Why needs analysis? What if not?Who decides what to learn? Needs
Analysis: A Key Issue to ESP Course Design and Material
Writinglearners surial needs !acade"ic# occu$ational# ocational
%Pro&le"s: oersi"$lified language# inauthentic co""unicatie
structure# unrealistic situational content# etc'(ow to conduct
needs analysis?Sources for NAsMethods of NAWhat infor"ation can we
get fro" each source and each "ethod?Sources for NAsPu&lished )
un$u&lished literature*earners+eachers ) a$$lied
linguistsDo"ain e,$erts+riangulated sourcesPu&lished )
un$u&lished literaturedetailed -o& descri$tions for
e"$loyees !fro" union offices# contracts# sectors# institutions#
etc'%:"anual# lists of tas.s# $erfor"ance standards# training
e,ercises Do they contain any s$ecific language to &e used
while doing the tas.?*earners$re/e,$erience learners
!unrelia&le?%e,$erienced in/serice learnersWhat infor"ation can
they $roide?Do they hae enough .nowledge a&out the content of
the -o& and language needs?Are they fa"iliar enough with a
target discourse do"ain to $roide usa&le# alid
infor"ation?+eachers ) a$$lied linguistsWhat do they .now
&etter than do"ain e,$erts?Many studies show serious "is"atches
of understanding &etween a$$lied linguists and do"ain e,$erts
!(uc.in ) 0lsen# 12345 Selin.er# 12625 7uc. ) 7uc.# 1234%' Do"ain
e,$ertsWhat do they .now &etter than teachers and a$$lied
linguists?What a&out their .nowledge oflanguage needs?
!unrelia&le &oth on detailed linguistic leel ) discourse
eents%+riangulated sourcesCo"&ining do"ain e,$erts and language
e,$erts in a tea" can $roduce successful tas./&ased language
NAs !*ett# 899:%'Methods of NANon/e,$ert ) e,$ert
intuitionsInteriewsPartici$ant o&seration ) non $artici$ant
o&seration ;uestionnaires+riangulated "ethodsNon/e,$ert )
e,$ert intuitionsnon/e,$ert intuitions !co""on for "any co""ercial
te,t&oo. writers%: &eing notoriously unrelia&le on the
language of target situations e,$ert intuitions: not clear whether
do"ain e,$erts can do any
&etter'InteriewsStructuredse"i/structuredunstructureduestions#
categories and res$onse o$tionsonce unstructured interiews are done
and the data fro" the" analy?ed# se"i/structured or structured
interiews "ay follow' InteriewsEsta&lishing access to# "a.ing
contact with and selecting interieweesInteriewing as a
relationshi$listen "ore# tal. lessfollow u$ on what the interiewee
says# &ut dont interru$tAs. the interiewee to reconstruct# not
to re"e"&erInteriews.ee$ the interiewee focused and as. for
concrete detailsdo not ta.e the e&&s and flows of
interiewing too $ersonallyfollow your hunchesPartici$ant
o&seration ) non $artici$ant o&serationnon $artici$ant
o&seration: no inole"ent with the $eo$le or actiities studied
!collecting data &y o&seration alone%$artici$ant
o&seration: degree of inole"entCan we get s$ecific languages
fro" it?;uestionnaires"ight &e designed for &road coerage
of re$resentatie "e"&ers and nu"&ers of each
categorys$ecific# "easurea&le o&-ectieschoice of $o$ulation
or sa"$lerelia&le and alid instru"ents+riangulated "ethodsA
>uestionnaire# used as the &asis for in/de$th structured
interiews# etc'*ots of intros$ection ) retros$ection needed to
&e cross/chec.ed against results of $artici$ant o&seration
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