Abstract

This study, using Business Studies Students in the Departments of Accounting, Business Administration, Management, Banking and Finance, Marketing at Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi in Edo State, as subjects was carried out to determine the writing skill needs of the Higher National Diploma (HND) students. The population of the study comprised 731 students. Using the University of Ibadan Modified Needs Analysis Questionnaire (UIMNAQ) – itself a modified University of Reading Need Analysis Questionnaire, as the major instrument, the respondents were required to respond to a set of questionnaire items which asked them to indicate the following: on a scale ranging from ‘never’ to ‘more than 6 times’, how often they have to carry out each of 12 given tasks in a semester; the extent to which they think they need each of the five basic writing skills in performing some writing tasks and nine given English Language competencies. The responses were analyzed; thereafter frequencies and percentages were used to answer the research question. It was found that the subjects, being post-experience learners who have spent one year out on Industrial Training (IT) need the following writing skills in order of importance: basic writing skills of describing, defining, listing, comparing and contrasting classifying ideas/problem. The significance of the research lies in the fact that it will serve as a guide in the production of a syllabus which will meet the needs of Higher National Diploma (HND) Business Studies Students in Nigeria and serve as English for Specific Purposes (ESP) document for Polytechnics.

Key words: Needs analysis, basic writing skills, ESP