Using a needs analysis as a means of reflection on ESP syllabus

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