This study has investigated engineers’ needs for professional English and determined the English course content for engineering students. Data was collected through individual interviews. The interviewees comprised 108 people from nine engineering branches including fourth-year engineering students, engineering lecturers, engineers and employers. Content analysis was carried out to classify real-world tasks as necessities, lacks and wants. It was found that the students and engineers needed to perform 39 tasks. The task with the highest frequency was talking about everyday tasks and duties. The tasks were examined to create profiles of communication needs and specify English course content. The content included manuals, training, following and giving instructions, reporting, oral presentations, everyday jobs and duties, emailing, meetings, keeping pace with engineering knowledge, keeping up to date on manufacturer products, ordering, project works and English standardized tests. Interactions involved many English varieties. The findings suggest that English instruction should take engineering real-world tasks and trends into account and put more emphasis on speaking practice. Further, engineering students should enhance their professional English proficiency to meet the requirements and expectations of workplaces.