NEEDS ANALYSIS:

SOCIETAL AND
LEARNER NEEDS;
ASSESSMENT
INSTRUMENTS
Needs
- Refers to a lack of something
requisite, desirable or useful
(Merriam-Websters Dictionary).
Needs Analysis
- A preliminary step prior to
setting ones goal in an
educational
program
for
teaching
(British
applied
linguistics).
Assessment Instruments
- Detailed search for what a
target clientele actually needs,
including the immediate and
long-term
needs
and
a
specification of targets at
various levels, depending on
the span and the extent of the
language training program.
- Consist of checklists of
structures and skills to be
attained as well as scales on
degree of attainment which will
constitute the targets.
Things to account in
determining specific needs
1. Present situation of the
clientele or learners
2. Functions
and
activities
which call for the use of a
language

3. The speech acts which they

have to perform with the
target language
4. Typical situations of a social
kind in which they will find
themselves needing to use
the language either in its
oral or written phase
5. Kinds of activities which will
be demanded of them in
using the language
6. Specific topics which they
will have to deal with and
hence the register of the
language
7. Degree of competence that
will
meet
basic
communication needs

Time available will limit the

number and degree of
mastery of skills which can
be realistically attained.

Approaches to Needs
Analysis
1. A Sociolinguistic Model
- Munby, 1978
- Used to specify valid target
situations
that
target
communicative competence
- Though
it
provides
an
abundance of detail, it is
impractical,
inflexible,
complex
and
timeconsuming
- Does not include needs
dependent
on
human
variables

It collects data about the

learner rather than from the
learner (West, 1994, p.9)

2. A Systemic Approach
- Richterich and Chancerel,
1977
- Fills
the
gaps
in
the
sociolinguistic
model
in
terms of flexibility and
shows a distinct concern on
learners
- Learners are the center of
attention and their present
situations are thoroughly
investigated as well as
emergent nature of learner
needs
- Context of investigation and
multiple perspective are
given prominence
- Learner
needs
are
approached by examining
information before a course
starts as well as during the
course by the learners
themselves and by teaching
establishments such as their
place
of
work
and
sponsoring bodies.
- Recommends using more
data collection methods
- Lack of attention to learners
real-world needs and overreliance
on
learners
perception of their needs
3. A Learning-centered
Approach
- Hutchinson and Water, 1987

More attention should be

given to how learners learn
Learning needs approach is
the best route to convey
learners from the starting
point to the target situation
Stress the use of multiple
methods of data collection
Learner
needs
are
approached from the target
needs and learning needs
Target Needs- what the
learners needs to do in the
target situation and is
broken
down
into
necessities,
lacks
and
wants.
Learning Needs- referring
to numerous factors: who
the learners are, their sociocultural
background,
learning background, age,
gender,
background
knowledge of specialized
contents,
background
knowledge
of
English,
attitudes towards English,
etc

4. Learner-centered
Approaches
- Three ways to look at the
learner needs are offered:
perceived vs. felt needs;
product vs. process oriented
interpretations;
and
objective
vs.
subjective
needs
- Aside from language needs,
learners
attitudes
and

feelings
are
clearly
highlighted
The
classification
of
perceived vs. felt needs
gives rise to consideration of
how needs can depend on

an individuals perceptions
and interpretations
5. A Task-based Approach
- Long, 2005a

Structures or other linguistic

elements should not be a
focal point of teaching and
learning
Tasks are the units of
analysis and samples of the

discourse typically involved

in performance of target
tasks are collected
Language
variables
are
highlighted in the taskbased approach.