ESP for Media: Wonderland of Metaphors Uncovers the Students’ Perceived ‘Needs’

This paper tries to propose a reconsideration of the needs analysis procedure regarding the ESP courses for the students of arts (here, media arts) with an emphasis on the distinct contextual nature of such courses and the participants’ own varying perceptions of their needs. Considering the necessity of attending also the ‘wants’ in ESP, the data was collected from the students who participated in a variety of media English courses at all academic levels (B.A., M.A., and Ph.D.) in one of the unique Asian universities focused on media-related majors. The paper argues for recognition of the specific ‘wants’ (i.e., target students’ own perceptions) in the particular media ESP contexts. Supported by the target students’ (N = ۱۵۳) narrated opinions gathered and analyzed through metaphor analysis (derived from “Cognitive Metaphor Theory”; CMT) now in service for the ESP’s needs analysis, it is stressed that traditional needs analysis procedures will not necessarily satisfy all ESP courses’ requirements. As particular academic/professional communities possess particular non-generalizable features, the recommended procedure also involves serious consideration of the feedback received by the researcher which entails tuning the content, resources, activities, and tasks of the courses to the very particular tastes of the students of media shaped by both their background, interests and tendencies, and their forthcoming occupational positions in which they need/use English. The rationale is also backed by in-depth interviews.