Needs Analysis:

Teachers can use a Needs Analysis questionnaire to make sure that their lessons focus directly on students’ needs and the way they prefer to learn. Once you learn these, you should have a better idea what motivates them, and what situations/contexts they are likely to use English, as well as which areas or skills of the language they need to concentrate on, for instance; speaking, writing, listening or reading. This information will then enable you to choose appropriate and relevant learning materials and activities.

When designing a questionnaire, it’s a good idea to use “open” questions such as;

 What …?

 Why …?

 How …?

These questions should elicit more dense answers, see below:

Questionnaire: Why do you want to learn English?

The answer could be: I want to learn English because I need it for my work.

This question has encouraged and prompted the learner into generating more language than just yes or no, as with “closed” questions, see below:

Questionnaire: Do you like English? Answer: Yes.

This “closed” question has not generated much language, and limits the amount of language used, therefore limiting opportunities for the student to experiment with the language and improvement. “Open” questions also encourage learners to express themselves more, and this makes it easier for you to find out more about them.

It is worth noting that teachers often prefer to conduct both a spoken and written analysis, because the levels in each skill may be different.