LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 14:3 March 2014
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

HOME PAGE

Click Here for Back Issues of Language in India - From 2001

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ AND DOWNLOAD FREE!

REFERENCE MATERIAL

BACK ISSUES

  • E-mail your articles and book-length reports in Microsoft Word to languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.

  • PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES GIVEN IN HOME PAGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LIST OF CONTENTS.

  • Your articles and book-length reports should be written following the APA, MLA, LSA, or IJDL Stylesheet.

  • The Editorial Board has the right to accept, reject, or suggest modifications to the articles submitted for publication, and to make suitable stylistic adjustments. High quality, academic integrity, ethics and morals are expected from the authors and discussants.

Copyright © 2012
M. S. Thirumalai
Custom Search

Needs Analysis and Language Teaching

Ali Akbar Khansir, Ph.D.
Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

Farhad Pakdel, Ph.D.
Department of English, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences,
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Needs analysis is one of the major topics in the field of language acquisition research. Analysis of language learners' needs is seen as the first step towards preparation of language course. Hakuta and Cancino ( 1977: 294 ) stressed that “language provides one of the most readily accessible windows into the nature of the human mind. How children acquire this complex system with such apparent ease continues to fascinate the student of human language.” Needs analysis is seen as a device for gathering information about learners and about their needs in language teaching.

This paper attempts to describe the use of needs analysis in language teaching and points out the distinction between objective needs analysis and subjective needs analysis. Richards and Rodgers (1986:156) argued that “need analysis is concerned with identifying general and specific language needs that can be addressed in developing goals, objectives, and content in a language program”. Hutchinson and Waters (1987) mentioned that learners’ needs should be considered in the process of planning the content of a language program.

Keywords:Needs Analysis, objective needs analysis, subjective need analysis and language teaching.

1. Introduction

The purpose of this study is to examine needs analysis in language teaching. Khansir (2012:167-8) mentioned that “language is one of the most important characteristic forms of human behavior. It is man’s ability to use language for purpose of communication that distinguishes him from other animals. Accordingly, it has always had a place in human affair”. Breen and Candlin (2001) proposed some purpose in language teaching which must be considered such as communication as a general purpose, the underlying demands on the learner that such a purpose may imply, the initial contributions which learners may bring to the curriculum, the process of teaching and learning, the roles of teacher and learners, the role of content within the teaching and learning, and the place of evaluation of learner progress and evaluation of the curriculum itself from communicative point of view.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Ali Akbar Khansir,Ph.D.
Bushehr University of Medical Sciences
Bushehr
Iran
ahmad_2004_bu@yahoo.com

Farhad Pakdel, Ph.D.
Department of English
Faculty of Paramedical Sciences
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Custom Search
  • Click Here to Go to Creative Writing Section

  • Send your articles
    as an attachment
    to your e-mail to
    languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.
  • Please ensure that your name, academic degrees, institutional affiliation and institutional address, and your e-mail address are all given in the first page of your article. Also include a declaration that your article or work submitted for publication in LANGUAGE IN INDIA is an original work by you and that you have duly acknowledged the work or works of others you used in writing your articles, etc. Remember that by maintaining academic integrity we not only do the right thing but also help the growth, development and recognition of Indian/South Asian scholarship.