Needs Analysis Nation, I.S.P. & Macalister, J. 2010. Language Curriculum Design. Oxon: Routledge. Brown, J. D. 1995. Elements of Language Curriculum. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

1. Needs Analysis
ANNAS SURDYANTO

2. Examines what the learners know already
and what they need to know.
•What is necessary in the learners’ use of language?
•Ex: do the learners have to write answers to exam questions?Needs
•What do the learners lack?
•Ex: are there aspects of writing that were not practised in their previous
learning (L1, L2)?
Lacks
•What do the learners wish to learn?
Wants
Information
Lacks
Needs
Wants

3. What to gather?
Needs: Why are you learning English?
• The learning is focused on language that learners need
Lacks: What do you want to do with your English?
• The content is in appropriate degrees
Wants: How will you learn and use English in the future?
• The learning process is as what is expected
http://www.icaltefl.com/needs-analysis

4. Situation Needs vs Language Needs
Brindley 1984, p.31
Situation
Physical,
psychological, and
social needs
Language
Target linguistic
behaviors of
learners

5. Objective Needs vs Subjective Needs
Brindley 1984, p.31
Objective
Language proficiency, skill levels, etc.
Questionnaires, personal interviews, data
collection, self-report, observation,
consultation with teachers and learners
Subjective
Wants, desires, expectations
lists and scales, questionnaires, and
interviews.

6. Linguistic Content vs Learning Processes
Linguistic Content
Grammatical structures,
phonemes, morphemes,
utterances, etc
Learning Process
Affective domain:
Motivation, self-
esteem, etc

7. Types of Information
 Problems (Identify problems being experienced)
 Priorities (investigate topics, language uses, skills, etc)
 Abilities (determine the abilities of students at entry)
 Attitudes (addressed to the students on how well they like studying “grammar
points” as opposed to language functions such as “seeking information on the
telephone”)
 Solutions (elicits ideas of perceived problems for solutions in terms of what
changes might bring about compromise and resolution).
(BROWN 1995: 43-44)

9. Deciding kinds of Information
Choosing instruments
Lacks
Lacks: information about the
students writing skill.
Test
Needs
Information about what the
students need to learn
Test/observation/questionnaire
Wants
Information about how they will
learn
Interview/questionnaire

10. Findings
Test
Students are lack of
punctuation
Students are lack of
vocabulary
Interview
Students are eager
to learn writing
They want more
exercises
Questionnaire
Students used to
learn with course
book
Students do not
mind using
authentic material

11. Evaluating Needs Analysis
MOTIVATION
 Do you need to learn the language to be able to achieve certain specific tasks
AIMS
 Do you want to communicate in the written or the spoken language? or both?
 Will it be enough if you just understand the language (at least in the first instance)?
FUNCTIONS
 What kind of situations will you have to perform in? (telephone? lectures? seminars? shops?
etc.)
 What functions of language will you primarily need? (explaining, persuading, seeking
information, contradicting etc.)

12. Evaluating Needs Analysis
INFORMATION
 Which are the most important: technical vocabulary? the precise meaning of
intonation? correct pronunciation? a set of ready-made sentences to get by with?
ACTIVITIES
 How much time can you devote to it? What are your learning habits? Do you like
working on your own? Is the Language Lab suitable? Do you need help?
(Dictionary, radio, newspapers, grammars, contact with native speakers, etc.) Do
you know native speakers who would agree to talk with you in their own
language? Do you make full use of other possibilities, e.g., the radio? sub-titled
film? etc.

13. Task 1 Needs analysis for a writing course
You have been asked to design a writing course for learners of English who intend to go on to university study
in English. As a part of the fact-finding stage you have decided to carry out a needs analysis.
 (a) Decide what kind of information you are looking for and classify it into necessities, lacks or wants.
 (b) List ways that you will use to gather the information for the writing course (questionnaires etc.).
 (d) Write a sample item for each of the ways. (The questions)
You have now done your needs analysis and have decided how to gather the information you need.
1. List your findings.
2. List important principles about how you think writing should be learned.
3. Write the general goal for your course.
4. Choose types of activities that you will use in your course.

14. Analyzing information
Activities (class activities)
90 minutes, once a week, presentation, task, homework 2 hours, role play, telephoning, etc.
Information (language aspects)
Students are lack of punctuation, Students are lack of vocabulary The pronunciation is fair, need to learn intonation as well
Function (language functions)
Greeting, asking for directions, asking information, etc
Aims (skills)
To help students to learn grammatical structure of English To speak in English with focus on greetings, asking information, etc.
Motivation (Specific tasks)
Learning to enroll to a university Learning for a job position
Ex: writing Ex: speaking

15. References
 Nation, I.S.P. & Macalister, J. 2010. Language Curriculum Design. Oxon:
Routledge.
 Brown, J. D. 1995. Elements of Language Curriculum. Boston: Heinle & Heinle
Publishers.