Needs Analysis: English for Nursing
Short Description
In the following report, we assess the Target Needs Analysis carried out for students following the BSc Nursing as a pre...
Description
LSU 3206
Final Project Report
Contents
Title Acknowledgements ……………………………….……..
Page 2
PART A The Importance of Needs Analysis to the ESP Courses ...
3
PART B Background Information …………………………………
5
The Programme of Study ……………………………...
5
Target Group ………………………………………......
7
Details of the Survey ……………………………………..
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Results of the Survey …………………………………….
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Recommendations ………………………………………..
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Limitations of the Survey ………………………………..
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Concluding Remarks ……………………………………..
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References ………………………………………………...
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Annexures…………………………………………………
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A: Group Questionnaire with collated answers B: Individual Questionnaire
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to:
The Man who has always given me the strength to keep going whenever I have wanted to give up
All at home, especially Nirosha and Pierre, for letting me use and reuse their computers, and to Nirosha and Nimmi for providing immeasurable support
Sunesh for coming to the rescue and for Microsoft Word 2007
Those names too numerous to mention, but whose immense sincerit y and patience have borne my exclamations, sighs and e-mails throughout the compilation of this project report.
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PART A: The Importance of Needs Analysis to the ESP Courses Raheem (2010) says, “One can spend nine years teaching English to students in a school, but one cannot spend nine years teaching a scientist how to speak English.” ESP, or English for Specific Purposes, is an approach to the teaching of English that is driven by identified and prioritised learner needs so as to defeat the constraints of time faced by the professionals who undertake such courses. ESP practitioners from Hutchison and Waters (1987) to Robinson (1991) to Dudley-Evans (1998) have all agreed on one undeniable characteristic of ESP: i.e. that it caters to the needs of a target situation and the needs of learners involved. As is evident in the diagram below, needs make up the largest proportion of the ingredients of an ESP course: in other words, without the consideration of needs, an ESP
course
is
redundant
and
ineffective. Hutchison and Waters (1987) tell us that ESP is different from General English not because of the „existence of a need but rather an awareness of the need‟. In order to become aware of a need, the ESP course designer must therefore carry out a survey or analysis involving stakeholders of the course. Also,
A basic diagrammatic representation of what an ESP course constitutes
because ESP refers to English for Specific Purposes, these needs are specific too. In this report, needs are Specific to the staff of the Department of Nursing. However, the
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stakeholders of a course are not just one group of individuals – course designers must analyse Target Needs (in this report, the needs of the Dept. of Nursing) which are concerned with the use of language, in order to identify what people will do with the language; in addition, Learner Needs (in this context, needs of students following the B. Sc Nursing) must be analysed in order to discover how people learn to do what they do with language.
Often, there are discrepancies between Target Needs and Learner
Needs, and Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) state, rather alarmingly, that “The findings from a needs analysis are not absolute but relative, and there is no single, unique set of needs.” Nevertheless, it is essential that both specific Target Situation Needs and specific Learning Needs are taken into account. Without the specificity of needs, there is no specificity of purpose for the course (i.e. there is no awareness of needs); as a result, the course ceases to be an ESP course and is left once more in the categorization of General English. In the following report, we assess the Target Needs Analysis carried out for students following the BSc Nursing as a preliminary step to the design of a custommade ESP course. What must be kept in mind is that language courses must ultimately improve the language skill of the learners involved; ESP courses then, must ultimately improve definite requirements of learners‟ language ability, because ESP learners do not have „nine years‟ (i.e. ample time) to achieve proficiency. Thus ESP courses should improve specific requirements in the BSc Nursing students‟ language proficiency, because their time to achieve proficiency is limited too. In order to achieve this objective, course design must be meticulously planned: Needs Analysis, as explained above, is the most crucial part of this meticulous planning process. In other words, Needs Analysis is the hinge on which the door of a successful ESP course swings.
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PART B: The Survey (a) Background Information Programme of Study The following information has been derived from the ‘BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (NURSING) DEGREE - PROGRAMME GUIDE FOR STUDENTS 2011/2012’ provided by the Open University of Sri Lanka’s Faculty of Natural Sciences. The data has been summarised in bullet point form for the sake of clarity and word economy. The Bachelor of Science Nursing Degree:
Is currently a two-year programme (Level 5 and 6) supplied by the Department of Health Sciences of the Faculty of Natural Sciences
Commenced in July 1994 and is offered to registered nurses at the request of the Ministry of Health
Was initiated with academic assistance provided by The Athabasca University and funded by The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for a period of five years (1992 - 1997)
Believes that nurses must respond appropriately to the continually changing health care environment
Enables, among other aspects, the appropriate use of communication skills in the nurse-client relationship, as well as with other members of the health team
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Provides courses that, among other aspects, should: a) Use concepts from the humanities and the behavioural sciences to understand oneself and others, the relationships between people, and the functioning of communities; b) Contribute to the development of a graduate who will demonstrate a sensitivity and responsiveness to the needs of others; c) Promote clear and effective reading and writing in English so that one will have access to further knowledge that will enable one to share with the international nursing community;
Has enrolled 15 groups of registered nurses between 1997 and 2010 subsequently giving rise to 351 Graduate Nurses
Recently expanded into a five-year programme, with the introduction of Levels 3 and 4 (three-year Diploma Programme) in association with Hemas Hospitals (Pvt.) Ltd.
