Needs analysis & Course plan

Running head: NEEDS ANALYSIS & COURSE PLAN

COURSE PLAN BASED ON STUDENTS´ NEEDS

Alicia Railén Fernández

Universidad Andrés Bello, Sede Concepción

Syllabus design

Professor Mauricio Véliz

 Needs analysis & Course plan

Introduction

Learning is a complex process which involves several factors to be considered to

minimize this complexity in order to achieve students’ ultimate learning goals. A syllabus is a
useful tool to facilitate learning due to the fact that it helps to plan and organize a course and the
setting of instruction. Syllabus design has a variety of functions both for the teacher and for the
students. It sets a structured environment and works as a guide to follow with clear objectives
and expectations of learning.
Designing a syllabus is not an easy task, however, one aspect that should always be
considered when planning a course is students' needs according to their context, reality, level of
proficiency, learning difficulties, preferences and interests. Taking into account that everyone
learns differently and the goals for learning are also diverse, the British Council (2017) states
that the primary aims of a needs analysis are to capture the existing situation in schools and
classrooms, explore the current skills and beliefs of all interested parties (stakeholders), identify
what is needed and why, in order to bridge the gap between the existing situation and the
proposed changes, and open communication channels between the project team and the
anticipated groups of stakeholders. Therefore, the role of needs analysis is to understand how all
these aspects affect learners and to establish learning outcomes, create activities and propose
assessment focused specifically in those students’ needs, otherwise, the process of mastering
proficiency in a language may become useless and the goals may not be achieved.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

Organization of the assignment

1. Needs analysis

1.1 Purpose
1.2 Students’ context and background
1.3 Instrument of analysis
1.4 Results

2. Course plan

2.1 Information of students

2.2 Prior knowledge
2.3 Descriptor
2.4 Course plan

3. Annexes

3.1 Instrument of need analysis

3.2 Test of accreditation in English (TAE)

4. References
 Needs analysis & Course plan

1. Needs analysis

1.1 Purpose

The purpose of this needs analysis is to fully understand linguistic needs for learning
English of officers of the Chilean Navy taking into account several aspects that may affect the
process. This understanding will help to design a proper syllabus focused on their specific
professional or personal desired goals for mastering proficiency in a foreign language.

1.2 Students’ context and background

The analysis was made to a group of officers of the Chilean Navy of different ranks from
Lieutenant to Captain who belong to several units and specialties of the institution. All of them
spent four years under instruction in the Naval Academy, the school that trains its students to
become Navy officers. As a requirement, they must finish their instruction in the academy with
at least 60% in the TAE (test of accreditation in English) which is the institutional test to
measure the level of English, this is equivalent to level B1 of the Common European Framework
of Reference for languages.
Most of the students have been studying English during their whole life to improve their
professional skills and some of them have also lived or studied abroad for a long period of time
due to different Navy needs.
Officers are constantly improving their skills in their areas of command and English is
part of those skills .They may be sent to work as a Naval attaché in any country or they may need
to interact with other navies, therefore they must be able to communicate fluently to establish
proper relations and reach agreements with foreign navies having as main objective the interests
of the country.

1.3 Instrument of analysis

The instrument used to carry out this needs analysis was a survey which was divided in
six parts.
The first part included information about the students. These were the U.U.R.R (which
stands for Unidad y repartición) that means the place where they are working inside the Navy at
 Needs analysis & Course plan

the moment and the rank they possess these may be lieutenant, lieutenant commander,
commander or captain. This information was relevant to understand the context of each student
inside the institution and the level of responsibility they have in their workplaces.
The second part was the level of proficiency in English considering the fact that some of
them have lived and studied abroad and therefore they have been immersed in an English
speaking environment.
The third part was focused on the purposes that each individual has for learning or
improving their English. This would give a clear understanding of the main goals students have
in relation with the language.
The fourth part aimed to discover the main difficulties that learners have at the moment
of improving their proficiency in English. The main objective of this part was to know which
areas should be more developed in the classroom to achieve the learning outcomes.
The fifth part had as main objective to know more in detail the main areas and topics of
interests of the students in order to develop activities with themes that are meaningful and
appealing to them.
Finally, the last part of the survey aims the students to express briefly which their
expectations are when taking an English course as officers in the Navy considering their personal
and social interests and abilities, work and academic needs and future plans.

