Evaluating the Efficiency and Availability of Online ESP Courses for Pakistani Business Students: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and accessibility of online ESP courses for Pakistani business students. It examines how well these courses improve students' language skills, assesses their availability and the challenges students face when registering and completing them, and explores students' perceptions and attitudes toward the structure and content of online ESP courses. A sample of 30 participants, including both males and females from the business sector enrolled in ESP classes, was selected for data collection. These participants are from the Virtual University of Pakistan. They completed a questionnaire with multiple-choice questions to gather their views on the online Business English course. The effectiveness and accessibility of online ESP courses are analyzed using Fred Davis’s Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), proposed in 1989. The data were collected in numerical form, and the conclusions are based on descriptive analysis of the findings. The results indicate that Pakistani business students find the Business English course to be highly effective. The course significantly improves their language skills, and overall, students are satisfied with the online ESP course they are taking. However, some challenges remain in their learning process, highlighting areas that need improvement to facilitate better online ESP courses.