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Reading Needs and Perception of Using Authentic Materials in Teaching Aviation Management Trainees

Reading skill has been given less importance in many higher learning institutions. Most English language teachers assume that the learners are adults, and they can comprehend when reading. Although these learners may not face problems recognising words and their pronunciation, teaching reading skills is vital, especially to learners in discipline-specific programmes who may have difficulties understanding materials of different genres and contexts. The purpose of this study is to assess the reading needs of aviation management personnel in order to evaluate the need to teach reading to aviation management trainees before joining the aviation industry. The study employed a mixed-method approach; interviews and a survey questionnaire which gathered participants' opinions. The participants involved are aviation management personnel working in local and foreign aviation companies. Findings suggest that as the trainees need to read specific workplace documents, they might face difficulties if not exposed early to the reading materials. This paper highlights the challenges participants faced when reading work-related documents and the factors affecting participants’ reading comprehension. It emphasises the importance of teaching reading using authentic materials to aviation management trainees in order to prepare them for their future work requirements and to ensure that the trainees are exposed to aviation management related documents.