HANOI UNIVERSITY

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Telephone:(84-4)3854 4338; Fax:(84-4)3854 4550

E-mail: hanu@hanu.edu.vn; Website: www.hanu.edu.vn

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ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET

Family Name: First Name:

Pham Ngoc Hue

Unit Title:

English for Specific Purposes

Assignment Title:

A Needs Analysis in Designing IELTS Exam Preparation Courses

Name of Lecturer: Class:

MR. Le Thanh Dung 2PG39

Date Submitted: Student Contact Telephone No./Student Email Address:

02/10/2018 Tel: 01694541993/ 0394541993

Email: phamhue839@gmail.com

STUDENT DECLARATION

I DECLARE THAT THIS ASSIGNMENT IS ORIGINAL AND HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED FOR ASSESSMENT ELSEWHERE.
I DECLARE THAT THIS ASSIGNMENT IS MY OWN WORK AND DOES NOT INVOLVE PLAGIARISM OR COLLUSION.
I GIVE MY CONSENT FOR THE ELECTRONIC VERSION TO BE EXAMINED BY RELEVANT PLAGIARISM SOFTWARE PROGRAMS.
I HAVE MADE A PHOTOCOPY OR ELECTRONIC COPY OF MY ASSIGNMENT, WHICH I CAN PRODUCE IF THE ORIGINAL IS LOST
FOR ANY REASON.

SIGNED: DATED:
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COMMENTS: ..........................................................................................................

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Lecturer’s Signature: ..……………………………………… Date: ………………....

 Table of Contents

Pages

1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………. 1

2. Review of the theory of Needs analysis in ESP…………………………... 2

2.1. What is “Needs Analysis”? .................................................................. 2
2.2. Roles of Needs Analysis in ESP……………………………………... 4

2.3. Different Approaches to Needs Analysis in ESP……………………. 5

3. Selection of Needs Analysis Approaches………………………………… 8

4. Samples of instrument for Need Analysis information collection………... 9

5. References………………………………………………………………… 14
1. Introduction

English has gained the increasing prevalence as an international means of

communication because of its existence in almost every domain of social life such

as politics, economics, education, cultures and medicine. In these fields, English

is considered as a working tool to reach users’ objectives. In many world countries

including Vietnam, English courses at all levels of the educational system are

introduced into the curricula at university through ESP (English for Special

Purposes) that has been developed to satisfy the necessities of learners with the

aim of using English in professional contexts and for professional purposes.

My task here is to propose a plan aimed at collecting information to design a

suitable course for students from various educational backgrounds who register

for an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) preparation course

in EduTrust Overseas Study and Training JSC for different purposes (e.g. for

overseas education, for work, for university entrance and for emigration, etc.). The

group consists of 10 students and the course will last four months. The analysis of

these students’ needs is the first task of designing ESP course.

The target students I intend to gather information are those aged from 16 to 23.

The number of students participating in the ESP course is 10 students. They enroll

in a four-month IELTS course of four skills including reading, writing, speaking

and listening in EduTrust Overseas Study and Training JSC. Their target score is

Band 6.0 Overall with no module below 4.5. In order to qualify for the ESP course,

each student achieves at least Band 3.5 Overall in the IELTS mock test

administered by EduTrust. In other words, they have to reach the low-intermediate

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 level. They will have 4 classes of 2.5 hours per week. These students have learned

English in the official curricula of the Vietnamese educational system; however,

they seemingly attach great importance to grammatical competence which help

them to pass school exams. As a consequence, they may be better at reading and

writing skills than the two remaining skills. Regarding facilities for study, students

are provided with a lot of essential equipment such as lights, projectors, and

speakers. The environment of class is comparatively quiet thanks to the sound-

proof glass. The materials are provided by teachers.

After this ESP course, students will be able to expand their vocabulary, learn

useful techniques and strategies to facilitate reading and listening, develop the

logical and critical thinking, write reports and essays as well as speak a wide range

of topics. Students are expected to cope with anxiety and become more engaged

in the lectures. To sum up, ESP course may help these students to achieve their

goals related to their study, work or future plans

2. Review of the theory of Needs analysis in ESP

2.1 What is “Needs Analysis”

Debates over how needs analysis is defined by ESP researchers have gone because

of the seemingly problematic combination of two terms: “needs” and “analysis”.

