Needs Analysis in Language Course Planning for Students
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26 cards
Question: What is the main goal of language course planning?
Answer: To prepare learners to use English beyond the classroom.
Question: For most learners, is learning a language usually a goal in itself or a means to an end?
Answer: It is usually a means to an end, not a goal in itself.
Question: List typical purposes learners need English for.
Answer: Social survival, work, travel, education.
Question: What essential stage of curriculum development involves collecting information about activities and purposes for which learners will use English?
Answer: Needs analysis (collecting information about activities learners will use English for and purposes they need English).
Question: What three elements does needs analysis identify?
Answer: Activities, linguistic features, and demands related to learners’ use of language.
Question: When did needs analysis enter language teaching and through which movement?
Answer: It entered in the 1960s through the ESP (English for Specific Purposes) movement.
Question: Which philosophy emerged by the 1980s and in what contexts was it prominent?
Answer: A needs-based philosophy emerged, prominent in ESP and vocational language programs.
Question: How does needs analysis relate to learner-centeredness and autonomy?
Answer: Needs analysis developed as part of learner-centeredness and autonomy, helping tailor courses to learners' needs.
Question: How is needs analysis positioned in backward design?
Answer: It is the core element and the first step: Needs analysis → goals → syllabus → instruction → assessment.
Question: What is the difference between small-scale and large-scale needs analysis?
Answer: Small-scale: a teacher investigates their own class. Large-scale: an institution designs courses for groups.