English for police officers in Egypt

Abstract

The author surveyed 150 officers in ten departments of the national police force in Egypt in order to assess their needs when using English on the job. The survey showed that, to some extent, the need for English is determined by the specialized department in which an officer works. However, there are enough general needs to make it feasible to propose a common core course for all police officers, regardless of specialization. The author first describes the particular needs of officers in several departments and then offers suggestions for a possible syllabus for a common core course.