1.4 Results

Level of English proficiency

Considering the data gathered in the analysis all the students have studied English before
as a formal course, therefore they possess general knowledge of the language and its main rules
and functions in an intermediate level. Moreover, most of them have lived abroad in an English
speaking country developing duties for the Navy. However, even though they have acquired
certain level of proficiency, all of them consider that the education they had in English as a
foreign language was according to their needs which suggests that despite having been exposed
to the language they have not improved as much as they would desire due to the lack of focus of
the learning process, which has not aimed their own needs neither as general English learner nor
as Navy officer.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

Purposes for learning English

The main purposes students have for learning English are related with two main aspects.
First, they need to prepare for the Institutional test (TAE) because this is the valid assessment
they have inside the Navy to prove that they manage proficiency in the language and therefore,
be eligible to be sent by the Navy to work abroad which is a desired opportunity for most
officers. In addition, they need to be able to understand and use technical language for specific
naval purposes either on board or in land. Moreover, they will always be required to
communicate with other English speaking people in daily life, so they also state that they want to
learn the language for communication. On the other hand, most of the students declare that
international standardized tests are not their main objective to learn English, they do not consider
it as important as preparing TAE and develop other communication skills in the language.

Difficulties in learning English

The students were asked about aspects of the language that were more difficult for them.
The results show that they do not consider difficult the use of technical English or naval
language. This may be explained due to the fact that they are constantly exposed to this kind of
language in operative situations so they end up properly managing it in order to make right
decisions. However, most of them declare that it is highly difficult to develop writing tasks; they
consider writing production in any content the most complex skill. Moreover, students had to
prioritize the areas they would like to improve more in the language and most of them focused
on the four main communicative skills of English more than structure, so the main goal they
have is communication more than accuracy.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

Topics and interests

Following the tendency of communication, students consider daily life topics as well as
culture of English speaking countries the most interesting content to cover in a course. In the
same way, they are highly interested in technical language and naval content, even though they
manage them as they had previously expressed, they desire to keep working on that area which
will also help them to have a higher score in the TAE test. On the contrary, they do not show
interest in national reality or current news that are not related with their specialty, however, they
do consider important to develop discussion skills on controversial issues.

Expectations

Finally, students were asked to write briefly about their expectations of the course. Their
writings reflect clear relation with their previous answers, stating that the main focus for them is
to get a higher score in TAE in order to have access to more opportunities in the institution such
as traveling or studying abroad or developing naval attaché duties. Moreover, communication
and interaction in the language, fulfill the requirements of the Navy and develop skills that will
help them in their professional life are also part of their expectations.

2. Course plan

2.1 Information of students

Course for Chilean Navy officers

Number of students: 14

Age of students: 25 to 50 years old.

Level of proficiency: Upper-Intermediate. CEFR: B1-B2

Number of hours: 30 hours.

Number of lesson per week: 2 lessons.

 Needs analysis & Course plan

2.2 Prior knowledge

All the students have previously taken a formal English course before. In the institution they are
required to take a test called TAE every two years if their level is below 90%; some of them have
lived abroad and spent time traveling and sharing with foreign navies. Therefore, they have got a
wide notion of the uses and rules of the language and most of them are able to understand basic
conversations and use accurately basic grammatical structures. Their previous knowledge about
the language and learning skills is advanced as well as their knowledge about general culture and
technical naval content.

2.3 Descriptor

Students are going to achieve higher level of proficiency in the English language using it
naturally and considering techniques for both oral and written in comprehension and production
tasks being exposed to meaningful activities that include development of semantic area which
involves phrases, fixed expressions, idiomatic expressions, collocations and phrasal verbs,
develop proficiency in the main aspects of syntaxes which will lead to a correct use of
grammatical structures in real situations both written and spoken, comprehend written and oral
texts with basic and complex language and improve the area of pronunciation, intonation and
fluency which will be assessed using an institutional naval test which is TAE.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

2.4 Course plan

English Course plan

Period of time: 3 weeks
Lesson Learning outcome Learning activity Assesment
1 • Students will • Description of the course • A rubric to assess each
talk about their students’ performance
• Revision of Naval language.
jobs and of the tasks.
• Students will get engaged in the class sharing the
activities they do • Feedback of the rubric
using technical vocabulary and phrases they have previously to each student.
language in a learnt related with the Naval work.
• Oral feedback will be
Naval setting. • Classmates will add these words and phrases to given with the purpose
their a list of new vocabulary. of contributing to the
• Students will pretend that they are giving a tour to whole class.
a foreign officer. They will have to introduce
themselves, explain their main responsibilities at
work, use technical language related with the unit
they work and the functions of the unit for the
Chilean Navy.

