Audrey Hamill

Tch_Lrn 409
Needs Analysis Tool
ELP Standard 4-5.1 Needs Analysis Tool
An ELL can construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text
through grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing.
Problems
1. It is difficult for me to understand the teacher when ____________________.
2. While reading, I have a difficult time understanding_________________________.
Priorities
1. I think listening / reading skills (circle one) are the most important to learn because
__________________________________________________________________.
2. Some of the topics I think are most important to learn about are
__________________________________________________________________.
Abilities
1. Rank difficulty of the following skills with numbers 1-3. (1 = most difficult, 3 = least
difficult)
___ listening ___ reading ___ viewing
2. When reading an informational text I understand
____the main topic and a few details
____ a few words and phrases
_____ very little
Attitudes
1. I feel confused / happy / interested / frustrated (circle one) when I read in English.
2. When I listen to people speak in English I feel ________________.

Personal
1. After school I like to _____________.
2. I like to read about_______________.

1. Woodward (2001) explains that there are four timeframes in which information may be
gathered from students: before meeting, upon first meeting, during instruction, or after
students have left. While the needs assessment tool I have created could be mailed home
as a questionnaire or handed out during my first meeting with students, I believe it would

be most effective during instruction. The ELP standard 4-5.1 the tool assesses concerns
how students construct meaning from oral presentations and text and therefore it would
be most appropriate to conduct this analysis (as a printed questionnaire that uses mostly
unfinished questions) after students have had an opportunity to listen and read in class.
2. This assessment tool is designed using ELP standard 4-5.1. This is most evident in
question six where students are asked to mark a response which correlates directly to the
criteria of each level as described by the standard.
3. This tool provides helpful information about the problems students may be having in
comprehending oral presentations and texts as well as their ability to do so. It also
explores how students prioritize skills related to these tasks and what attitudes students
may have about reading and listening. Additionally, the tool asks two personal questions
of students which help the teacher to tailor future presentation and text selections to
student interests. One of the advantages of using written questionnaires as explained by
Brown (1995) is that questionnaires are an efficient method of gathering information
from a large group; however, there may be some drawbacks to using printed
questionnaires with students. Some students may feel like they are taking a more formal
assessment or test when answering a questionnaire and some styles of learners (such as
kinesthetic or auditory learners) may be disengaged when answering questions in this
format.
References

Brown, J. D. (1995). The elements of language curriculum: A systematic approach to program

development. New York: Heinle & Heinle.

Woodward, T. (2001). Planning courses and lessons: Designing sequences of

work for the language classroom. United Kingdom: Cambridge University
Press.