According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987), there are two terms related to

“needs”, including “target needs” and “learning needs”. They consider target needs

what the learner need to do in the target situation while learning needs refer to

what learn needs to do in order to learn (p.54). Target needs are classified into

necessities, wants and lacks. In detail, necessities are what the learner has to know

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in order to perform effectively in the target situation. Wants are what the learner

actually wants to learn or what they feel they need to learn. Lacks would occur

when there is the discrepancy between necessity and the learner’s prior knowledge

(p.55-57).

When it comes to the field of adult education, Berwick (1989) gives a definition

of “needs” as the gap between what the current level of the learner’s knowledge is

and what the target situation requires (p.65). Robinson (1991) claims that the

ideological preconceptions of course designers influence on establishing “needs”

for students. He also notes that when a different group of analysts work with a

group of students who have different views, this is highly likely to produce a

different set of needs (p.7).

In respect of the reference to the purpose of learning the language, individual

differences and the social roles of language in a wider context, Alderson (1980)

categorizes “needs” into four types, namely formal needs, obligation need,

hypothetical future need and want. To be more specific, formal needs aim at

meeting the requirements of an institution such as passing an exam, for example.

Obligation needs are what the learner have to do with the language as he learns it.

Hypothetical future need, on the other hand, refer to the need to become a

professional in the future. Finally, want is something that the students feel want to

do or to learn.

Based on individual differences, Altman (1980) asserts that the analysts should

take into consideration the characteristics of the learners such as age, level of

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 language proficiency, maturity and time. Accordingly, learning resources should

be made to modify in order to meet the needs of each individual (p.9)

Brindley (1989) describes needs as the gap between what the learners actually need

and what should be taught to them (p.56). He also identifies two types of needs.

The first one is objective need, which derives from the learner’s actual

information, use of language in daily communication, current language

proficiency and language difficulties. The second one is subjective need, which

refers to cognitive needs and affective needs in learning such as personality,

confidence, attitude, wants and expectation in learning.

Al-Otibi (1994) considers “Analysis” as the process of exploring communicative

tasks that the learner needs to do with the target language.

Graves (2000) notes that needs analysis is a systematics and ongoing process in

which the information about students’ needs is collected and interpreted by the

course designer that then make a plan to design an effective course to meet the

needs.

2.2 Roles of needs analysis (NA) in ESP

Needs analysis is regarded as an essential tool for ESP teachers could recognize

the learner’s requirement and identify the skills to facilitate the process of teaching

and learning. According to Taillefer (2007) and Cowling (2007), need analysis

play a pivotal role in the success of the teaching and learning process. Carkin

(2005) claims that learners can adapt themselves to the new learning system as

their teachers figure out their needs of the learning process thanks to needs

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 analysis. Furthermore, when ESP teachers understand clearly “necessities, lacks

and wants” of the learners, they can design or select teaching methods and

materials that are appropriate for the learners

2.3 Different approaches to needs analysis

There are a variety of approaches to needs analysis in ESP in order to assess the

language needs of the learner. The most common ones are Communicative Needs

Processor (CNP), target situation analysis (TSA), present situation analysis (PSA)

and Learning Needs Analysis (LNA).

One of the earliest approaches to needs analysis is Communicative Needs and

Processor (CNP) which was published by Munby in 1978 (Hutchinson & Water,

1987). The aim of this approach is to establish a target profile for each ESP learner,

for which ESP teachers gain a detailed insight into the particular communication

needs. According to Munby (1987), the target profile are constructed by analyzing

the following:

 Purposive domain: establishes the purpose which the target language will be

used for at the end of the course.

 Setting: includes the physical setting where English will be used in the spatial

and temporal aspects of the situation, and the psychological setting where

English will be used in the different environment.

 Interaction: identifies interlocutors and predict the relationship between them

 Instrumentality: specifies the medium through which English is used in a

written or spoken format, or whether the language is used in the form of

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 monologue or dialogue, or through channel of communication like face-to-face

way or by telephone.

 Dialect: learners will need to understand or produce dialects in terms of their

spatial, temporal or social aspect.

 Communicative event: the things ESP learners will have to do in order to

ensure the productivity and receptivity.

