Need Analysis of Academic English Speaking for Non-English Major Postgraduates

With increasing academic exchanges and more frequent contact with foreign researchers,more and more postgraduate students are invited to attend international academic meetings,study aboard and participate in academic lectures.However,academic English speaking course set up by many universities fail to improve postgraduate students’academic communication abilities and meet their needs.The research purpose of this paper is to do a need analysis of current academic English speaking courses for non-English major postgraduates.The research methodology includes literature and questionnaire.The questionnaire is designed based on Dudley-Evans and St John's Model.It aims to investigate current situation of academic speaking course and carry out a need analysis of postgraduate students.The results show that non-English major postgraduates have strong needs of academic English speaking.While,English speaking course could not meet the requirement of most postgraduate students.After completing all these courses,their oral academic competences are still beyond the expectations of their supervisors or international academic standard for normal presentation and communication in conference,seminar,lectures etc.