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(a) Background Information (Continued) Target Group The following information has been derived from the Open University’s BSc (Nursing) Programme Guide as well as information provided by the interviewees prior to the administering of the Group Questionnaire. The data has been summarised in tabulated bullet point form for the sake of clarity and straightforward reference. Name
Mrs. S. L. H. Vithanarachchi Head of Department
Position
Senior Lecturer Diploma in Nursing (Ministry of Health)
Educational Qualifications
B.Sc. Nursing (OUSL) in 1994 MSN (Brit. Columbia) R.N. On the teaching staff of OUSL since 1998 Promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2004 Appointed Head of Department
Professional Experience
in late 2004 Worked as a Nurse for 28 years at National Hospital Worked as a Nurse for 3 years in Iran and Oman Worked as a Nurse for 3 years in
Mr. B. S. S. De Silva Lecturer Diploma in Nursing (Ministry of Health) Post-Basic Diploma in Nursing B.Sc. Nursing (OUSL) MN (RES) (Melbourne) R.N. On the teaching staff of OUSL since 2006 Pending appointment as Senior Lecturer Worked as a Male Nurse for 5 years at Neurosurgical Unit of National Hospital Worked as Ward Master for 2 years at Neurosurgical Unit of National Hospital
the Private Sector
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(b) Details of the Survey The data below has been summarised in bullet point form for the sake of clarity and straightforward reference. Preparation of Questionnaire: 6th March 2011 at OUSL Premises
Questions were discussed and planned prior to finalising the questionnaire required
Once finalised, the questionnaire was typeset and circulated amongst all members of the Level 5 B.A. in ELT Batch
Survey Format: Printed text questionnaire, mostly MCQ-type Each question was posed orally to the interviewees while a hard copy of the questionnaire was also provided to each interviewee. Date of administering questionnaire: 11th March 2011
Persons Interviewed / Target Group: Mr. B. S. S. De Silva Time: 10.30 am Venue: Dept of Nursing/ OUSL
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Mrs. S. L. H. Vithanarachchi Time: 11.45 am Venue: Dept of Nursing/ OUSL
Additional Individual Questions: 03 (THREE) questions were prepared independently by the writer of this report in relation to course content. These 3 questions were administered to the staff member Mr. B. S. S. De Silva at around 11.30 am at the Dept of Nursing/ OUSL
.
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(c) Results of the Survey In this section, we will analyse and discuss each question and answer individually on the Interview Questionnaire, and the subsequent effect it will create on the ESP course in terms of Content and Time. Where possible, parallels have been drawn between the questions of the Survey administered, and the work of ESP Practitioners. A detailed Table of Needs has been derived and is included at the end of this discussion.
Group Questionnaire 1. In what medium will the B.Sc. Nursing be conducted? a) English The question above was included in the questionnaire in order to assess the type of English which the students of the BSc (Nursing) require, and how it will be used. As is evident, the students will not merely require the usual English as a Second Language (ESL) course, because the medium of instruction itself is English. It goes without saying that reading material as well as assignments submitted by the BSc students will be in English, while in-class discussions will also be in English. The ESP course designer will need to bear this in mind in order to ensure specificity. 2. What is the duration of the B.Sc. Nursing course? 2 academic years The purpose of this query was to determine, according to how much time the BSc (Nursing) students would spend on their course, the upper limit of time when the target language will be used. The ESP course designer would benefit from this information
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since, if required, levels/modules could be introduced at various points of these two years according to the type of language being used at that point in time. The interviewees also noted “Students are recommended to follow the B.Sc. Nursing course over 4 years because of the workload might be too much since the students are employed full time.” This too is valuable information as the course designer will have to balance specificity according to the needs of the staff and students, in order that students who undertake the degree programme and follow the ESP course, will have achieved the required proficiency irrespective of whether they finish the course in 2 years or 4 years. 3) From which level of the course will English be required? From Level 5 onwards. From 23rd March, the new procedures will come into effect and English will be required from level 3 and level 4. Although initially aimed at pinpointing the actual need for English in relation to Question 1 of the Target Situation, this question gave rise to integral information for the ESP course designer. Till now, the course has required the use of English only at BSc level (i.e. Level 5); however, in a recent development, the course expanded into the Diploma Levels 3 and 4. This means that the ESP course designer may have to consider: -
catering to all 4 levels of the course
-
designing an evolving ESP course
-
conducting yet another Needs Analysis once BSc Level 3 gets underway
in order to ensure maximum exactness of the ESP course.
