needed by a certain group of learners could be identified by analyzing the linguistics characteristics of their specific area of study.
3 Focus on the learner
Educational psychology also contributed in the development of ESP, which is emphasizing the importance of the learners and the
attitude towards the learning. This also means that language learning should be based on the learning needs on specific area.
The aim of ESP is to equip the learners proper English in the aspects of academic, professional, or work field specifically designed for their
study programme. The importance and the implications of the materials developed should be based on the learners’ needs. In an English for
Specific Purpose course, the process of the students’ needs is called Needs Analysis Hutchinson and Waters, 1987.
b. Needs Analysis on ESP
In developing ESP learning materials, the first thing that should be considered is the learners’ needs. Learners’ needs are the basis in
processing the materials for them to become appropriate and suitable to the learners. In gathering the information about the learners’ needs, a needs
analysis should be conducted. Richards and Schmidt 2002: 352 define needs analysis as the process of determining the needs for which learners
require a language and arranging the needs according to the learners’
priorities.
The main focus in conducting a needs analysis is the needs. Needs is defined as the ability to comprehend andor produce the linguistic features
of the target situations, stated by Hutchinson and Waters 1987 as they divide it into two types, which are:
1 Target needs
The first type of needs is the target needs. Target needs is defined as what the learners need to do in the target situation. There are three
aspects that should be considered in analyzing the target needs. They are necessities, lacks, and wants.
a Necessities
Necessities are what the learners have to know in order to function effectively in the target situation Hutchinson and Waters,
1987: 55. They will also need to know the linguistic features which are commonly used in certain situations.
b Lacks
Lacks means the gap between the target proficiency and the current proficiency Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 55-56. Lacks or
the existing knowledge of the learner can be used to determine the necessities in developing the materials.
c Wants
Wants is defined as what the learners desired to learn. In the learnng process, learners might have different wants according to
their needs and views of English as a subject matter.
2 Learning needs
The second type of needs is learning needs. Learning needs is defined as what knowledge and abilities the learners will require in
order to be able to perform to the required degree of competence in the target situation Hutchinson and Waters, 1987: 60.
Graves 2000 explained that needs analysis or needs assessment is a systematic and on
going process to obtain students’ needs and preferences, for it to be later interpreted and then will be used to make
the course decisions based on the interpretation to fulfill the needs of the students. She also proposed a set of decisions, actions, and
reflections to be involved in needs analysis, which are: 1.
Deciding what information to gather and why 2.
Deciding the best way to gather it: when, how, and from whom 3.
Gathering the information 4.
Acting on the information 5.
Evaluating the effect and the effectiveness of the action 6.
Deciding on further or new information to gather Graves 2000 also stated that it is necessary to gather the
information about both current state of the learners in the aspects of language ability, learning preferences, and the desired goals for the
course to meet the learners’ needs. The types of information that can be gathered when conducting a needs analysis or needs assessment as
suggested by Graves 2000:103 are as follow: The present
1. Who the learners are; 2. The
learners’ level of language proficiency; 3. The learners’ level of intercultural competence;
4. Their interests;
5. Their learning preferences; 6. Their attitudes.
The future
7. The learners’ goals and expectations; 8. The target contexts: situations, roles, topics, and content;
9. Types of communicative skills they will need and tasks they will perform;
10. Language modalities they will use.
3. Learning Materials
