Using
A
Needs Analysis
As A
Means
o
Re lec ion
on ESP
Syllabus
Ángeles Linde López
Uni e sidad de G anada
This a icle sugges s using a needs analysis as a use ul
means o e lec ion in o de o highligh o wha ex en language
needs assessmen can illus a e whe he o no exis any
disc epancy be ween el ' needs and 'pe cei ed' needs as well
as be ween lea ne s' needs and in e es s ha can be ele an o
syllabus designs. The s udy looks a he esul s o a needs
analysis ca ied ou wi h uni e si y s uden s o ESP.
1.
In oduc ion
In ecen yea s he e has been an inc easing in e es in looking a needs
analyses as a s ong jus i ica ion o he decisions planne s make abou
language p og amms as well as a i al p e equisi e o he speci ica ion o
language leaming objec i es. Al hough he de ini ion o needs is he basis o
any needs assessmen , i is di icul o ind an ope a ional de ini ion sui able
in any con ex o second language lea ning. Ne e heless, a de ini ion o
needs is mos o en ag eed o be exp essed as "a gap o measu able
disc epancy be ween a cu en s a e o a ai s and a desi ed u u e s a e'
(Be wick, 1994:52), o as being some hing like ' he gap be ween wha is and
wha should be" (B indley, 1994:65).
Two majo s eams ha e eme ged abou he meaning o 'needs' and wha
'needs analysis' should imply in ELT. The i s is he goal-o ien ed o
p oduc -o ien ed in e p e a ion whe eby he language o he a ge si ua ion is
desc ibed and he syllabus is de ised solely on he needs he leame will mee
in a pa icula communica ion si ua ion. The second s eam is e med
p ocess-o ien ed in e p e a ion which sees needs p ima ily as means o
leaming. Tha is o say:
I means ying o iden i y and ake in o accoun a mul iplici y o
a ec i e and cogni i e a iables which a ec lea ning, such as
lea ne s'a i udes, mo i a ion, awa eness, pe sonali y, wan s,
expec a ions and leaming s yles' (B indley: 63).
Re is a de Lenguas pa a Fines Especí icos N- 4 (1997) 117
Ángeles Linde López
These di e en pe spec i es on needs analysis e lec he shi which has
aken place in language eaching om language-cen ed o leame -cen ed
app oaches.
Ou app oach o needs analysis in his s udy suppo s he iew ha bo h
in e p e a ions mus ha e hei place when ca ying ou a needs analysis,
which has been poin ed ou by nume ous au ho s (Widdowson, 1981,
Be wick, B indley, Rich e ich, 1983, Rich e ich and Chance el, 1980,
Robinson, 1991). Thus, we will y o ela e gene al concep s and
me hodologies in language needs assessmen o ou pa icula conce n wi h
he p esen needs analysis in ESR
2.
'Fel ' needs s. 'pe cei ed' needs
This pape sugges s using a needs analysis as a use ul means o e lec ion in
o de o highligh o wha ex en language needs assessmen can illus a e whe he
o no exis any disc epancy be ween ' el ' needs and 'pe cei ed' needs as well as
be ween leame s' needs and in e es s ha can be ele an o syllabus designs.
We may s a by conside ing ' el ' needs as hose which leame s ha e,
some imes e e ed o as 'exp essed' needs and in a de alued iewing as
'wan s'
o 'desi es'. 'Pe cei ed' needs ep esen he o he side o he coin,
hey a e hose which eache s (o o he expe s) ha e abou lea ne s'
educa ional gaps. Along wi h his, 'pe cei ed' needs ha e also been desc ibed
as 'no ma i e' ' eal' o 'objec i e' needs.
These iews de ini ely e lec a clea con as be ween 'objec i e' and
'subjec i e' needs as B indley (70) s a es:
The i s o hese e ms. e e s o needs which a e de i able om
di e en kinds o ac ual in o ma ion abou leame s, hei use o
language in eal-li e communica ion si ua ions as well as hei
cu en language p o iciency and language di icul ies. The second
e m e e s o hecogni i e and a ec i e needs o he lea ne in he
lea ning si ua ion, de i able om in o ma ion abou a ec i e and
cogni i e ac o s such as pe sonali y, con idence, al i udes,
lea ne s' wan s and expec a ions wi h ega ds o he lea ning o
English and hei indi idual cogni i e s yle and lea ning s a egies.