2 • Students will • Presentation about the reading part of the • Sample paper reading
develop a institutional test such as the time given, number of (30 minutes).
sample of the questions and the criteria evaluated in the test. • After they have
reading part of • They make comments and share experience about finished, they are
TAE the test. given the answers and
understanding
the main • Worksheet with different techniques to face a check their score
reading test including tips related with which will be kept as
principles of a record for future
this part of the grammatical structures and vocabulary.
performance.
test and using • The worksheet contains similar questions and
techniques to activities to the real test and students answer • They are given the
achieve a them. opportunity to ask
about the questions
better • Each question is analyzed in detail, checking that were more
performance. grammar, vocabulary, and context and explaining difficult to answer and
the use of collocations, idiomatic expressions, receive feedback
phrasal verbs and paraphrasing. about them.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

3 • Students will • Presentation of a video about tips to do a listening • Students are given 25
be able to test and differences between when listening a minutes to develop a
develop their native speaker and a non-native. (Teacher) sample paper of
listening skills listening.
in general and • A class discussion is generated to talk about the • They are given the
specific difficulties that each student have had in TAE answers to be kept as
English listening test. Every student tells the class about a record which will be
understanding his experience. taken as the initial
oral language score in listening in
in a sample
test and • Students are given a worksheet that has ten the course.
making use of questions taken from the TAE listening. The • The most difficult
structural and recordings are played once and students answer. recording are played
vocabulary several times and
knowledge. • Each question is analyzed in detail in terms of analyze in detail
grammar and vocabulary in order to understand giving the reason for
the correct answer. the correct answers in
terms of grammar
(verb tenses) and
vocabulary such as
idioms or phrasal
verbs.
4 • Students will • Students are presented with general information • Students write an
be able to about the writing part of TAE. argumentative essay
accurately • Specific vocabulary about worldwide issues with about the current and
write an possible topics to write about is presented future problems that
argumentative .Importance of background knowledge is are be caused by
essay about a highlighted. Global Warming.
Each student is given a worksheet with two •
topic of global
importance • They have 25 minutes
argumentative essays. One of them is more to do the tasks.
making proper
use of accurate in terms of grammar and punctuation • Self-assessment:
complex with a wider range of vocabulary than the other. • Students are given a
vocabulary, • In pairs, they analyze both texts and tell the rubric for them to
punctuation difference between them paying attention to the assess their own
and linking grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and performance in
words. organization. writing taking into
• A class discussion is generated in order to account what was
understand how to make use of complex seen in class. The
vocabulary by comparing it with simple score will be kept as a
vocabulary with the same meaning. record of writing
performance as a
• General organization and punctuation rules are reference for future
analyzed in comparison with Spanish. tests.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

5 • Students will • Each part of the speaking test will be analyzed • Peer assessment
develop their separately in the following lessons however, in
oral skills like this class students will be presented with an • Students are given a
fluency, overview of this part of the test. rubric and working in
grammar • They watch videos of people’s speaking pair taking turns, one
accuracy, performance in IELTS test. They analyze the will pretend to be the
vocabulary good and bad aspects of them, taking into account interviewer of TAE
and the vocabulary use, grammar, pronunciation and speaking and the other
pronunciation intonation as well as body language and self- the candidate.
in a practice
test of TAE
confidence of the candidates. • They have to assess
Speaking . • In pair they create a brochure stating the key their partners and give
points to consider when facing a speaking them feedback of their
evaluation in TAE test. performance taking
• They share their task with the whole class. into account that this
feedback will also
help themselves.
• Students share the
results to keep them
as a record for future
speaking performance
once each part of the
test are analyzed in
detail.

6 • Students will • Evaluation: Students will take a whole • Students’

be able to institutional exam doing the four parts, this is performance will be
consciously Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. assessed in order to
develop a consider the results
whole mock for the following
TAE test using lessons of the course.
the techniques • A list of the main
and linguistic difficulties they had
strategies and will be given for them
knowledge to know the aspects
seen in class. they need to improve.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

2. Annexes

3.1 Instrument of needs analysis

English language learning survey

The purpose of this survey is to fully understand

linguistic needs for learning English of Chilean Navy
officers of all ranks and specialists in different areas of
the Navy.

1. Personal Information
U.U.R.R Rank:

2. Level of English Proficiency

Put an X in the corresponding box if the answers to these questions are affirmative or negative.

Yes No

Have you previously taken a formal English Course?

Have you lived in an English speaking country for more than one year?

Have you taken part in an academic course in an English speaking

country?
Do you consider that English education through your life has been
according to your needs? (Secondary school, Naval Academy, etc)
 Needs analysis & Course plan

What kind of English speaker do you consider yourself?

a) Beginner
b) Intermediate
c) Advanced

What score did you obtain in the last TAE (Test of Accreditation in English) ?

a) Less than 20%

b) Between 21% and 40%
c) Between 41% and 60%
d) Between 61% and 80%
e) More than 81%

3. Purposes for learning English

Put an X in the corresponding box if these sentences that state the purposes for learning English
as a second or foreign language are Very Important, Important or
Not important according to your own point of view.

