The study investigates the relationship between English Philology students’ motivation for studying Business English and their actual knowledge of business terminology, some underlying economic concepts and basic rules of business correspondence. It is hypothesized that students who have higher motivation also possess more extensive knowledge of Business English, yet motivation alone is not enough but must be accompanied by a real effort put in studying the language. The study consisted of a test focusing on business terminology, the correction of errors in a business letter, and a test of selected economic concepts, followed by a questionnaire. As the results show, both the students’ motivation and knowledge of Business English are varied. In particular, their knowledge varies between years of studies and areas of terminology or skills. In fact, some of the terms proved difficult even for relatively advanced students. Thus, even though motivation does play a role, its role does not seem to be decisive, as Business English is a complex field whose mastery requires extensive study and a lot of sustained effort. However, their awareness of their language needs is quite high, so they are likely to remain motivated and to attain a high level of competence in Business English.
Compared to colleagues teaching foreign languages for general purposes, who can use ready-made syllabuses or programs, the LSP teacher has to reflect on methodology at the level of course planning. The scope and nature of the proposed course content is tailored to the specific needs of a student. The analysis of these needs is based on interviews and questionnaires. There are many examples of such tools, but none of them are universal or exhaustive, nor can they be. The purpose of this article is to propose a set of parameters to facilitate investigation of the educational context, which could be a starting point for the development of question-naires tailored to specific education needs.
PL
Compared to colleagues teaching foreign languages for general purposes, who can use ready-made syllabuses or programs, the LSP teacher has to reflect on methodology at the level of course planning. The scope and nature of the proposed course content is tailored to the specific needs of a student. The analysis of these needs is based on interviews and questionnaires. There are many examples of such tools, but none of them are universal or exhaustive, nor can they be. The purpose of this article is to propose a set of parameters to facilitate investigation of the educational context, which could be a starting point for the development of questionnaires tailored to specific education needs.
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