In this class, we will discuss needs analysis, the first step in designing language courses.

1. Language Course Design:
Needs Analysis

2. Getting started
In your experience as a learner of English…
• Did you ever feel the content of the course did
not match your expectations?
• Did you consider some contents or activities
were of little use or interest for you?
• Were you ever asked about what you needed
English for?

3. In this class
• Definition of needs analysis.
• Classification of needs.
• Processes in needs analysis.
• Kinds of information and sources.
• Instruments and procedures.
• A practical example of Needs Analysis.

4. Needs analysis:
A definition

5. Definition
…a family of procedures for gathering
information about learners and about
communication tasks...
Nunan, 1988, p.75

6. Definition
…systematic collection and analysis of all subjective
and objective information necessary to define and
validate defensible curriculum processes that satisfy
the language learning requirements of students
within the context of particular institutions that
influence the learning and teaching situation.
Brown, 1995, p.36

7. Definition
…systematic collection and analysis of all subjective
and objective information necessary to define and
validate defensible curriculum processes that satisfy
the language learning requirements of students
within the context of particular institutions that
influence the learning and teaching situation.
Brown, 1995, p.36

8. History
Lexicostatistics, register Needs= lists of
1960-70’s
analysis discrete
language items
Munby’s
1978 Communicative Needs= functions
Syllabus design and situations
Psycological stance to Needs= linguistic
Late 1980’s needs (Brindley items + functions
1989, Hutchinson and + learners’
Waters, 1987) perceptions +
psycological
constructs.

9. Classification of
Needs

10. Classes
Objective Subjective
Perceived Felt
Process- Product-
oriented oriented
Necesities Lacks Wants

11. Processes in
Needs analysis

12. Brown (1995)
• Making basic decisions
• Gathering information
• Using the information
p. 36

13. Brown (1995)
Decision making Who will be involved?
What types of information
should be gathered?
Which viewpoint should be
taken?

14. Brown (1995)
Target Group
People about whom the information
will be gathered.
Resource Group Audience
People considered to be a source of Who will be involved? People expected to act upon the
information analysis.
Need analist
People responsible for conducting the
need analysis
p.37

15. Brown (1995)
Descrepancy
Discrepancies between the desired
performance and actual
performance.
Diagnostic What kind of information Democratic
Weaknesses or lacks in learners’ Changes desired by a majority of
competence according to specific
should be gathered? those involved.
contexts or situations.
Analytic
What students need to move on on a
developmental sequence
pp. 38-39

16. Brown (1995)
Situation needs vs
Language needs.
Viewpoint?
Linguistic content vs Objective vs
Learning Process. Subjective.
p.p. 39-40

17. Dudley-Evans & St.John (1998)
p. 125

18. Dudley-Evans & St.John (1998)
• Target situation analysis.
• Learning situation analysis.
• Present situation analysis
• Means analysis

19. Information and sources

20. Information required in Needs
Analysis (What?)
• Participants.
• Purposive domain.
• [Target] setting.
• Interaction.
• Instrumentality.
• Target level.
• Communicative key
Adapted from Munby, 1978, p. 190-198

21. Information required in Needs
Analysis (What?)
Information gathering Types of
questions
Types of
instruments
Selecting
procedures
Brown, 1995, pp. 43-52

22. Information required in Needs
Analysis (What?)
Problems
Existing difficulties or lacks in
performance.
Attitudes Priority
Feelings and perception regarding Types of questions Ranking the importance of elements
the language or elements in the that make-up performance.
program..
Solutions Abilities
Perceived changes that might bring Current competence of learners at
about improvements entry
Brown, 1995, p. 43-45

23. Sources of information (Who?)
• Learners.
• People working/studying in the field.
• Ex-students.
• Documents in the field.
• Stakeholders (clients, employers).
• ESP research
Dudley-Evans & St. John, 1998.

24. Sources of information (Who?)
• Learners.
• Teachers and administrators.
• Native speakers in the target context.
• Documents in the field.
• Content teachers.
• ESP research (literature).
• Existing information (records)
Brown, 1995

25. Instruments and procedures

26. Instruments and data
collection methods
• Questionnaires.
• Discourse analysis.
• Discussions.
• Structured interviews
• Observations
• Assessments Dudley-Evans & St. John, 1998,

27. Instruments and data
collection methods
• Tests
• Observations
• Interviews
• Meetings
• Questionnaires
Brown, 1995

28. References
• Brown, J.D. (1995). The elements of Language Curriculum: A
Systematic Approach to Program Development. Heinle &
Heinle Publishers.
• Dudley-Evans, T. y St. John, M. J. (1998). Developments in
English for Specific Purposes: A multidisciplinary approach.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Nunan, D. (1988). Syllabus design. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
• Nunan, D. (2001). Syllabus design. En M. Celce-Murcia
(Ed.), Teaching English as a second or foreign language (3º
ed., pp. 55-65). Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.