Purpose for Very Important Important Not important

learning English

Achieve a better
performance in a
standarized test. (PET, FCE, IELTS)
Get higher score in the institutional
test (TAE: Test of accreditation in
English).
Develop communication skills in a
second or foreign language in a
daily environment.
Develop communication skills in a
second or foreign language in a
naval context.

Improve the level of English to

engage in an academic context.

Improve comprehension skills to

understand and translate technical
documents.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

4. Difficulties in learning English

Put an X if these sentences that describe different skills for learning English as a second or
foreign language are Very difficult, Difficult or Not difficult according to your own experience.

English skill Very difficult Difficult Not difficult

Read and understand Academic texts.

Read and understand technical texts

in English.

Read and understand general English

written texts.

Read for general information.

Read for specific information.

Listen and understand academic

lectures or talks.

Listen and understand general

English.

Listen for general information.

Listen for specific information.

Write academic texts.

Write Technical texts.

Write General English texts.

Make oral presentations in academic

context.
Take part in daily life conversations.

Produce oral speech in technical and

naval language.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

Write the number 1 to 7 in order of priority, which of these language skills or areas of English
you would like to improve.

Number 1 is the most important in terms of priority and number 7 is the least.

Language skills Priority

Listening comprehension

Reading comprehension

Speaking production

Writing production

Use of grammatical structures

Range of Vocabulary

Pronuciation and intonation

5. Topics and Interests

Put an X if these different topics to be covered in an English lesson are Very interesting,
Interesting or Not interesting according to your own areas of interests.

Topics of interest Very interesting Interesting Not interesting

Themes related with the

Naval context.

Technical content about

submarines, vessels,
airplanes or machines.

Content related with

academic subjects.
(history, science,
mathematics, etc).

Society and culture of

English speaking
countries.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

Current worldwide news

and global issues.

National reality.

Daily life situations and

activities.

Discussion on
controversial issues.

6. Expectations

Write with your own words the expectations that you have by being part in an English Course in
the Navy. What do you expect to be able to do at the end of the course?. Consider your
personal interests and abilities, work and academic needs , social interests and future plans.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3.2 Description of TAE

The Dirección de Educación de la Armada (2016) states that the main objective of TAE is to
measure the level of proficiency of English of the officers, enlisted and civilian employees. This
exam is taken every two years by officers with less than 80% and every 5 years of enlisted
personnel and civilian employees.

The exam is divided in two parts:

A) Oral interview done by an English native speaker and assessed by an English teacher.
B) A comprehension test that has a listening and a reading part as well as a writing production
part.
 Needs analysis & Course plan

Description of the interview

1. Part one: simple questions about a topic chosen by the examiner. After that, the candidate has
to tell what he/she would do in a specific situation.

2. Part two: The candidate has to give instructions about a particular situation given by the
examiner. Follow up questions are done in order to develop the topic in more detail.

3. Part 3: The examiner will present a card with pictures that represent a story. Using the
images, the candidate has to tell the story accurately using different past tense structures.

4. Part 4: The examiner presents a controversial issue to be discussed. The candidate has to give
his/her point of view presenting solid arguments and examples supporting his/her opinion.

The speaking test in each part evaluates six criteria: comprehension, fluency, grammar,
vocabulary, pronunciation and content.

Description of the comprehension test

1) Listening comprehension: 66 multiple choice questions which have a main purpose to

measure the level of English in functions, lexicon and grammar. The candidate listens to
spoken English questions, sentences and dialogues. This section lasts 30 minutes.
2) Reading comprehension: 40 multiple choice questions which has as main objective assess
the candidate’s skill of understanding written language in the area of functions, lexicon and
grammar. This sections lasts 25 minutes.

Description of the writing production test

1) This part has as main goal to measure candidate’s writing skill. A predetermined topic is
given which has to be developed after completing the comprehension test. The candidate has
ten minutes. The criteria evaluated in this section are: grammar, lexicon, punctuation,
spelling, content, style and register.
2) The candidate has to be able to express in written English new and creative ideas about the
topic given with cohesion and coherence . He/she has to compare and contrast opinions
considering personal experience, express and justify his/her point of view and describe a
situation, place or person related with the topic given.

TAE scoring

The final score in TAE is expressed in percentage and the performance of each part is considered
as follows:

A) Speaking: 50%
B) Comprehension (listening and reading): 40%
C) Writing: 10%
 Needs analysis & Course plan

4. References

British Council (2017) Teacher planing handbook, Dr Martin Wedell (Ed),(p.51). India: British
Council.

Dirección de Educación de la Armada (2016), Directiva D.E.A NºB-001. Chile