3.
1 Needs analysis
It is central to an ESP course that learners’ needs dictate the content and teaching
methods, but how do we accurately determine what these needs are?
An understanding of the nature of a particular target and learning situation is
derived from a ‘needs analysis’ (NA). This attempts to give the course designer or
teacher a clear idea of the goal the learners are trying to reach, and the best
method to use for helping them to reach that goal. A learner working as a head
waiter in a hotel might need examples of language such as ‘I’ll bring the menu’, ‘I’m
afraid we are full’ and ‘please follow me’ when attending a customer’s arrival; ‘may
I take your order?’ and ‘can I suggest the…’ when attending the customers, and
general phrases such as ‘how was your meal?’ or ‘is there anything else I can get
you?’ later in the meal.
An NA is really an umbrella term which can be defined more clearly as a
combination and compromise between lacks and wants.
Lacks refers to the difference between the learner’s current level of proficiency in
the relevant linguistic areas and the level required by the target situation. For
example, if a learner wishes to become proficient in the writing of business
correspondence, some form of pre-assessment would be required in order to
establish what the learner should study in order to achieve the level of proficiency
required.
There is sometimes little correlation between what the teacher (or a course
sponsor) sees as necessary and what the learner wants. This also has to be
analysed to structure the course for a particular student or group of students.
Methods of gathering information
It is important that the information be obtained from a number of sources to get a
range of responses from different situations. The most frequently used methods for
gathering information on learner needs are questionnaires, interviews and
observations.
The needs analysis should be able to tell the teacher:
For what purpose the language is needed
How the language will be used
What content areas to stress
Who the learner will use the language with.
Where the language will be used
When the language will be used
The NA should also give personal information about the student, as well as about
their previous learning experiences. Other questions may be:
Why are the learners taking the course?
What are their preferred learning styles?
What resources are available?
What are the learners’ interests, education and personal background?
Where will the course take place?
When will the course take place?
Conducting a needs analysis
A teacher might begin an NA by just chatting with the students and finding out who
they are and what their interests are. You might ask them to name one reason that
they need to use English and then expand on that. The conversation could be
recorded so that it can be analysed for information and language deficiencies after
the lesson.
Another approach to conducting an NA is by using WH- questions. These could
focus on the past (previous learning), present (the lessons now) and the future
(reason for learning). They may take the following form:
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Who? Who did you learn with? Who are you? Who will you be in the
Previous teacher’s What kind of learner are future?
nationality, age, you? What job are you likely to
background etc. What are your get?
hobbies/interests etc.
Why? Why have you learnt English Why are you learning here Why are you studying
before? now? English?
Was it your decision? Is it compulsory? Situations in which the
What is your motivation student is likely to need
for learning? English in the future
What? What have you achieved in What will you use to study? What language will you
English so far? Materials available study?
Tests done and books used People you can speak to in UK/US?
Exams passed English Formal/informal
Specialized subjects
(science, business etc.)
When? When did you last study? When will you study during When will you use the
When you were a child? this course? language?
Never? How often? How often?
What time of day? Where?
Where? Where did you study? Where will you study? Where will you use the
School/language school? Are they happy with the language?
setting of these classes? At work/socially/travelling
One-to-one classes or In which country?
groups?
How? How did you study? How will you study now? How will the language be
What methodology did you Preferred methodology used?
use? How will you test your Will you need spoken or
Did you study on the progress? written English?
internet? Expectations for the Will you need to speak by
Did you study much course? telephone/make
grammar? presentations etc.?
If you follow the above method, you should have plenty of data to work with when
planning what to teach your students.
You would also need to analyse their level of English. This could be done by use of
a proficiency test. These are readily available on the internet. Remember not to just
check their grammatical proficiency; the 4 skills should all be analysed (reading,
writing, listening and speaking). There are a number of proficiency or level tests
available on the internet – see the extra resources at the end of this module for a
useful link.
A more formal method of doing an NA is by use of a questionnaire. This is an of
example one that could be given to a student before the first class of a course. It
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could then be discussed in the first lesson. Apart from it being more thorough, it
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gives the student a chance to think about the answers first, thus making them more
accurate. Notice that it covers personal information, the student’s past learning
experience, expectations for this course, learning style and possible needs of
English in the future. The written section can be used to analyse any grammatical
deficiencies as well as getting more personal information.
