Needs Analysis for Language Course Design: A Holistic Approach to ESP by Marjatta Huhta (review)
- Needs Analysis for Language Course Design: A Holistic Approach to ESP by Marjatta Huhta
By Marjatta Huhta, Karin Vogt, Esko Johnson and Heikki Tulkki.
Edited with an introduction by David R. Hall.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. vi + 266 pp.
This latest book on needs analysis offers a new approach to ESP. The word “holistic” in the subtitle refers to the concept of the learner as a whole person with multiple networks of social roles and relationships. David R. Hall, in his introduction, describes the holistic approach as both “consistent with development of mainstream LSP” and “innovative” (p.4). The consistent feature of the book, similar to Munby’s (1978) work, is its identification of target situation needs characterized by discourse, genres, and communicative events (Munby, 1978; Paltridge, 2009; Starfield, 2013) in a professional community. It also offers modern perspectives to examine texts, contexts, unit of needs analysis, needs analysis stakeholders and procedures for collecting communication needs into a profile, which can then be readily transferred into an ESP course.
The introduction provides the rationale for the book. It aims to address the constraints facing ESP teachers and needs analysts who have to fulfill the demanding tasks of needs analysis and syllabus and material development with limited preparation time. It also establishes a springboard for needs analysis discussions about the changing nature of texts, contexts, and learner identity.
Chapter 1 presents the methodology the authors use to conduct needs analysis: the Common European Framework of Reference for [End Page 139] Professional Language and Communication Competencies (CEF Professional Profile). By critically reviewing previous needs analysis literature and methods, the authors conclude that the CEF Professional Profile is a “second generation needs analysis” (p.14), which can provide a description of learners’ language and communication competencies needed for one professional community, e.g. an organization.
Chapter 2 examines contextual factors in workplace communication and its influences on the CEF Professional Profile. The controversial debate about specificity in ESP is revisited first, and the next part examines the concept of context-specific communication (of the CEF Professional Profile) in comparison with domain-specific communication (of traditional ESP). The authors point out that traditional needs analysis of language-specific features fails to include communication events that a learner may encounter outside their professional domain, e.g., an accountant working in health care may need medical terms. This limitation can be solved by using relevant communication situations proposed in the CEF Professional Profile.
Chapter 3 provides a completed sample of the CEF Professional Profile with detailed descriptions of its six components: background information, occupational information, context information, the most frequent routine situations, the most demanding situation, and snapshot. The most interesting part is the detailed description of the situation as a problem-solving scenario, which can engage both experienced and inexperienced learners to creatively complete a meaningful task. The chapter exemplifies a qualitative approach adopted for needs analysis (Belcher and Lukkarila, 2011; Macalister, 2012).
Chapter 4 presents practical strategies for using the results of needs analysis to design relevant and interesting language activities. This is indeed the advantage of the CEF Professional Profile, in contrast with Munby’s (1978) Communication Needs Processors. Six professional communication activities are suggested, with examples of how the CEF Professional Profile can be converted into detailed lesson plans. A sample questionnaire designed to examine learners’ communication needs is also a recommended tool for teachers.
The final chapter provides readers with a step-by-step guide to developing their own CEF Professional Profile. Those who are interested in this task can refer to the three appendices for forms and samples of the CEF Professional Profile in Business, Health Care, Law, and Technology. The glossary provides helpful definitions of technical terms used in the book. [End Page 140]
As an ESP teacher, a course writer, and a needs analysis researcher, I find the book an interesting read. It can be used as a practical tool for teaching and research in ESP. In addition, it guides the reader effectively with the use of tables and summaries of the main ideas in each chapter. However, some...
