Profa. Maricarmen Gamero

General English (No attempt is usually made)
Needs Analysis
English for Specific
Purposes
Learning Needs Needs Analysis Target Needs
It’s the study of students’ requirements to learn English
A continuing process, in which the conclusions drawn are constantly
checked and reassessed
Students- Course Designer- Sponsors

Target Needs
“What the learner needs to know and do in the target situation” (Hutchinson
and Waters, 1987)
NEEDS WANTS LACKS
What the learner has to What the students feel they From what the learners
know in order to function need English for in the know and which “need”
effectively in the target target situation. they lack to function
situation. effectively in the target
situation.
CONFLICT

Target Needs Example
NEEDS WANTS LACKS
To read letters about To read and write letters -Infer meaning of ideas
technical help in English. about technical help in from a reading.
English. - Good attitude towards
reading.

Learning Needs
ROUTE Needs
Lacks Wants
“Starting Point”
“How students learn”
Motivation Learning Strategies Attitude

Gathering Information -To survey target needs and
learning needs
Questionnaires
- It shouldn’t be so long but neither
Interviews so short
Observation
- It has to be homogenous:
Data Collection
* Dichotomous Questions
Inform Consultations
al * Open Questions
* Questions with the same
number of questions

Some Aspects to Ask:
Language Need: Study, work, training, etcétera.
Language Use: Medium, channel, types of texts or
discourse, physical setting, human context.
Content Areas: Subjects, Level.
Interlocutor
Situation: Course, job, frequency.