118 Re is a de Lenguas pa a Fines Especí icos N- 4 (1997)
Using
A
Needs Analysis
As A
Means
o
Re lec ion on ESP Syllabus
3.
Aims
Al hough he dis inc ion abo e desc ibed is no as clea cu as migh be
supposed, i is use ul since i le s us seek he sou ce o need and come o a
po en ial ag eemen be ween lea ne -cen ed and eache -cen ed inpu s.
In onna ion om s uden s should lead o each comp omises be ween wha
lea ne s expec and wan and he eache eels he/she can and ough o
p o ide.
Thus,
gi en he likelihood ha some dispa i y o iews can exis , he
wo old aim o his s udy is, i s ly, o know and e lec on how s uden s
in ol ed in leaming EngUsh o speci ic pu poses assess hei language needs
and, secondly, make us awa e o any leame p e e ences ha may equi e us
o modi y o nego ia e ou ESP language syllabus. Due o he ac ha we
ha e al eady s a ed he implemen a ion o El Nue o Plan de Es udios in he
Facul y o Pha macy, which means a comple e change wi h espec o o me
annual numbe o c edi s and subjec -con en designs, i can be o i al
impo ance o us o ob ain mos in omia ion as o wha cons i u es aluable
eaching and lea ning ac i i ies and y o o e eóme ha pe cep ion gap
be ween eache s and lea ne s.
4.
The empi ical s udy
The needs analysis was ca ied ou in he Facul y o Pha macy
(Uni e si y o G anada) when EL An iguo Plan de Es udios was s ill in
o cé. In o ma ion on lea ne s' needs was ga he ed using a ques ionnai e
which was adminis e ed o 300 i s -yea s uden s, al hough he o al
numbe o egis e ed s uden s was nea 900. Tha is o say one hi d o
all he s uden s. This was he i s and only yea hese s uden s we e
compulso ily exposed o English language ins uc ion in he Uni e si y
se ing. The FL backg ound o he s uden s was a ied al hough all we e
supposed o ha e s udied English o a leas 4 yea s in Seconda y
Educa ion.
The cholee o a ques ionnai e as he echnique o in es iga ing needs was
made on he basis o i s ease o be handed ou o a la ge numbe o people in
spi e o i s disad an age in ha some s uden s would no bo he o ill i in
Re is a de Lenguas pa a Fines Especí icos N- 4 (1997) 119
Ángeles Linde López
se iously. To make hei beha iou mo e conscious hey we e old hei
in o ma ion would be aken in o accoun o designing new subjec -con en in
EL Nue o Plan de Es udios. I was w i en up in Spanish o ensu e
comp ehension. The U-i em ques ionnai e includes, in a way o ano he , a
simple combina ion o goal-o ien ed and p ocess-o ien ed needs analyses (see
Appendix).
Thus,
he 11 i ems on his ques ionnai e a e a ough a emp o e lec he
leame s' ' el ' needs abou hei ac ual leaming needs and leaming means,
hei u u a communica i e needs in he a ge si ua ion (as lec u e s,
esea che s, labo a o y wo ke s, e c. in he Pha maceu ical and Heal h
science ields) as well as hei in e es s, ap i udes and a i udes owa ds
English. In his sense, he e is an unde lying aim con as ing wha he eal
leaming needs a e and wha he p ospec i e needs will be.
I is wo h men ioning ha his ques ionnai e was in ended o be pilo ed as
he i s d a o wha should be pos e io s udies since we hink o needs
analysis as an ongoing p ocess.
5. Resul s
We now conside each o he i ems in um, beginning wi h he o e all
esul s and mo ing on o a compa ison o he di e en i ems. Resul s o
pe cen age and numbe o answe s pe i em will be epo ed below each
ques ion keeping he same s uc u e o he ques ionnai e o acilí a e i s
eading. The unequal numbe o answe s is due o he ac ha some s uden s
ailed o ill in he whole ques ionnai e so he pe cen ages ha e been wo ked
ou only om he i ems answe ed.
