Evaluating an English Language Course for Monolingual Gastronomy Students

The current study aims at evaluating an English course which is ENGL 108 by finding out EFL Gastronomy students` and instructors` opinions about the course in the Faculty of Tourism at Eastern Mediterranean University. To this aim, the study helps shed a light to address and identify the students` needs as perceived by the Gastronomy students and their instructors for improving the course. Also, the present study purports to find out Gastronomy students` and teachers` recommendations regarding the improvement of the course. This study is a case study that uses a mixed methods research approach. In brief, both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered through student questionnaire and teacher interviews. The participants of the study consist of eighty-three EFL Gastronomy students and three English instructors in the Faculty of Tourism at Eastern Mediterranean University. Generally, the results of the current study indicate that the students and their instructors have positive attitudes regarding ENGL 108 course. In other words, both groups evaluated the course positively in terms of its aims and objectives, content and materials, teaching-learning procedures and assessment procedures. However, some suggestions have been offered by the students and their instructors for the improvement of the course. Additionally, the current study provides some implications in terms of helping both the students and the teachers in terms of the improvement in the language course. The study also provides feedback to the instructors and administration regarding the improvement of the existing English lesson as perceived by the students and the instructors. Moreover, the present study contributes to the existing ESP (English for Tourism) literature. Furthermore, some suggestions are provided for the future studies.