ESP in the AI Era: A Qualitative Study of the Changing English Language Requirements of Economics and Management Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53103/cjlls.v6i3.276Keywords:
English for Specific Purposes, Artificial Intelligence, Needs Analysis, Oral Proficiency, Higher EducationAbstract
ChatGPT, Grammarly, and QuillBot are artificial intelligence (AI) tools that are completely changing how students learn English in higher education. Such change requires the reevaluation of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs to make them relevant to the changing needs of students. This qualitative research explored the perceptions of economics and management students in their sixth semester (S6) at a Moroccan public university regarding their English language requirements in an age of widespread use of AI. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants, and the resulting data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. Four key themes were identified: (a) shifting perceptions of essential language skills in the AI era, (b) the persistent centrality of speaking and professional communication, (c) reconceptualised writing needs in an AI-assisted environment, and (d) discipline-specific English requirements. Results indicated that students felt there had been a change in the order of importance of language skills with mechanical accuracy becoming less important and higher-order cognitive-linguistic skills and oral communication becoming more important. Interestingly, students at the beginner level showed paradoxical reliance on AI tools that can hinder the development of genuine language proficiency. The study posits that AI does not make ESP instruction irrelevant; instead, it requires curricular changes with a focus on oral proficiency, critical writing skills, AI-evaluation skills, discipline-specific language courses, and proficiency-differentiated instruction.
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