Sheridan Blair

T&L 409

February 12, 2016

Needs Analysis Part II

I used my needs analysis tool on a boy named Manny from El Salvador. The questions

that were used in my needs analysis tool actually ended up being beneficial for me when giving

them to him. I wanted to make sure that he felt comfortable answering these questions so I

informed him that it was to help me with one of my classes. Asking him about the types of books

he likes and dislikes to read helped bring me to a better understanding of him. He didnt really

like reading fantasy books but he does like comic books and sports books. Since my questions

also focused on whether or not he has ever felt discouraged made me understand the importance

of language skills more. Being able to express yourself is very important and thats part of trying

to learn a new language. ELLs subconsciously learn new language skills by reading and it helps

when they are able to read something they actually enjoy and are interested in. Hearing about his

opinions put into perspective the fact that I need to make sure each of my students has something

to read that they actually enjoy. If they have something they actually enjoy then they are more

prone to increasing their language skills. In the book it discusses different language skills

involving listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In order to express yourself in any spoken

language and understand other people, you have to be able to read, write, speak and listen in the

target language (Woodward, 2001, p. 92). I now realize how practicing reading can help my

future students with their language skills and more importantly, in the end it will help them be

able to express themselves and communicate better. This needs analysis tool proved to me why

developing better language skills is important for English language learners.