BABC011, CCOF001, DADC001, IITC001, SATC001

Needs Analysis worksheet and resources

Pre-tutorials
Mapping your course

Overview of the course

Figure 1

Different Units, Different Modules; Different Meanings

Units Foundations Reading Writing Speaking

Needs analysis Representational Experiential Expressive

Modules

Research Interactional Interpersonal Inter-Relational

Organisational Textual Structural

Semester timetable

Fill in the semester timetable with your chosen Modules. Remember, the first two modules are
fixed. The order of the modules in each unit is up to you.

Week Module
1 Needs analysis
2 Research
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

1
Weekly schedule

Each week of your 11-week course is organised in the following way:

2
Organisation of time

You are expected to spend 12 hours per week doing activities, preparing, reading, listening and
doing assessments. Look at the organisation of a week and the hours that you should spend on each
part.

Between
Pre-tutorial Tutorial A Tutorial B Post tutorial Assessment
tutorials

3.5 hours 1.5 hours 2 hours 1 hour 2 hours 2 hours

Weekly timetable

Fill in the weekly timetable as much as you can. Think about your lessons, leisure, work.

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

9:00 am
Technical Technical
10:00 am Info Sys
Com Com
Technical Technical
11:00 am Info Sys Info Sys Program
Com Com
Technical
12:00 pm Info Sys Web Sys Program
Com
Technical
1:00 pm Info Sys Program Web Sys Program
Com
2:00 pm Info Sys Program Web Sys Program
3:00 pm Web Sys Program Program
4:00 pm
5:00 pm
6:00 pm
7:00 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm

Questions you may wish to ask each other when giving feedback

1. Have you accounted for any doctors’ / dentists’ appointments / contingencies?

2. Have you included dinners?
3. Have you left any time for leisure?
4. Are there any special events (birthdays, religious festivals)?
5. Do you have any time to simply relax?

3
Dates for assessments

Mark when your assessments are due.

Assessment/Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Reflection X
Reading / Listening X
Draft writing X
Writing X
Speaking and Academic Discussion X

4
Academic Conversations

When you are in a small group and you are contributing to an academic discussion, it is important
that there is a Chairperson.
The chairperson can guide the discussion and invite members into the discussion. Some useful
expressions for the chairperson are written below:
Language for the Chairperson

The purpose of our discussion is....

First, we need to...
Who would like to begin?
Can you explain your point a little more clearly?
Can we see what other people think about this?
Who has not had a chance to speak yet?
Is there any last comment on this point before we move on to the next one?
So we have two opposing arguments here. On the one hand... On the other hand...
In other words, most of us think that...
Can we draw any conclusions from what we have been saying?
However, the chairperson is also a member of the group, so they have to contribute to the
conversation as well.
Look at the table (Academic Talk Moves) of useful expression and their function (next page).
Below are some more expressions.
Place the following sentence starters in the most appropriate box of the Academic Talk Moves.

 From what we’ve been saying, we can draw the conclusion that ….
 I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch what you mean; can you say it in another way?
 I’m not quite sure I can agree with you on the point that …; what do others think of this?
 It sounds like you’re suggesting….
 The best way of explaining my opinion is to give an example ...
 The main reason for my opinion is...

Needs Analysis worksheet and resources 5

Academic Talk Moves
Stating an idea, making a point, providing an opinion
 I think that...
 From what I’ve read, ….In my view/opinion...
 The data suggest that ….
 I thought the author meant…
Counter-argument
 Although I have been arguing that [your argument]……,
some people might argue that [something that is in
contrast to your argument]; however, I do not think this is a
logical argument because …..[refute that argument], so, I
stand by my argument ….
Supporting ideas with evidence, examples, data, etcetera
 Smith 2012, in the middle of page xxx, states that …
 According to Smith 2012 on page xxx, ….
 For instance, in Smith 2012, page xxx
 An example of this can be found in Smith 2012, on page xxx
 The way I interpret Smith 2012 on page xxx is ….
Needs Analysis worksheet and resources
Challenging others’ ideas
 Although Mike makes a good point about…, I think …
because …
 Do you think it’s possible that …
 That's a very good point, but...
 I'm afraid I can't agree because…
 That’s not always the case because …
 Your idea isn’t supported by evidence …
 I thought Smith (2012) meant that …
 That seems quite right to me because…
 I can’t agree because...
Paraphrasing information
 Let me see if I understand what you’re saying.
 In other words, what you’re saying is …
 Essentially, you think …
 
6
Elaborating and clarifying
 I would like to expand on/elaborate on/follow up on/add
to your point about …. by saying ….
 Perhaps I’ve missed something; would you please explain
how …
 Another way to look at this could be…
 What do you mean when you say...?
 I don't fully understand. Can you give some examples?
 There’s one point I’d like you to clarify …
 Can you elaborate on why you think …?
 Do you mean that...?
Synthesizing information
 Therefore, we have two opposing arguments here. On the
one hand,... On the other hand,...
 Most of us think that...
Tutorial A
Getting to know each other: Find someone who…

Instructions:

