The purpose of this study was to investigate English language needs of third yearrnstudents in the context of Shashamanne Health Science College. More specifically, itrnwas carried out to identify: ( a) more important language skills for third year students tornbe successful in their academic setting, future career and private and social lifern(b) the most important communicative events ( activities) that the learners perform inrnthe three above mentioned domains (c) how the learners need to learn English and (d)rnthe existing gap between language needs of the learners and the current Englishrnteaching material.rnA questionnaire, interviews, focused group discussion and text analysis were employed torncollect data for the study. The questionnaire was distributed to instructors, formerrngraduates and students. Interviews were also held with the above mentioned subjects.rnFocused group discussion was held with students. The current English teaching materialrnwas also reviewed. Finally, data collected from these sources were analyzed bothrnquantitatively and qualitatively.rnThe results of the study indicate that language skills are not equally important in allrndomains for the learners. Speaking and writing (productive skills), listening and writing,rnreading and listening(receptive skills) were found to be the most important for thernlearners' academic setting, future career and private and social life respectively.rnVocabulary and grammar were rated as the most important skills in both academicrnsetting and future career.rnThe results also indicate communicative events of future career and academic settingsrnwere the most useful to the students more than that of private and social life. Learnercentredrnmethods are preferred to teacher-centred teaching methods. It was also foundrnthat the teaching material in use does not match learners' needs (the findings) in manyrnaspectsrnOn the basis of the findings of the study, it was recommended that collaboration amongrninstructors, students and administrators is very useful to meet the needs of the students atrnthe college level (steps are presented in diagram form how to address learners needs inrnrecommendation section). A suggestion was also made for more relevant course forrnteaching English to third year students; English course that matches with students' needsrnin terms of its emphasis of skills, communicative events, methods and topics/ situationsrnshould be developed by concerned body.