Need Analysis on English Language course Syllabus and material.

Chapter One - Introduction:
Needs analysis was established in the mid-1970s. With the publication of Munby’s Communicative Syllabus Design (1978) needs analysis moved towards placing the learner’spurposes in the central position within the framework of needs analysis. According to Nunan needs analysis procedures made their appearance in language planning and widespread in language teaching. As a result, now needs analysis has a vital role in the process of designing and carrying out any language course. For example it can be English for specific purpose or general English course.
Now English is being taught and used as a medium of instruction in universities (mainly in private universities) of Bangladesh. Many English language courses are offered to the students of private universities for their self improvement. Brac University is one of the most popular private universities where many English language courses are offered to the students based on their needs. So, in this report researchers try to conduct with the undergraduate level students of Brac University to know about present needs and future expectation of the students for their English courses syllabus and materials. Based on needs analysis it is possible to find out information on the situations in which a language should be used, the purposes for which that language is needed, the types of communication which should be used in the course and the level of proficiency that could be included for developing a syllabus design. 

1.1.Objectives of this study: The main objectives of this research paper are:1.      to find the language needs of the English students
2.      to find problems of English students in using English in their academic studies and daily life.
3.      to explore students’ wants regarding the purpose and content of their English course.
4.      to design a new syllabus based on students present needs and future expectation. 
1.2. Significant of this study:
 Firstly, this research report can be used as a way to solve students’ problem of English language learning in relation to their fields of study.
 Secondly, there will have students’ own impact on English learning to find solutions of their language problems based on their needs and process of teaching-learning in the findings part. It might will help the material writers and course designers to develop or prepare materials and syllabus depending on the present situation analysis and students target needs.

Chapter Two 

Methodology of this study:

2.1.Participants:The participants of this research report were first year students of Brac University. All of them were students of English department. Total twenty two students of Brac university gave their opinion on a survey questionnaire. Among them sixteen were male students and six were female students. All of them age were around twenty to twenty two years old. Fifteen students also participated for focus group discussion with the researchers.2.2. Data gathering instruments:

In this research report both qualitative and quantitative data gathering tools have been used.  Survey questionnaires are computed quantitatively and focus group discussion has been described qualitatively.

Chapter Three- 

Facts and Findings:
All the students have responded according to their knowledge and attitudes for both survey and focus group discussion questionnaires. So here the researchers are going to present the findings of the participants based on both survey and focus group discussion questionnaires.

3.1.   Part A : Students’ responses to academic background information:
From the participants researchers can know that  most of them are Bengali medium students. 54% percents are Bengali medium students and rest of them are  English medium students. Among all of them only two students took English course for their improvement. One of them is Bengali medium student and another one is from English medium. Among 12 (54%) students who are from Bengali medium, only 2 students think that their previous English course was very useful for them and 7 students think that it was somewhat useful for them and only one  student thinks that it was not useful for them.  In FGD session Bengali medium students said that though their whole syllabus did not cover in English, they only read English as a subject. But they learnt many things from that course and it helped them to get admission in university. On the other hand 7 students who are from English background, they think that English course was useful for them.

3.2.   Part B:Learners’ opinion based on using English:In this part learners gave high priority about usefulness of using English for going to abroad and doing job interview  and in FGD session they also gave emphasized on these two things. After that they gave high priority on reading their lesson, watching movies and operating computer. According to the participants, most of them think communication with teacher& friends, reading instruction in any product, listening music, watching news on TV are also useful for them. In FGD session the students told that English was very useful for them. Because in the University their medium of language is English and they have to write and read in English. In classroom whatever they learn, they have to communicate and discuss with their peers and teachers and teachers are always giving instructions in English. So they need to know English properly. So English becomes an essential thing for them.

3.3  Part C: learner’s confidence about using English in different situations: Students are confident enough to introduce themselves and asking help or giving direction  to others. But their confidence level decreased when they asked  about asking and answering in group activities, reading news paper, making general conversations and writing E-mail.

3.4.  Part D:  Expectation in classroom:In the interview question students expectation from the class room, 13 (60 %) students gave high priority on correcting their mistakes on pronunciation and grammar and 10 (45%) students wanted that their teacher should correct their mistakes of diction.  But interestingly only 9 (40%) students gave emphasing on using English language in the class room and 11 (50%) students felt that teacher should use English language in class room. Chapter Four – General recommendations:Based on the findings of the research, the researcher wants to recommend the following notions:
·         The researchers have found a gap between what the students want to learn and what the teachers suggest as the goals of the course books. So , the teachers should build up short term and long term plans to solve the students language problems by conducting needs analysis.

• Private universities are using English as a medium of instruction, giving emphasis on students’ needs. But researchers found that speaking and reading skills should be given more emphasized on class activities. Other macro skills which are chosen by the students should also be included in their textbooks.

Chapter Five 

Conclusion: Developing a syllabus on the basis of needs analysis is a very challenging task. Because all the needs of the learners cannot be fulfilled in a specific syllabus. Needs analysis only gives a direction of learners’ needs and attitudes towards the target language; more over result of the analysis is helpful in understanding the characteristics of the learners. However this attempt of needs analysis for the undergraduate students of BRAC University tries to offer some functional and useful activities included in the syllabus for the students’ purposeful learning focusing on their real life communicative goals.