Subject Matter and English Language Teachers’ Perception of EST ‎at An-Najah National University (in English)‎

The teaching of English for Special Purposes (ESP) has developed from a concern for the needs, desires, interests and attitudes of learners. ESP has many advantages; however, they might not be achieved unless an encouraging atmosphere that meets students' needs is established. This paper examines the perceptions of subject matter teachers and English language teachers of the needs of their EST (English for Science and Technology) students at An –Najah University. Therefore, the paper touches upon needs analysis as an important issue related to the teaching of EST in an attempt to investigate the extent of cooperation and coordination between the English language teachers and subject matter teachers. The paper also investigates the subject matter and English language teachers' perceptions of the need for teaching English language, textbooks, materials, skills and activities in EST courses. The perceptions of the need for subject matter and English language teachers have been investigated by means of a questionnaire. The subjects of the study were (41) subject matter teachers and English language teachers at An-Najah University. The findings of the study revealed that the perceptions of the need for cooperation and coordination between English language and subject matter teachers was very high. The results also indicated that the subject matter teachers showed the highest means for all domains, with the highest mean for the need for appropriate textbooks and materials. This paper concludes with suggestions to reinforce cooperation and coordination between both English and subject matter teachers.