Needs Analysis For Language Course Design

An essential toolkit for language teachers who need to design language courses for working professionals, vocational schools, undergraduate and graduate students. Needs Analysis for Language Course Design is a handbook for those who prepare and teach courses in ESP. The book shows the reader how needs analysis can be used to create a detailed profile of the professional learner and how this profile can then be used to tailor make a course in language and communication for working professionals and for those studying towards a professional or vocational qualification.

Crystal-clear and comprehensive yet concise, this text describes the steps involved in the curriculum design process, elaborates and justifies these steps, and provides opportunities for practicing and applying them. The description of the steps is done at a general level so that they can be applied in a wide range of particular circumstances. The process comes to life through plentiful examples of actual applications of the steps. Each chapter includes: examples from the authors’ experience and from published research tasks that encourage readers to relate the steps to their own experience case studies and suggestions for further reading that put readers in touch with others’ experience Curriculum, or course, design is largely a 'how-to-do-it' activity that involves the integration of knowledge from many of the areas in the field of Applied Linguistics, such as language acquisition research, teaching methodology, assessment, language description, and materials production. Combining sound research/theory with state-of-the-art practice, Language Curriculum Design is widely applicable for ESL/EFL language education courses around the world.

No language teaching program should be designed without a thorough analysis of the students' needs. The studies in this volume explore Needs Analysis in the public, vocational and academic sectors, in contexts ranging from service encounters in coffee shops to foreign language needs assessment in the U.S. military. In each chapter, the authors explicitly discuss the methodoldogy they employed, and in some cases also offer research findings on that methodology. Several studies are task-based, making the collection of special interest to those involved in task-based language teaching. Contributions include work on English and other languages in both second and foreign language settings, as well as a comprehensive overview of methodological issues in Needs Analysis by the editor.

Introducing Needs Analysis and English for Specific Purposes is a clear and accessible guide to the theoretical background and practical tools needed for this early stage of curriculum development in ESP. Beginning with definitions of needs analysis and ESP, this book takes a jargon-free approach which leads the reader step-by-step through the process of performing a needs analysis in ESP, including: how to focus a needs analysis according to the course and student level; the selection and sequencing of a wide variety of data collection procedures; analysis and interpretation of needs analysis data in order to write reports and determine Student Learning Outcomes; personal reflection exercises and examples of real-world applications of needs analysis in ESP. Introducing Needs Analysis and English for Specific Purposes is essential reading for pre-service and in-service teachers, and students studying English for Specific Purposes, Applied Linguistics, TESOL and Education.

A new edition of a successful title, which has been fully revised and updated to reflect contemporary issues in curriculum. The paperback edition provides a systematic introduction to the issues involved in developing, managing, and evaluating effective second and foreign language programs and teaching materials. Key stages in the curriculum development process are examined, including situation analysis, needs analysis, goal setting, syllabus design, materials development and adaptation, teaching and teacher support, and evaluation. Discussion activities throughout the book enable it to be used as a reference text for teachers and administrators.

English for Specific Purposes offers the teacher a new perspective on this important field. The main concern is effective learning and how this can best be achieved in ESP courses. The authors discuss the evolution of ESP and its position today; the role of the ESP teacher; course design; syllabuses; materials; teaching methods, and evaluation procedures. It will be of interest to all teachers who are concerned with ESP. Those who are new to the field will find it a thorough, practical introduction while those with more extensive experience will find its approach both stimulating and innovative.

Demonstrates the principles involved in planning and designing an effective syllabus. This book examines important concepts, such as needs analysis, goal-setting, and content specification, and serves as a useful introduction for teachers who want to gain an understanding of syllabus design in order to modify the syllabuses with which they work.