of English in their careers. The findings of data analysis revealed that homogeneity was the most important obstacle for any efforts in monitoring the course; neither the level of proficiency nor their attitude was found to enjoy any acceptable degree of homogeneity. It is suggested that, in addition to measures to be taken before admission of students to the program of study such as giving greater significance to the TEFL section of the entrance exam and setting up proficiency requirements, modifications to the course design including choice of self-study reading materials, limited use of L1, and choosing easy to do tasks for the weak majority are suggested.