Ques ion n- 1. En u opinión ¿es necesa io sabe inglés pa a ap oba la
licencia u a? SI 137- 46%
NO 162- 54%
To al o answe s 299 - 100%
120 Re is a de Lenguas pa a Fines Especí icos N- 4 (1997)

Using A Needs Analysis As A Means o Re lec ion on ESP Syllabus
Ques ion n- 2. ¿C ees que es con enien e un conocimien o de inglés pa a
g adu ase en Fa macia?
SI 220 - 73%
NO 80 - 27%
To al n^ o answe s 300 - 100%
Ques ion n- 3. 5/ la espues a es "SI" indica qué unciones en inglés
necesi a ías domina :
3.1.
Pe cen age o di e en p o iciency wi hin each unc ion.
Adecuadamen e Algo Innecesa io N-A.
Lee ex os/a ículos 176-78% 49-22% 2-0% 227-100%
Escucha con e encias 145-66% 65-29% 11-5% 221-100%
Pa icipa en semina ios 51-24% 117-55%
46-21%
214-100%
Esc ibi a ículos/abs ac s 57-28% 76-37% 70-34% 203-100%
O os (Ines imable pe cen age o be wo h men ioning).
3.2. Pe cen age pe le el o p o iciency o each unc ion.
Adecuadamen e
Lee ex os/a ículos
Escucha con e encias
Pa icipa en semina ios
Esc ibi a ículos/abs ac s
To al n- o answe s
41%
34%
12%
13%
100%
429
Algo
16%
21%
38%
25%
100%
307
Innecesa io
129
2%
9%
36%
54%
100%
= 865
Ques ion n- 4. ¿C ees que necesi a ás lee ma e ial esc i o en un idioma
ex anje o pa a u u os abajos de in es igación?
SI 267- 90%
NO 31- 10%
To al n^ o answe s 298 - 100%
Re is a de Lenguas pa a Fines Especí icos W 4 (1997) 121
Ángeles Linde López
Ques ion n- 5. 5/ la espues a es "SI" ¿de qué idioma(s) se a a ía en o den
de impo ancia?
I s . 261 - 98%
2nd. 5 - 2%
3 d. O- 0%
To al n^ o answe s 266 - 100%
Ques ion n- 6. ¿C ees que necesi a ás lee ma e ial esc i o en un idioma
ex anje o pa a ealiza us u u as unciones p o esionales?
SI 197-66%
NO 100-34%
To al ns o answe s 297 - 100%
Ques ion n- 7. Si la espues a es "SI" ¿de qué idioma(s) se a a ía en o den
de impo ancia? I s . 195 - 99%
2nd. 3- 1%
3 d O- 0%
To al ns o answe s 198 - 100%
Ques ion n- 8.
¿Te
ecomiendan ex os en inglés como ma e ial de lec u a?
SI 116-40%
NO 175-60%
To al o answe s 291 - 100%
Ques ion n- 9. ¿Con qué g ado de acilidad lees en inglés?
Con acilidad 116-39%
Con di icul ad
181-61%
To al n° o answe s 297 - 100%
122 Re is a de Lenguas pa a Fines Especí icos N- 4 (1997)
Using A Needs Analysis As A Means o Re ledion on ESP Syllabus
Ques ion n-10. ¿Piensas cu sa es udios de pos g ado/lle a a cabo abajos
de in es igación en un país de habla inglesa?
SI 86-30%
NO 201 - 70%
To al o answe s 298 - 100%
Ques ion n- 11. ¿Cómo desc ibi ías la u ilidad del inglés pa a un
p o esional bien cuali icado en u campo?
Necesa io 94 - 32%
Con enien e 194 - 64%
Innecesa io 12 - 4%
To al
n=
o answe s 300 - 100%
6. Díscussíon o esul s
Though main commen s s and ou by hemsel es, we now will go h ough
he da a o each i em elici ing hose de ails ha can be ele an o ou
pu pose.
