Browsing by Author "Gawazah, Lazarus"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Interrogating the contemporary English language needs for the ICT industry in the Namibian context
    (BOHR International Journal of Smart Computing and Information Technology, 2023-04-06) Gawazah, Lazarus; Woldemariam, Haileleul Zeleke
    New digital technology advances throughout the globe are principally responsible for the impetus behind the modern information and communications technology (ICT) industry’s requirement for English language skills. There is a steady increase in highly computerized new machinery, each with more complex, difficult -to-understand instruction manuals that demand a correspondingly high degree of linguistic proficiency. Thus, students studying computer science need access to subject-specific English for both immediate usage and long-term career development. Due to these constant changes and rapid advancements in the technology sector, it was essential to conduct research on the current needs of the ICT industry. It is essential for graduates and professionals in the ICT industry to be able to communicate fluently with teams working in the same field but located in different parts of the world. This can be in the form of written manuals or conversation. The purpose of this study was to interrogate the contemporary English language demands for the ICT industry and the necessary proficiency required of undergraduate ICT majors. The theoretical underpinning of this research was the Material Design Model proposed by Hutchinson and Waters (1). A mixed-methods research approach was used. The total number of participants that took part were 170 (N = 170), thus that is what the sample size was based on. Using convenience sampling, a sample size of 118 was drawn. The results indicated that ICT students often lacked skills in essay writing. The students’ lack of technical language skills seriously weakens the strength of their scientific argument. Students are recommended to attend subject-specific language courses in order to prepare for their present academic and future professional language demands. The study indicated that the existing curriculum for computer science students does not adequately prepare them for the kinds of work that would be available to them in the ICT sector. The study recommends utilizing education support professionals (ESP) professionals to teach English in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses, with a focus on using examples from specialized journals, magazines, and blog channels. The study concludes by suggesting that instructors of computer science language be incentivized to increase their usage of specialized scholarly terminology in their classrooms.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An investigation into the contemporary English language needs of second year students of the Department of Computer Science at the Namibia University of Science and Technology
    (Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2021-03-03) Gawazah, Lazarus
    The contemporary English language demands for the information and technology (IT) industry are largely motivated by developments in modern digital communication technology. Modern computerised machinery with complex operational and installation manuals require high levels of literacy in all language skills as more and more machines are constantly being developed. It is for this reason that IT students need to be taught field specific English language courses that prepare them to perform well in their academic language related tasks and as future Computer Scientists. The purpose of this study therefore, was to investigate the contemporary English language needs for Computer Science students at NUST. The study determined the extent of the existing language needs and gaps. The material design model (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987) was applied as a framework for this study. The model assumes two aspects, the Target Situation Analysis (TSA) and the Present Situation Analysis (PSA). Target needs refer to what the learners need to do in the target situation for them to be able to learn. The Present Situation Analysis addresses students’ lack in language proficiencies. A mixed methods study design was applied. The quantitative method analysed data using the descriptive statistics method while the qualitative method analysed data through explanatory means. A total study population of 170 (ΣN = 170) was studied. The sample size was (ΣS = 118) derived using the convenience sampling method. The data were collected using three mixed methods research instruments. An essay competency performance evaluation scale and two questionnaires were employed. The study findings revealed that there is a need to develop the essay competency writing skills for IT students. The students lacked the knowledge of technical vocabulary, which ultimately weakened their scientific arguments. They need to be taught field specific language courses as a way to prepare them for their current academic and future occupational language needs. Furthermore, the study revealed that there is a gap between what is currently offered to Computer Science students and the tasks that they are expected to perform in the IT industry. The study recommends the assignment of trained English for Specific Purposes practitioners to teach English for Science and Technology courses. IT students can be taught with examples of texts related to their field of study. Lastly, the study recommends that Computer Science language lecturers should be encouraged to use science related academic language in the classroom.