IMPROVING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING FOR FIRST-YEAR FOOTBALL STUDENTS THROUGH ESP AND COMPETENCY-BASED APPROACH: NEEDS ANALYSIS IN UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

This study investigates the English language learning needs of first-year football major students from three universities in Uzbekistan, with the goal of informing the development of an effective English for Specific Purposes (ESP) syllabus tailored to football education. As football and the global sports industry continue to expand, students are increasingly required to use English for professional communication, understanding sport-specific terminology, and participating in team and managerial activities. However, current English instruction in Uzbek universities remains largely general and does not fully address the communicative and professional needs of football students. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of students’ needs, the study employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, using a structured questionnaire alongside interviews with instructors. The results indicate that students consider speaking and professional terminology as the most important skills and prefer classroom activities such as football terminology exercises and role-plays. They also show strong interest in ESP and competency-based courses that connect language learning with professional practice. The study concludes that designing an ESP syllabus for football students, integrating task-based, interactive, and authentic materials, is essential to enhance language competence and prepare students for effective participation in the professional sports environment.