1. You can ask each person only three (3) questions

2. If you find someone, write their name in the correct column.

3. Ask as many people needed to complete the activity.

4. Take notes

5. Be prepared to give some feedback.

Find someone who … Name

1 has the same goals at college as you [do] Chanul,Thisas,Shashimal,Denuwan

2 is comfortable giving presentations Chanul,Thisas,Shashimal

3 has similar problems with writing as you [do] Thisas,Chanul,Shashimal

4 shares similar interests and hobbies Thisas,Shashimal

5 likes to listen to the same music as you [do] Thisas,Shashimal

finds reading academic journal articles

6 Denuwan
rewarding

7 likes eating similar food to you Shashimal,Denuwan,Chanul

has similar expectations about this subject as

8 Chanul,Thisas,Shashimal,Denuwan
you [do]

would like to study with you outside tutorial

9 Chanul,Thisas,Shashimal,Denuwan
times

has similar language learning experiences as

10 Chanul,Shashimal,Denuwan
you [have had]

Needs Analysis worksheet and resources 7

Between Tutorials

SMART goals

SMART is an acronym, each letter representing a word = Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant,
and Time-bound.
Specific (state explicitly what you want to achieve by the end of the semester. Begin:
By the end of this semester, I should be better able to …
Before handing in my reading assessment, I want to be able to …
Measurable (How can you compare what you could before with what you can do now? That is, you
can count grammar errors and notice that they are decreasing; this demonstrates your
improvement?)
Attainable (saying you want to write or speak perfectly every word perfectly is not an attainable
goal; it's not plausible – everyone makes errors)
Relevant (the goal must meet your academic needs and must focus on a language skill)
Time-bound (there are only 11 weeks, so you need to focus on what can be achieved each week;
Make sure the goal is something you can complete by the end of the semester. It is not acceptable
to say, “I want to learn as much as I can at UTS College” because you’d need more than one
semester to accomplish the goal)

Needs Analysis worksheet and resources 8

Understanding Assessment Task 1

1. Skim and scan Assessment Task 1 “Reflection”. Answer the following questions

a. How long is the reflection and how many parts are there to this reflection?
 400 words long and consists of 5 sections.
b. In which module will you find more information about writing a reflection?
 Need Analysis
c. How many language skills do you need to choose?
 One
d. Why should you reflect on a previous experience before outlining your
SMART goals
 It gives you an understanding of where you stand and what you should
improve.
e. What is an example of an “area of language”?
 Writing
f. What is an example of a “specific sub-skill”?
 Developing an argument.
g. What makes a SMART goal specific?
 Stating a detailed explanation of the goal we want to achieve by the
end of this semester.
h. Why do you need to find a job advertisement?
 It shows the requirements necessary for the job application.
i. Does this job need to be related to your discipline? What is your discipline?
 It does since it is necessary to perform at your best during hard times
like handling pressure.
j. How high do you think employers rank good communication skills?
 Very high since communication is key during a job application.

Needs Analysis worksheet and resources 9

SMART goals interview
Questions to ask
Which area of language and specific
skill have you chosen to improve?
Why do you want to improve this
skill? Why?
What is your specific SMART goal?
How can you measure your
improvement?
How is your goal relevant to your
studies?
What activities do you plan to do to
achieve your SMART goal? In which
way will they improve your skill?
What problems can you foresee and
how can you overcome them?
Needs Analysis worksheet and resources
Sentence beginnings to help you answer
I have chosen to focus on my ……….. skills, in particular,
……….
[for example, reading: specifically inferring meaning
from context; speaking: specifically hesitations due to
unknown vocabulary].
The reason why I chose to improve my …………. skill is
because …………
[personal reasons, feedback?]
"By the time I submit [name of Assessment Task], I
should be better able to [+base verb] ......
I can measure my improvement by [+ verb + ing] …….
The chosen skill is relevant to my studies because …..
I plan on [verb + ing] ………..
The first potential problem I foresee is that [+ clause]…..
The solution to the first problem is to [+ verb]…..
The second potential problem I foresee is that [+ clause]
…
The solution to the second problem is to [+ verb]…..
10
Answers
Academic talk moves
Stating an idea, making a point, providing an opinion
 I think that...
 From what I’ve read, ….In my view/opinion...
 The data suggest that ….
 I thought the author meant…
 The main reason for my opinion is...
Counter-argument
 Although I have been arguing that [your argument]……,
some people might argue that [something that is in
contrast to your argument]; however, I do not think this is a
logical argument because …..[refute that argument], so, I
stand by my argument ….
Supporting ideas with evidence, examples, data, etcetera
 Smith 2012, in the middle of page xxx, states that …
 According to Smith 2012 on page xxx, ….
 For instance, in Smith 2012, page xxx
 An example of this can be found in Smith 2012, on page xxx
 The best way of explaining my opinion is to give an
example ...
 The way I interpret Smith 2012 on page xxx is ….
Needs Analysis worksheet and resources
Challenging others’ ideas
 Although Mike makes a good point about…, I think …
because …
 Do you think it’s possible that …
 That's a very good point, but...
 I'm afraid I can't agree because…
 That’s not always the case because …
 Your idea isn’t supported by evidence …
 I thought Smith (2012) meant that …
 That seems quite right to me because…
 I can’t agree because...
 I’m not quite sure I can agree with you on the point that …;
what do others think of this?
Paraphrasing information
 Let me see if I understand what you’re saying.
 In other words, what you’re saying is …
 Essentially, you think …
 It sounds like you’re suggesting….
11
Elaborating and clarifying
 I would like to expand on/elaborate on/follow up on/add
to your point about …. by saying ….
 Perhaps I’ve missed something; would you please explain
how …
 Another way to look at this could be…
 What do you mean when you say...?
 I don't fully understand. Can you give some examples?
 There’s one point I’d like you to clarify …
 Can you elaborate on why you think …?
 Do you mean that...?
 ’m afraid I didn’t quite catch what you mean; can you say it
in another way?
Synthesizing information
 Therefore, we have two opposing arguments here. On the
one hand,... On the other hand,...
 Most of us think that...
 From what we’ve been saying, we can draw the conclusion
that ….
Needs Analysis worksheet and resources 12