2019 Volume 4 Pages 91-
This research aims to identify studentsʼ needs for their perceived success in communication beyond their language classrooms in a private university in Japan. For this purpose, the study investigated studentsʼ interactions in a mandatory subject course, the Multicultural Cooperative Workshop (MCW), whose features closely resemble those of studentsʼ real-world English communication. The data was collected from eight past course-takers and 248 current course-takers through a mixed approach, including interviews, and pilot and main surveys over two semesters in 2017. The research results revealed predominant needs for studentsʼ favorable perception on their communication from the perspectives of objective needs, such as language proficiency level, and subjective needs, including their own perception of speaking fluency, relationships with group members and sense of task achievement. Finally, this research suggests approaches for English teachers to incorporate knowledge of studentsʼ needs for the real-world communication into their classes.