 Communicative key: the manner in which ESP course participants will have

to do activities, e.g. politely or impolitely

 Target level: the level of language proficiency at the end of ESP course

Hutchinson and Waters (1987) says that by means of Munby’s model, the learner

will know what he needs to do in order to function effectively in the target

situation. According to Robinson (1991), Munby’s model is a solid foundation for

most subsequent target needs analysis because of its comprehensive provision of

data bands and target performance.

Another approach worthy of consideration is Target Situation Analysis (TSA)

which is formulated by Munby (1982). In the 1970s, TSA was considered as the

best-known approach to needs analysis (Mohammadi & Mousavi, 2013). West

(1994) states the language requirements of learners is the main focus of TSA.

Robinson (1991) argues that a target situation analysis is a needs analysis aimed

at fulfilling students’ needs at the end of the course. In other words, target needs

are the product of TSA. According to Hutchinson and Water (1987), TSA attempts

to answer the following questions that are compiled by Songhori (2008).

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 1. Why is language needed? - For study;
- For work;
- For training;
- For a combination of these;
- For some other purposes, e.g. status,
examination, promotion.
2. How will the language be used? - Medium: speaking, writing, reading, etc;
- Channel: telephone, face to face;
- Types of text or discourse., e.g. academic
text, lectures, catalogues, etc.
3. What will the content areas be? - Subjects: e.g. medicine, biology,
commerce, shipping, etc.;
- Level: technician, craftsman,
postgraduates, etc.
4. Where will the language be used? - Physical setting: e.g. office, lecture
theater, hotel, workshop, library;
- Human context: along, meetings,
demonstrations, on telephone;
- Linguistic context: e.g. in own country,
abroad.
5. When will the language be used? - Concurrently with the ESP course or
subsequently;
- Frequently, seldom, etc.

If TSA aims to establish the expectation about the learners at the end of language course,

Present Situation Analysis (PSA) attempts to identify what the learners are expected at the

beginning of the course. Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998) state “a PSA estimates

strengths and weaknesses in language, skills, learning experiences.”. This approach can

be carried out by means of establishing placement tests. Furthermore, the learners’

background information such as years of learning English, level of education, etc. can

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provide enough information about their present abilities (Songhori, 2008). However, in

the real situtions, both TSA and PSA are often implemented simultaneously. Robinson

(1991) states that “ Needs analysis may be seen as a combination of TSA and PSA” (p.9).

Another term is Learning Needs Analysis (LNA). This approach aims to analyse the

strategies that learners employ in order to learn another language. In other words, a LNA

is a review of learning and development requirement for individuals or the group. It may

be learners’ concern, consideration profiles and affective factors. Hutchinson and Water

(1987) stress a LNA framework as:

 Why are the learners taking the course?

 How do the learners learn?

 What resources are available?

 Who are the learners?

 Where will the course take place?

 When will the course take place?

In short, Needs Analysis can take various forms such as TSA, PSA and LNA. On the

whole, the goals of these forms is to help researchers and designers to design a suitable

material for their learners based on learners’ needs, lacks and wants.

3. Selection of Needs Analysis approaches and rationale

TSA and PSA are used in this paper in order to carry out a needs analysis for students

learning the IELTS in EduTrust Overseas Study and Training JSC. According to Robinson

(1991), TSA and PSA are the combination of needs analysis; therefore, expectations and

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demands as well as strengths, weaknesses, attitudes and perception of IELTS learners and

teachers will be displayed clearly. Through information collected from students and

teachers, the designers can understand more their needs when finishing the ESP course;

thus, it helps them to design and develop materials for students and teachers.

4. Samples of Instrument(s) for Needs Analysis Information Collection

Needs Analysis Questionnaires

We would like to know more about you in order to plan an effective course. There are

three sections in this questionnaire. Please read the questions carefully and answer

them appropriately.

