A SmartPLS4-based CB-SEM confirmatory factor analysis: A case of speaking needs for Chinese business English undergraduates
Over the past decade, there has been an increasing emphasis on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) within China’s higher education language programs. However, the shift towards ESP presents a multifaceted challenge, particularly for business English teaching at higher education, where speaking pro...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Castledown Publishers
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.castledown.com/journals/ajal/article/view/2217 |
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| Summary: | Over the past decade, there has been an increasing emphasis on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) within China’s higher education language programs. However, the shift towards
ESP presents a multifaceted challenge, particularly for business English teaching at higher
education, where speaking proficiency is crucial yet often falls below expectations. Considering these issues, the authors of this study developed a scale based on relevant literature
to pinpoint students’ needs for Oral Business English (OBE) instruction, and to explore the
interplay among constructs within the scale that define these needs. This quantitative study
employed a two-phase approach, utilizing separate datasets and different sample sizes of
Chinese business English undergraduates selected through simple random sampling. Phase
one (N = 52) leveraged SPSS 29 for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), while phase two
(N = 396) utilized SmartPLS4 for covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM)
in confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The findings reveal that the undergraduate respondents
grapple with a total of five distinct needs related to OBE instruction. These include three target
needs: difficulties in oral communication, oral challenges in collaborative engagement, and
required speaking activities. Additionally, there are two learning needs: perceived learning
styles and perceived course satisfaction. Significantly, as perceived by these undergraduate
respondents, each of these needs was found to have a substantial impact on the effectiveness
of OBE instruction in China.
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| ISSN: | 2209-0959 |