Needs Analysis in Elt

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEEDS ANALYSIS IN ELT

By Eleni Bindaka and Marisa Christopoulou ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION
This paper presents a needs analysis project we have developed for the General English (GE) class. Needs Analysis (NA) is an important means of carrying out research prior to designing and evaluating lessons/materials/syllabus and it helps draw a profile of students/course in order to determine and prioritise the needs for which students require English (L2). (Richards et al, 1992, cited in Jordan, 1997:20) Our NA project aims at establishing the students: personal profile motivational profile needs and wants lacks target needs learning styles and strategies strengths/weaknesses In other words NA is the first step carried out before a course and it is the process of establishing the what and the how of the course/syllabus. (Evans, 1998: 121-26)
APPROACHES TO NA
There have been several surveys of approaches to NA in EFL since the term was first introduced by Michael West in the 1920s but almost all concern ESP mainly because of two reasons: 1. Early NA focused on English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) which later changed to Academic (EAP). (West, 1994: 1) 2. The belief that GE learners needs can not be determined (Seedhouse, 1995: 59) because it is taken for granted that General English learners learn the language in a TENOR (Teaching English for No Obvious Reason) situation. (Abbott & Wingard, 1981) Nowadays NA is an umbrella term covering several approaches, namely:
1. Target-situation Analysis (TSA) It is the well known Munbys influential approach and model which focuses on the learners needs at the end of the course and target level performance. (Jordan, 1997: 23) 2. Present-situation Analysis (PSA) Richterich and Chancerel (1997/80) propose a PSA which focuses on the learners competence concerning skills and language at the beginning of the course. (Jordan, 1997: 24) 3. Learning-centered Approaches Hutchinson and Waters (1987) propose a learning-centered approach as a process of negotiation between individuals and society, the latter including syllabus, materials, teaching method etc., and divide needs into necessities, lacks and wants. (Jordan, 1997: 25) 4. Strategy Analysis (SA) SA focuses on methods of learning i.e. preferred learning styles and strategies. (Allwright, 1982; Nunan, 1991) Learning style is identified as any individuals preferred way of learning i.e. auditory, visual, kinesthetic/tactile (Reid, 1987), while learning strategy is the mental process the learner employs to learn the language. (Nunan, 1991: 168) 5. Deficiency Analysis (DA) DA maps existing proficiency against target learner proficiency determining deficiencies/lacks with the use of a three-point rating scale (none/some/lots), which establishes the priority that should be given. (West, 1994: 10) 6. Means Analysis (MA) MA attempts to study the local situation i.e. the facilities, teachers and teaching methods in order to see how the language course can be implemented. (Holliday & Cook 1982 cited in Jordan, 1997: 27)
METHODS OF COLLECTING DATA

NA can be carried out in a number of different ways which can be classified as either inductive (case studies, observations etc.) or deductive (questionnaires, surveys etc.) (Berwick,1989: 56-7) Some of the most common ones are: (West, 1994: 7-8) 1. Pre-course placement/diagnostic tests which estimate the language level of the learners. 2. Entry tests on arrival which can have a diagnostic value and identify learners language weaknesses and lacks. 3. Observation of classes which are of value mainly for deficiency analysis. 4. Surveys based on questionnaires which have been established as the most common method and help us draw a profile of our learners needs/lacks/wants/learning styles/strategies etc. and at the same time make them aware of these needs/lacks etc. 5. Structured interview which consists of pre-planned questions the answers to which can either be recorded or written down. 6. Learner diaries which can be used as supplementary to end-of-course questionnaires offering retrospective, qualitative information. 7. Case studies which provide in-depth information about the needs and difficulties of individual learners or groups. 8. Final evaluation/feedback usually in the form of questionnaires which provides information on the evaluation of the course and helps design/improve the next course. It is clear that depending on the method of data collection NA can be (West, 1994: 5): a. off-line, which is conducted in advance of the course, so that there is plenty of time for syllabus design and materials preparation. b. on line or first-day, which is carried out when learners start the course. c. on-going needs re-analysis which reformulates objectives periodically as awareness of the demands of the target situation increases and the needs become more focused.
CONCLUSION
With so many approaches and methods of collecting data one might feel frustrated. However it is important to have in mind that there is no single approach to needs analysis or method of data collection and that a combination or adaptation to ones own teaching situation might be more illuminating. What is of paramount importance to remember is that what really matters is not perhaps the data collected through a NA process/project, but how we exploit it to our students benefit. In the light of the above we favour the use of an on-line questionnaire (at the beginning of the school year) which, as the course progresses and hopefully the needs awareness increases, can turn into an on-going needs re-analysis. The following questionnaire is an indicative example of an on-line NA, which can be adapted according to your students needs, interests and profile.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abbot, G. & P. Wingard (eds1981) The Teaching of English as an International Language, Collins. Allwright, R. (1982) Perceiving and Pursuing Learners Needs. In M. Geddes and G. Sturtrigde (eds) Individualisation Oxford: Modern English Publications. Dudley-Evans, T. & M. J. St John (1998) Developments in English for Specific Purposes- A multi-disciplinary Approach, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Holliday, A. & T. Cooke (1982) An ecological approach to ESP. Lancaster Practical Papers in English Language Education, 5 (Issues in ESP). University of Lancaster. Hutchinson, T. & A. Waters (1987) English for Specific Purposes, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Jordan, R. (1997) English for Academic Purposes Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nunan, D. (1991) Language Teaching Methodology, Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall International. Reid, J. M. (1987) The Learning Style Preferences of ESL Students. TESOL Quarterly, 21(1) Richards, J. C., J. Platt & H. Platt (1992) Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. London: Longman. Richterich, R. & J. L. Chancerel (1977/80) Identifying the Needs of Adults Learning a Foreign Language. Oxford: Pergamon Press. Seedhouse, P. (1995) Needs Analysis and the General English classroom, ELTJ, 49/1, 59-65. West, R. (1994) State of the art article: Needs Analysis in Language Teaching, ELTJ, 27/1. 1-29
This paper and the questionnaire were presented on December 6 th, 2002 in Patras at the State School Teachers Seminar organised by the School Advisor Nikos Chryshochoos. Marisa Christopoulou has been teaching English since 1995 in primary and secondary Education and has also worked in the private sector. She holds a B.A. from the University of Athens. She is currently working on her dissertation for the MA degree in Methodology with the Hellenic Open University and is teaching in secondary education in Patras. Helen Bindaka has been teaching English since 1977 in secondary education and TEI and has also been working as a teacher trainer at Patras PEK since 1992-93. She holds a BA from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and attended Athens SELME in 1984-85. She has also attended courses on Teacher Training, Methodology and New Technologies in Cambridge and Brighton. She is currently working on her dissertation for the MA degree in Methodology with the Hellenic Open University and is teaching at the Peiramatiko Lyceum of Patras.

Needs Analysis in Elt

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Needs Analysis in Elt

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Needs Analysis in Elt

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEEDS ANALYSIS IN ELT

METHODS OF COLLECTING DATA

You might also like