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Needs Analysis and ESPNeeds Analysis and ESP

Hutchinson and WatersHutchinson and Waters ((EnglishEnglish forfor SpecificSpecific PurposesPurposes: A : A learninglearning--centeredcentered approachapproach. CUP . CUP 1987)1987)

"ESP is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions "ESP is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as as to content and method are based on the learner's reason for to content and method are based on the learner's reason for

learning"learning"

The The BeginningsBeginnings of ESPof ESP

1960s 1960s –– 1970s : 1970s : recognitionrecognition of of differentdifferent varietiesvarieties of of EnglishEnglish, interest , interest in in howhow languagelanguage isis usedused differentlydifferently in in differentdifferent contextscontexts..

EarlyEarly coursescourses concernedconcerned mainlymainly withwithEnglishEnglish forfor ScienceScience and and TechnologyTechnology

1978 1978 MunbyMunby –– CommunicativeCommunicative SyllabusSyllabusDesignDesign

MunbyMunby –– Communicative Syllabus Communicative Syllabus DesignDesign

““The first step was to define : who will be using English, for whThe first step was to define : who will be using English, for what at purpose, where and with whom, in which media, using which dialecpurpose, where and with whom, in which media, using which dialects, ts, at what level, to perform what activities, to convey which tonesat what level, to perform what activities, to convey which tones. . The second step was to define the skills, notions, functions (anThe second step was to define the skills, notions, functions (and d possibly forms) which were required to satisfy the userpossibly forms) which were required to satisfy the user’’s s requirements.requirements.””

HawkeyHawkey, , NeedsNeeds analysisanalysis and and syllabussyllabus design design forfor specificspecific purposespurposes. In . In H.B.ActmanH.B.Actman and and C.V.JamesC.V.James((edseds).). ForeignForeign languagelanguage teachingteaching: meeting : meeting individualindividual needsneeds.. Oxford Oxford 19791979

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TypesTypes of ESPof ESP

EnglishEnglish forfor BusinessBusiness

EnglishEnglish forfor OccupationalOccupational PurposesPurposes

EnglishEnglish forfor AcademicAcademic PurposesPurposes

…… and and othersothers

ButBut : : overlapoverlap and and subsub--categoriescategories

WhatWhat isis ESP ?ESP ?

DudleyDudley--EvansEvans (Japan Conference on ESP 1997)(Japan Conference on ESP 1997)

1.1. ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners 2.2. ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of thESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the e

discipline it serves discipline it serves 3.3. ESP is centered on the language appropriate to these activitESP is centered on the language appropriate to these activities ies

in terms of grammar, lexis, register, study skills, discoin terms of grammar, lexis, register, study skills, discourse and urse and genre.genre.

NeedsNeeds AnalysisAnalysis usuallyusuallyinvolvesinvolves ……

QuestionnaireQuestionnaire //InterviewInterview

LanguageLanguage AuditAudit

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NeedsNeeds AnalysisAnalysis InterviewsInterviews

WhoWho shouldshould youyou askask ??

WhatWhat shouldshould youyou askask ??

WhenWhen shouldshould youyou askask ??

HowHow shouldshould youyou askask ??

WhatWhat are the are the problemsproblems??

Are Are interviewsinterviews enoughenough ??

NeedsNeeds AnalysisAnalysis can can alsoalso involveinvolve ……

Job Job shadowingshadowing

TextText analysisanalysis

ResearchResearch

WhatWhat do do youyou wantwant toto knowknow??

WhatWhat specificspecific taskstasks mustmust the the learnerlearnerperformperform in in EnglishEnglish??

HowHow?? SpeechSpeech or or writingwriting? ? PhonePhone or F2F?or F2F? WhatWhat willwill the the contentcontent areasareas bebe? ? WhoWho willwill the the learnerslearners useuse the the languagelanguage withwith, ,

and and wherewhere? ? WhenWhen willwill the the taskstasks bebe performedperformed and and howhow

oftenoften? ? HowHow wellwell can can theythey alreadyalready performperform themthem ?? WhatWhat are the are the prioritiespriorities ??

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Task Task AnalysisAnalysisTasks must be analyzed to determine what skills Tasks must be analyzed to determine what skills and language abilities they require :and language abilities they require :

-- genre type and registergenre type and register-- key functions /notions and their key functions /notions and their

linguistic realisation (structures / linguistic realisation (structures / lexis)lexis)

-- skills and skills and microskillsmicroskills

The ESP The ESP TextbookTextbook : a : a contradictioncontradiction in in termsterms??

IfIf itit’’s s generalgeneral enoughenough toto sell, sell, itit’’s s notnot ESP. ESP. ESG?ESG?

"ESP "ESP teachersteachers findfind themselvesthemselves in a in a situationsituationwherewhere theythey are are expectedexpected toto produce a produce a coursecoursethatthat exactlyexactly matchesmatches the the needsneeds of a of a groupgroup of of learnerslearners, , butbut are are expectedexpected toto do so do so withwith no, no, or or veryvery limitedlimited, , preparationpreparation time" time" ((JonesJones, , ESP ESP

textbookstextbooks: Do : Do theythey reallyreally existexist?? EnglishEnglish forfor SpecificSpecific PurposesPurposes, 9, 1990,)., 9, 1990,).

AuthenticAuthentic textstexts –– centralcentral totoESP ?ESP ?

Motivation :Motivation : learners see clear relationship learners see clear relationship between the course and their needsbetween the course and their needs

Language input :Language input : texts contain specialist texts contain specialist vocabulary, language appropriate to genre. Can vocabulary, language appropriate to genre. Can be used for language improvement workbe used for language improvement work

Models :Models : Are actual examples of the texts they Are actual examples of the texts they need to be able to understand or produceneed to be able to understand or produce

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ProblemsProblems withwith AuthenticAuthentic TextsTexts

Not always easy to obtain Not always easy to obtain –– solutions?solutions?

Sometimes highly technical and very Sometimes highly technical and very difficult for teacher to understanddifficult for teacher to understand

Need work to make them didactically Need work to make them didactically useful, useful, ieie exercises need to be devisedexercises need to be devised

The GPThe GP--ESP continuum ESP continuum ……

GeneralGeneral PurposePurpose –– learnerslearners groupedgrouped byby levellevelonlyonly, , coursebookcoursebook chosenchosen dependingdepending on on levellevel

GeneralGeneral PurposePurpose –– butbut NA NA conductedconducted and and CbkCbkchosenchosen or or adaptedadapted dependingdepending on the on the resultsresults

““GeneralGeneral”” ESP ESP –– egeg textbooktextbook basedbased EnglishEnglish forforbusinessbusiness

““RealReal”” ESP ESP –– coursecourse 100% 100% tailortailor mademade

IsIs NeedsNeeds AnalysisAnalysis RelevantRelevant totoGP GP TeachingTeaching??

First First lessonlesson : : questionnairequestionnaire //groupgroup discussiondiscussiontoto findfind out out …… reasonsreasons forfor learninglearning EnglishEnglish : job : job

relatedrelated, , studystudy relatedrelated, , traveltravel, family , family reasonsreasons, entertainment , entertainment etcetc

prioritiespriorities forfor improvementimprovement ––L / S / R / W, G / L / PL / S / R / W, G / L / P

learninglearning stylesstyles and and preferencespreferences etcetc

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And And thenthen …… ??

IfIf learnerlearner needsneeds//wantswants are are conflictingconflicting, , whatwhat do do youyou do?do?

IfIf youryour coursebookcoursebook doesndoesn’’t cover t cover themthem, , whatwhat do do youyou do?do?