A needs analysis study for the English curriculum of the teaching staff training program in a Turkish University

As the English language has become the universal academic language needed by academicians to be able to survive in the global academic community, teaching English to new academicians who start their university career as research assistants is becoming more and more important. Thus, the aim of this study is to reveal their language needs by focusing on the elements of the ideal English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum from the perspective of research assistants enrolled at the Teaching Staff Training Program (TSTP) at a large state university in Turkey and the instructors teaching English to these research assistants. Their views were collected via an open-ended survey dealing with four major dimensions of the EFL curriculum of the TSTP: curricular objectives, materials, teaching-learning process and assessment. Besides, their general recommendations for the language curriculum were collected. The qualitative data analyzed though content analysis revealed many needs, the most important of which is that the English curriculum for TSTP should be more academic and exam-oriented. At the end of the study, recommendations are provided in line with the participants' opinions and the relevant literature.