4.2 Needs Analysis in Business English Course Design
4.2.1The Integration of Needs Analysis in Business English
Course Design
First of all, the findings of the work show that Needs
Analysis has been taken into consideration by the INPED teachers before
designing any Business English course. As presented in the teachers'
questionnaire and the interview, 100% of the teachers have affirmed
the importance of using Needs Analysis before designing courses for the
learners. That is, the courses are designed by taking into account the
learners' needs and wants so as to create appropriate language skills,
functions and forms as required in the leaner's needs profile. This
confirms the first hypothesis which states that Needs Analysis has
been taken into consideration by the course designers at INPED of Boumerdes.
McDonough (1984) states that the language needs of the learners should be the
bases for course development. He says, "Information on his or her language
needs will help in drawing up a profile to establish coherent objectives, and
take subsequent decisions on course content" (P.29). That is to say,
learning needs are the key for developing appropriate ESP courses. Berwick
(1989) adds that needs assessment is important for decision planners to design
the courses. This confirms that
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Discussion of the Findings
assessing the needs of the learners helps the teachers to take
decisions about what should and what should not be taught in the ESP course,
and this also influences the development of the course as it make it more easy
and more effective.
The learners' questionnaire confirms again that the
Business English learners at INPED do learn what they really need to
in order to achieve their learning goals and objectives. Therefore, their needs
are met so as to create suitable course content for them. For Hutchinson and
waters (1987) «ESP is an approach to language
teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on
the learners' reason for learning» (P.19). This definition
explains that the learning goals and objectives are very important to know in
order to create good and suitable program that suits the learning needs and
wants, that is to say, business English learners' needs and
expectations should be given a great attention. Thus, course design is
a negotiating process in which learners play an essential role. That is,
teachers cannot teach whatever they want because the learners do have needs and
goals they want to achieve at the end of their training period.
The teachers' interview shows that the majority of the
INPED teachers think that identifying learners' needs at the beginning of their
training leads to better results. For them, needs analysis is the key
for a good teaching which ensures an effective learning process. This goes in
tune with what Sieroka (2008) have said about ESP teachers. For him, ESP
teachers should first identify and sort out the learners' goals of
teaching and then conduct a research in order to design a course and
identify the appropriate teaching materials. That is, ESP teachers are supposed
to analyze the needs of the learners before making any decision about the
content of the course and the teaching materials to be used. In other words, as
the teacher is a course designer and a material provider, he must
design courses depending on the learners' needs and reasons of
learning. He should also bear in mind some basic questions before designing any
course, such as, who are the learners? What do these learners need to learn
English for? And what kind of teaching materials do they need? These questions
need to be
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Discussion of the Findings
solved through making a Needs Analysis on the learners by
using different materials and instruments because in ESP course, it is needs
analysis that determines which language skills are useful for the learners to
be able to accomplish certain professional tasks (e.g. for a tourist guide,
courses should be focused on the speaking skills and for a pilot courses should
be focused on listening as well as speaking). Thus, ESP or Business English
courses are centered on the context.
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