Please provide the following information about yourself:

 Name:

 Age:

 Nationality:

 Occupation:

Questions:

1. How long have you been studying English?

a. Less than one year b. 1-2 years c. 3-5 years d. More than 5 years

2. How often do you use English outside English class?

a. Always b. Usually c. Sometimes d. Never

3. How often do you write in English?

a. Always b. Usually c. Sometimes d. Never

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4. How often do you read in English?

a. Always b. Usually c. Sometimes d. Never

5. How often do you listen to English music or watch English movies?

a. Always b. Usually c. Sometimes d. Never

6. How often do you speak in English?

a. Always b. Usually c. Sometimes d. Never

7. What are your reasons for taking this IELTS course?

Please Tick
Oversea education
University entrance
Postgraduate study
Work requirement
Emigration
Other reason

8. Have you taken IELTS before? What were your scores?

Date Reading Writing Speaking Listening Overall

9. What score do you need?

Reading Writing Speaking Listening Overall

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10. Number four modules from 1 to 4 in order of your ability:

1 = I think this is my weakest area

4 = I think this is my strongest area

1 2 3 4
Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking

11. What do you know about IELTS?

Please answer these questions with short answers.

How many times do you listen to the recordings in the

listening test?
Are you given extra time to fill out your answer sheet in
listening?
How many reading passages are there? How much time
do you have for the whole paper?
Are you given extra time to fill out your answer sheet in
reading?
What criteria is the writing test graded for?

How many words do you need to write for the essays task
1 and task 2? How much time do you have for the two
essays?
What criteria is the speaking test graded for?

What should you do if you don’t understand the question

in the speaking test?

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12. By the end of the ESP course, how do you expect the course to help you?

Please look at the scale and circle the appropriate number

1 = did not help all 2 = a little 3 = somewhat 4 = a lot

1 2 3 4
to improve my grammar for IELTS
to improve my writing for IELTS
to improve my speaking for IELTS
to improve my reading for IELTS
to improve my listening for IELTS
To improve my vocabulary for IELTS
My teacher to correct my mistakes
My teacher to prepare sample IELTS questions for me

Interview Questions

1. What do you think are the most important skills that you need to practice for

IELTS?

2. What do you want to learn in this course?

3. Do you think your IELTS results would depend on teachers or yourselves?

4. What do you think are some challenges you may face when studying English?

5. Are you clear about the format of the IELTS test?

6. How do you approach the writing module of the test?

7. How do you approach the speaking module of the test?

8. How do you approach the listening module of the test?

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9. How do you approach the reading module of the test?

10. What do you expect from your teacher during the course?

11. How much homework are you ready to do?

12. What do you think about the test during the course?

(2641 words)

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 References

Alderson, J.C. (1980), A Process Approach to Reading at The University of Mexico

Projects in materials design. ELT Documents Special, 134-163.

Al-Otibi, A, M. (1994). Identifying the English Communication Needs of Kuwaiti

Student Soldiers at the Military Institute in Kuwait. Unpublished Ph.D thesis. UK:
Cardiff University College.

Altman, H. B. (1980), Foreign Language Teaching: Focus on The Learner. In H.B.

Berwick, R. 1989), Needs Assessment iii Language Programming: from Theory to

Brindley, C. (1989), The Role of Needs Analysis in Adult ESL Programme Design.
In R.K. Johnson (ed), The Second Language Curriculum, 63-78. New York:
Cambridge University Press.

Carkin, S. (2005). English for Academic Purposes. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of

Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning (pp. 85-98). Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum.

Cowling, D. (2007). Needs Analysis: Planning a Syllabus for a Series of Intensive

Workplace Courses at a Leading Japanese Company. English for Specific
Purposes, 26, 426–442.

Dudley-Evans, T., and St. John, M.(1998). Developments in ESP: A multi-disciplinary

approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Graves, K. (2000). Designing Language Courses: A Guide for Teachers. Boston;

Heinle & Heinle. Practice. In R.K. Johnson (ed.), The Second Language
Curriculum, 48-62. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Hutchinson & Waters (1987), English for Specific Purposes. New York: Cambridge
University Press.

Mohammadi, V. & Mousaive, N. (2013). Analyzing Needs Analysis in ESP: A (re)

modeling. International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Science, 4(5),
1014-1020.

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Munby, J. (1978). Communicative Syllabus Design. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.

Robinson, P. (1991). ESP Today. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Songhori, M, H. (2008). English for Specific Purposes. Available at:

www.espworld.info.

Taillefer, G. (2007). The Professional Language Needs of Economic Graduates:

Assessment and Perception for French Context. English for Specific Purposes,
26, 135-155.

West, R. (1994). Needs analysis in language teaching. Language Teaching, 27/1, 1-

19.

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