Persistent English Language Difficulties in Agronomy students in Beni City Higher Education : Implications for Target ESP Instruction

Purpose : The study objective is to examine how a tailor-made English for Specific Purposes (ESP) syllabus can improve the English language proficiency of the first cycle agronomy students in Beni higher education. It responds to persistent concerns regarding students’ low communicative competence despite satisfactory academic performance in English examinations. Methodology : The study used a descriptive-analytical research design grounded in Needs Analysis. Data were collected from agronomy students across three academic years using questionnaires. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed in this exploratory study to capture the complexity of students’ linguistic difficulties, academic needs and professional expectations. Findings : The findings reveal that agronomy students experience difficulties in productive language skills, discipline-specific vocabulary and scientific discourse across all the three years of study. While receptive skills show slight improvement over time, communicative competence remains insufficient due to reliance on General English instruction. The results confirm that a context-specific ESP syllabus integrating agronomic content significantly enhances students’ motivation, relevance perception and functional language use. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice : The study contributes to ESP theory by empirically validating the role of discipline-specific syllabus design in improving communicative competence. At the policy level, it highlights the inadequacy of generalized English curricula in specialized higher education contexts. Practically, it offers a framework for designing tailor-made syllabuses for agronomic and similar scientific disciplines.