To s a wi h, ques ions 1, 2 and 3 deal wi h "p ocess-o ien ed needs" o
"leaming needs".
In ques ion 1, which was supposed o be an objec i e one, he small
di e ence be ween bo h pe cen ages may be because he s uden s di e ed as
o he meaning o he ques ion
i sel .
I could be ead, a leas in ou opinión,
in wo ways:
a) ¿Does i mean you ha e o ha e a high le el o p o iciency o pass he
English subjec and so o be able o ge you deg ee?. In he "NO" case, he
pass ma k in English would be ques ioned. In bo h cases "SI" and "NO" i
could also en ail a masked excuse o hose who ea ed o ail he subjec .
b) ¿Does i mean you need English o pass o he subjec s?
This meaning would be agains he eali y o he gene al me hodological
eaching end in he Facul y o Pha macy whe e i is solely based on class
no e- aking.
Con e sely, ques ion 2 p o ides us wi h a high dispa i y be ween "sies"
and "noes" (73% s. 27%). I can be pu down o he wo ds "necesa io" and
Re is a de Lenguas pa a Fines Especí icos N- 4 (1997) 123
Ángeles Linde López
"con enien e" used in he i s and second ques ions espec i ely. I seems o
me ha s uden s eel a ce ain disc epancy be ween wha hey hink should be
bene icial (con enien e) o hei educa ion and wha is ac ually easie
(necesa io) o hem o ge hei deg ee, ha is needs s. in e es s.
Fu he mo e, he 27% o "NO con enien e" can be easonable since a high
numbe o he s uden s ha e om he e y beginning a de ini e pu pose: o
un a Chemis 's shop, e y likely an ongoing amily business.
3 has, in p incipie, wo possibilli ies ega ding pe cen age es ima es.
3.1.
Pe cen age o di e en p o iciency wi hin each unc ion.
The highes sco e (78%) wi h espec o ''lee ex osla ículos" was
ob ained in he "adecuadamen e" le el. This unsu p isingly pa allels hose
ob ained in almos e e y ESP needs analysis besides coinciding wi h ou
pe cei ed needs.
"Escucha con e encias adecuadamen e" had qui e an impo an
ad an age (66%) o e he g ade "algo" (29%), which, in his case ha deals
wi h i s -yea s uden s, seems o us a he odd. Speaking skill implied in
"pa icipa en semina ios" sco ed he highes pe cen age (55%) on he g ade
"algo"
ollowed by almos a d aw be ween "adecuadamen e" e
"innecesa io". He e he esul s coincide wi h ou own expec a ions so ha
he e is an ag eemen be ween el and pe cei ed needs.
Finally, he "esc ibi a ículos/abs ac s" unc ion su p ises us as o i
ob ained he lowes pe cen age (28%) awa ded "adecuadamen e" o all he
le éis o p o iciency. This was no , ob iously, wi hin ou expec aions as we
know om expe ience ha w i ing skill is la gely conside ed as one o he
wo i s needs equi ed o academic and speci ic pu poses in he cu en
opinión. A sudden hough came o my mind when eading hese esul s:
could i be due o he s uden s' consciousness o hei own poo p o iciency
on w i ing in Spanish?. Could i be due also o he o de in p esen ing he
unc ions?
3.2. Pe cen age pe le el o p o iciency o each unc ion. We obse e i s
ha "adecuadamen e" ob ained he highes numbe o answe s (429) wha is
a good sign o he o e all le el o mas e y ha should be equi ed in he
unc ions as i is also ha he numbe o answe s ela ed o le el "algo"
124 Re is a de Lenguas pa a Fines Especí icos N- 4 (1997)
Using
A
Needs Analysis
As A
Means
o
Re lec ion
on
ESP Syllabus
11.-
¿Cómo desc ibi ías la u ilidad del inglés pa a un p o esional bien
cuali icado en u campo?
Necesa io [ ]
Con enien e [ ]
Innecesa io [ ]
Re is a de Lenguas pa a Fines Especí icos N- 4 (1997) 131