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4) Why do the students of the B. Sc. Nursing course need English? a. For studies b. For work c. For training d. As a qualification e. Other : Overseas Travel This question was included to gauge the staff‟s view of the students‟ necessities. The target need identified here is the diversity of uses that the students will require English for. With reference to response (d) the interviewer group was informed by Mrs. Vithanarachchi that although the Degree was awarded to students upon successful completion of the course, the Degree Certificate would not be awarded to previously identified BSc students who had not fulfilled the English course currently in operation. With the interviewees‟ inclusion of Overseas Travel, we gather more information about the linguistic context of the target language. As such, while ensuring that the ESP course meets the precise needs of studies, work and training for Nursing, the ESP course designer will need to keep in mind that a change may be necessary in the course having an effect on the award of the degree; also, the course designer will need to cater to the possible change of country context and the relevant language required. 5) Is there an age limit for the B.Sc. Nursing course? There is no age limit applied by the Open University. The motive behind this question was to assess the age group or groups that the ESP course would have to cater to. Although no group is specified, the interviewer group was told “Students will be around 25 years of age by the time they complete the 110000006
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minimum entry qualifications” by Mr. De Silva. This Target Situation information will serve to guide the ESP course designer when selecting specific material in terms of maturity level. It may also serve to construct lessons in the Syllabus Design stage, in terms of how much information will be taught and for how long a duration. 6) What is the background of the students registering for the B.Sc. Nursing course? a. Employed The above enquiry was a means of inferring the amount of time (limited) available to the BSc Nursing students and the expanded context in which the language will be used. In addition to this, the interviewer group found out that students registering for the BSc were all employed as nurses. All three facts will play a significant role in the formulation of the ESP course in terms of both Content and Time. The ESP course designer may eliminate previously planned content with this new information, and structure lessons keeping in mind the prior hands-on nursing experience each of the students have had. 7) Where will the English language be used? a. Lecture Halls i. With lecturers ii. With Peers iii. For presentations iv. Other : Assignments
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b. Hospitals v. With Doctors vi. With Nurses vii. With Patients c. Other places/environments/situations : Seminars / Workshops d. What will be the English Language Proficiency of the individuals that the students will interact with? Native Speaker Non native speaker This question seeks to determine the contexts where the language will be used. The physical settings where the language will be used are lecture halls and hospitals, where the situations in which the language will be used will be numerous. The human context indicates using language with individuals from lecturers to patients, meaning the breadth of the target language will be significant. Meanwhile the linguistic setting shows the use of target language for presentations, on assignments, at seminars and workshops, inter- or intra-university. Additionally, the linguistic context of the language used (Hutchison & Waters, 1987 – “Who will the learner use the language with?”) can also be derived from the information above – we realize that the language will include both kinds of speakers, so the course designer has an idea of what type and level of language the ESP course should include. 8) What is the Basic English qualification required to register for B.Sc. Nursing? There is no requirement for a Basic English qualification as an English grading test is conducted by the university.
