needs analysis

Juan David Rojas

It is the process in which teachers seek to find out as

much as possible about the needs of learners in their
class. The term "needs" refers to wants, desires,
demands, expectations, motivations, lacks, constraints
and requirements.

Language
learning
In terms of language learning, we can see how the needs of
learnes who are studying English for specific, ocupational,
educational or social purposes.

GOALS OF TEACHING
ENGLISH FOR
CHILDREN
- To provide the motivation to learn English
- To encourage children to communicate with whatever language
they have at their disposal
- To encourage children to threat English as a communication tool

Courses for young learners (teenagers) require a different

approach to needs analysis. In these cases, teachers need
to know much about their learners, previous language
learning experiences, how they like to learn, the kinds of
topics and activities they prefer, etc.

PURPOSES OF NEEDS
ANALYSIS IN COURSES
FOR YOUNG LEARNERS
To determine their preferences for classroom learning activities
To find out their interests and the kinds of topics and content they
would like to focus on
To find out their preferences for learning arrangements

GOALS OF NEEDS
ANALYSIS
Needs analysis in language teaching is generally thought of as the
starting point in many cases of course desing. Some of the goals are:

- To find out what language skills a learner needs in order to perform

in a particular role.
- To find out the most frequent and most demanding for which the
learners need English.
- To find out the kinds of tasks and activities the learners need to
use English for outside of the classroom.
- To determine the learners preferred teaching and learning style.

STAKEHOLDERS
Those who have an interest in the outcomes of the needs analysis.
"A person or group of persons with a right to comment on, and have
input into, the curriculum process offered in schools" such as
teachers, learners, parents, employers, and officials in a ministry of
education are all of examples of stakeholders.

Procedures for conducting needs analysis:

- Samples of student writing
- Test data on student performance
- Reports by teachers on typical problems students face