English for Medical Purposes in Iran: Needs Analysis, Challenges, and Prospects

The present study set out to gain insights into the status of English for specific purposes (ESP) in Iranian medical schools with five primary aims including deciphering the main challenges of teaching ESP, analyzing medical students’ needs and lacks, evaluating ESP practitioners, examining the efficacy of ESP courses, and analyzing the proper time of offering ESP courses. Data were gathered through questionnaires, observations, and interviews with medical students, ESP teachers, and medical professionals. The findings suggested that inappropriate materials, low motivation and self-confidence of the students, and heterogeneous ESP classes were the main challenges of teaching ESP to medical students. In addition, while the participants believed the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing were imperative for medical professionals, they were not practiced systematically in ESP courses. Moreover, it was found that the ESP teachers did not apply the basic principles of ESP teaching, and the courses were not as efficient as expected. Finally, the participants expressed contradictory views on the proper time for offering ESP courses. The findings contribute to the understanding of ESP principles to be incorporated in ESP classes.