The Comparison of Students’ Satisfaction in Business and General English Courses

The Comparison of Students’ Satisfaction in Business and General English Courses

  This study examines ESL learners’ satisfaction levels in two types of ESL writing courses at a Midwest American university. Approximately 100 students in an English-for-General Purposes (EGP) writing classes and 27 students in an English-for-Business Purposes (EBP) writing classes were surveyed. Responses to survey items were then analyzed using factor analysis. The two primary satisfaction factors identified from the response patterns were social atmosphere of the classes, and the effectiveness of ESL instruction. The degree of students’ satisfaction with the ESL instruction efficiency was not much different between the two groups of students, whereas the level of satisfaction with social atmosphere was significantly higher among the EGP students than the other group. Furthermore, in general, students’ perceived improvement on some writing skills after taking their ESL class was significantly higher than before taking the class, and particularly the perception level of improvement of organizational writing skill was significantly different among the two ESL groups, the EGP students reporting more improvement than the students. These results were discussed for further implications for development of ESL curriculum in the context under study in specific, and in Korean English education context in general.