The document discusses needs analysis for syllabus design in teaching English. It defines needs analysis and syllabus design, outlines the history and purposes of needs analysis, and classifications of needs. The document also describes steps for designing a syllabus based on needs analysis, provides an example research study on needs analysis conducted in Albania, and discusses the role of teachers in needs analysis.

1. King Saud University
College of Education
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Major TESOL

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Definitions of needs analysis - syllabus
design
History of the needs analysis
Purposes of the needs analysis
Classification of the needs analysis
Steps of designing the syllabus based on needs
analysis
A research study
An example

3. Needs analysis Definition
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4. Syllabus design
Definition
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Syllabus design can be defined as selection and organization of
instructional content including suggested strategy for presenting content
and evaluation (Brown, 1995).
Gürbüz (2013)indicated that “syllabus design involves a logical sequence of
three main stages, that is, (1) needs analysis, (2) content specification, and
(3) syllabus organization” (p. 37) .

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The idea of focusing on learners’ needs originated in the 1970s resulting from the interest in
the design of language courses that could satisfy individual and social needs (Palacios
Martínez 1992:135). It was not until the early 1980s that needs analysis became a
recognised stage in the process of syllabus. Its development evolved in association with
the teaching of languages for specific purposes.
Overall, a needs analysis is very effective in evaluating students’ needs in relation of English
for the academic, specific, and general purposes.
It is also known as needs assessment.

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 Purposes of the needs analysis

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 Purposes of the needs analysis

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 Purposes of the needs analysis

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(Richards, (2001), p. 56)

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According to Hutchinson and Waters, needs may be divided as:
Figure 1. Hutchinson & Waters’(1987) Classification of Needs analysis
(What the learner needs to do in
Order to learn)
(What the learner needs to do in
the target situation )

13. Needs
Subjective
needs
Required
knowledge
Present
knowledge
(Robinson, 1991)
12
Objective
needs
necessities
lacks
wants

14. (Dudley-Evans & St. John, 1998) 13
Needs
analysis
Target situation analysis
and objective needs
analysis
Language learning needs
Subjective needs
Present situation analysis
Means analysis

15. (Figure 2. Dudley-Evans & St. John,
1998Insiders/outsiders Viewpoints on Needs)
14
Needs
Outsiders Insiders
Objective Needs:
from facts, what is
known, and can be
verified
Subjective/felt needs:
correspond to cognitive
and affective factors

16. (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:58;
Palacios Martínez 1994:143) 15

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Using Needs Analysis to form an English
Syllabus
A needs analysis must be efficient, safe and practical. It can be performed
through three different acts:
syllabus
Putting
informatio
into the
analysis
Collecting
data
planning
(Jeczelewski, 2016: p. 10)

19. This study was conducted by Elsa Zela (2018) on
• Setting : Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania.
• Methods: Quantitative.
• Journal: Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies
• Sample: 420 students (145 boys, and275 girls) of the 1st year of Faculty of Economics and Agribussines.
• Aim: This study aimed to identify their needs for language and communication for future use either for
employment or further education purposes. Program design and course development of Business English needs
to respond to future student needs for future employment or study purpose.
• Instruments: Questionnaire was used as a major instrument for collecting data and was based on the model
of Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) on need analysis.
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20. The research questions
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23. This study was conducted by Elsa Zela (2018) on
• Result: The results of this study will serve as input to be taken into account
for the design of the Business English course at the Faculty of Economics at
AUT. The analysis of the research data has provided teachers insights into
issues related to business English teaching.
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Needs analysis should not only be considered
as a pre-stage for the design of language
courses; in fact, it is an “on-going process”
(White 1998:91) and, as evaluation, it can be
used to design, improve and implement
language programmes, enhancing learning
activities, improving tests and assessment
strategies.

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31. The teacher and needs analysis
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32. Reference
■ Brindley, G. 1984. Needs Analysis and objective setting in the adult migrant education program.
Sydney: N. S.W. Adult Migrant Education Service.
■ Brown, J, The elements of language curriculum:A systematic approach to program development,
New York: Heinle &Heinle Publishers,1995.
■ Gürbüz, A. (2013). Proposing a Syllabus Desıgn for Oral Communicative Classes Regarding
Teachers’And Students’ Perceptions of Modified Output. Unpublished Master’s thesis,
University of Gaziantep:Gaziantep.
■ Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: A learning-centered approach.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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33. Reference
■ Nunan, D. (1988). Syllabus design. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
■ Richards, J. (2001). Curriculum Development in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
■ Robinson, P. (1991). ESP today: a practitioner’s guide. Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall
International.
■ Palacios, M. (1994). Ignacio. La enseñanza del inglés en España a debate. Santiago de Compostela:
Servicio de Publicacións e Intercambio Científico da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela,
143-144.
■ White, R. V. (1998). The ELT Curriculum. Cambridge: Basil Blackwell.
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