I.

Topic
Needs Analysis
II. Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students would be able to:
1. Define Needs analysis in ESP
2. Differentiate the two vital devices and different components of needs analysis
3. Apply needs analysis in a real life scenario.
III. Discussion
Needs Analysis

ESP (English for Specific Purposes) ensures designing courses to meet learners'
needs. Two vital devices of determining the needs are target needs and learning needs.
The term target needs refers to what learners need to do in the target situation. It
consists of three components- necessities, lacks, and wants. Learning needs are what
learners need to do in order to learn. In designing an English course for the medical
students, the research has focused on target needs and learning needs along with
necessities, lacks, and wants.

Target Needs
Target needs' is defined as what the learner needs to do in the target situation.
Hutchinson and Waters have considered the "Target needs' as an umbrella term, which
in practice hides a number of important distinctions. It is more useful to look at the target
situation in terms of (a) necessities, (b) lacks, and (c) wants.

(a) Necessities
The term 'Necessities' is most essential to identify the target needs for an ESP syllabus.
In ESP, usually necessities are the category of needs determined by the demands of
the target situation, that is, what the learner has to know in order to function effectively
in the target situation.

(b) Lacks
The second component of the 'Target needs' is to identify the lacks of the learners. To
specify the lacks, we first evaluate the level of language proficiency they have already
had. Once we can have an idea, we can evaluate how far they need to proceed to fulfill
the necessities mentioned above. One target situation necessity might be to answer the
scripts in correct English. On the basis of the data collected by a pre-set questionnaire,
we can have an idea about how they can comprehend the question and how correctly
they answer the question. Seeing the common mistakes (lacks), the course designer
can decide what type of material s/he will choose for the learners to learn writing correct
English (necessities).

(c) Wants
The third component of analyzing needs is 'wants'. Learners may have a clear
conception of the 'necessities' of the target situation; they will definitely have a view
about their 'lacks'. But, it is not impossible that the learner will have their own views and
the learners' views may conflict with the perception of other interested parties like the
ESP practitioner, sponsors. This means that, for designing a course it is necessary to
listen and analyze the opinions of the learners along with the other related opinions.

Learning Needs
After target needs, we will analyze learning needs. We can consider the whole process
of designing an ESP course as a journey. In this process, we can consider the starting
point as 'lacks', the destination as 'necessities', and learners' opinions as 'wants'. But, in
this case, what will be the route to follow? Actually, how can we reach our destination?
is a question that gives birth to another type of needs known as 'learning needs'.
'Learning needs' refers to the process how learners learn what includes learners'
motivation, their knowledge, skills and strategies in learning a language. In fact, the
learning needs is a subject highly related to the learners' language problems, their
learning objectives, their way of learning etc. An ESP course is really designed by
taking cares of the above mentioned components as Hutchinson and Waters (1987)
support that the new educational pedagogy emphasizes the importance of the learners
and their attitudes to learning.

III. Activity

1. Group Brainstorming Session:

  Organize a group brainstorming session to identify target needs related to
necessities, lacks, and wants in a specific area of study or work.
 Encourage participants to share their insights and experiences to generate a
comprehensive list of learning needs.
 Facilitate discussions to delve deeper into each category and prioritize them
based on importance and urgency.
 This activity will help participants engage in critical thinking and collaborative
problem-solving to assess and analyze the diverse learning needs within the
context of the target group.

2..Case Study Analysis:

 Present participants with real-life case studies that highlight various target needs,
including necessities, lacks, and wants in different learning environments or
professional settings.
 Divide participants into smaller groups and assign each group a case study to
analyze and identify the specific learning needs presented in the scenario.
 Encourage participants to discuss and evaluate the implications of unmet needs
on individual performance and organizational outcomes.
 This activity will allow participants to apply theoretical knowledge to practical
situations and sharpen their analytical skills in identifying and addressing diverse
learning needs effectively.

3. Needs Assessment Survey Design:

 Divide participants into teams and task them with designing a needs assessment
survey to gather information on target needs related to necessities, lacks, and
wants within a specific audience or demographic.
 Guide participants in formulating relevant questions that can elicit valuable
insights into the learning needs of the target group.
 Encourage participants to consider the design, structure, and administration of
the survey to ensure the collection of accurate and actionable data.
 This activity will provide participants with hands-on experience in designing
effective needs assessment tools and interpreting the results to inform decision-
making and planning processes.

4. Role-Playing Scenarios:
  Develop role-playing scenarios that simulate various situations where individuals
are confronted with different types of target needs, such as necessities, lacks,
and wants.
 Assign roles to participants and challenge them to enact scenarios that involve
negotiating and addressing learning needs effectively.
 Encourage participants to explore various communication strategies, problem-
solving approaches, and decision-making processes to resolve conflicts and
meet the diverse needs of the characters they portray.
 This activity will enable participants to enhance their empathy, interpersonal
skills, and creativity in identifying and responding to complex learning needs in
dynamic environments.

5. SWOT Analysis Workshop:

 Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis

workshop focused on identifying target needs in terms of necessities, lacks, and
wants within a specific context, such as a learning program or professional
development initiative.
 Guide participants through the process of analyzing internal and external factors
that impact learning needs assessment and planning.
 Facilitate discussions to help participants identify potential strengths to leverage,
weaknesses to address, opportunities to explore, and threats to mitigate in
meeting the diverse needs of the target group.
 This activity will enable participants to gain a holistic understanding of the
challenges and opportunities associated with needs analysis and develop
strategic insights to enhance learning outcomes and performance.
IV. Reference
https://jurnalbeta.ac.id/index.php/betaJTM/article/download/43/57
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/
EJ1295036.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0px9hGpvykA8-fsPKsLdm-&hl=en_US