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9) Has there been a placement test conducted to assess the level of the students‟ proficiency in the English language prior to this Needs Analysis? If so, how will they be graded? Yes, a grading test for English test is conducted to assess the level of the students‟ proficiency in the English language. The Nursing Department is unaware of the details of the grading since it is conducted by the Language Studies Department. The Department of Nursing interviewees referred here to the grading test carried out by the Language Department for the courses LSE 1305 and LSE 2305. What must be kept in mind here is that whether grading has been conducted or not, an ESP-specific assessment must be conducted ahead of the newly formulated course. However, current grading is carried out by the Language Department. The above questions in fact pose a challenge as to the course designer as the answers prove inconclusive. 10) What are the subject areas / content areas included in the B.Sc. Nursing course? (The content areas, obtained from the Programme Guide for Students 2011/2012 can be found in the Appendix – Group Questionnaire) The answer to this question will serve the ESP Course Designer in two ways: 1. The target needs are that English is required from the inception of the course. Keeping the subject areas in mind, the course designer can now allocate subject-specific language to the course framework. 2. Among the BSc content areas are Primary Health Care I (Level 5) and Primary Health Care II (Level 6), as well as Concepts in Nursing Practice (Level 5) and Management in Nursing Practice (Level 6). Hutchison and Waters tell us that the level of content areas are
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determined by the target needs analysis – there are stark subjects in level 5 which have follow-ups in the next level. The course designer‟s task is to categorize how much of the target language for each of these developing subjects, is included, and whether the language content will develop alongside too. 11) What language skills do you think the B.Sc. Nursing students need to use more during the B.Sc. Nursing course? a. Reading b. Writing According to Hutchison and Waters, the ESP course designer must identify how the language will be used, in terms of medium, channel and types of text/discourse. This section of the Needs Analysis shows that the media will be restricted to reading and writing, while the channel will be written texts, and the types of texts used could range from academic BSc Nursing textbooks to Diagnosis Cards. Thus the ESP course has been narrowed-down specifically according to medium, channel and types of text used. 12) a. Should the ESP course begin: i. Before commencement of the B.Sc. Nursing course ii. Concurrent to the B.Sc. Nursing course b. What would be an appropriate frequency of ESP day schools? ESP day schools would be preferred to have as often as possible. c. What would be an appropriate duration for the ESP course? During the 1st Semester.
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d. Would weekdays or weekends be more appropriate for the ESP day schools in relation to the B.Sc. Nursing day schools? Weekends would be more appropriate. Question 12 fulfils Dudley-Evans and St John‟s criteria of including „What do you need/want from the course?‟ and Hutchison and Waters‟ “When will the language be used?” In short, the Target Need of course administration is frequent ESP day schools on weekends concentrated during the first semester or prior to the first semester. This is yet another indication of the need for the students following the BSc Nursing to be prepared with English from the very start of the programme; they earlier they are prepared, the better. Thus we identify a specificity that must be catered to in the ESP programme. 13) What are the resources available for the ESP course? a. Location - This depends on the resources available at the Regional Centres b. Technical Facilities - This depends on the resources available at the Regional Centres c. Course Material - The Nursing Department does not provide Course Material for the English Language course. That course material is handled by the Language Studies Department. The purpose of this segment of the analysis is to take the Dudley-Evans and St John criterion one step further by analysing what assets the Nursing Department itself can provide, if necessary, to the ESP Course. If location, technical facilities and course material (E.g. Guide to Concepts in Nursing Practice) are known, then the ESP course
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designer can comprehend whether aspects of the course are feasible or not. However, the answers here are inconclusive once again, leaving specificity in the lurch. 14) What is the preferred evaluation procedure? a. Continuous Assessment b. Final Examination c. Other: Presentations. Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) say, “As ESP practitioners, we are most likely to be concerned with formative evaluation...the findings help to shape the course during its lifetime.” In order to determine whether a formative or summative assessment was required, the above question was posed. What the ESP course designer understands from the response given is that both continued assessment and a final examination will serve to (ultimately) shape the course, while judging whether the learners acquired the prescribed proficiency. The fact that presentations could be included is an addition to the medium of how the language will be used (i.e. Speaking). Mrs. Vithanarachchi explained that Presentations are already conducted by the BSc Students for the subjects Concepts in Nursing Practice, Teaching and Learning, and in the Final Research Project. She mentioned that the students will need to learn to reduce fear of speaking before an audience and to improve presentation skills.
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Individual Questionnaire 1) Which of the following content areas do you think the new ESP course could include? i) Patient admissions ii) Medical specimens iii) Pre- / Post-Operative Patient Assessment iv) Telephone Skills The first question is aimed at sharpening the content areas that could be focussed on, in the preliminary stages of ESP course design. These areas were derived from Cambridge English for Nursing (by Virginia Allum and Patricia McGarr, 2010). The course designer can now use the above four topic areas as a basis for determining what other topics could be included as content, using information from Group Question 10 as a guide as well. 2) i) Do the students cover Satir‟s categories or anything similar in the BSc course? Yes ii) Do you think it could be included in the ESP course? Yes. English is vital to Nursing and Communication in order to build a nurse-patient relationship. The purpose of this question is once again to find out specifically whether the content area of Communication is conducive to the ESP course. The question is structured along the Programme Guideline specified in the Faculty of Health Sciences Guide: „Enables, among other aspects, the appropriate use of communication skills in the nurse-
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client relationship, as well as with other members of the health team.‟ The response to the question above serves to further taper the ESP content areas. 3. In the entire programme, do the students engage in role play at any point? No. They used to, for communication. Now there is no longer any time. The reason the above question was included was to decipher whether the role play method could be used in the ESP course. Subsequent to administering the questionnaire, however, it is evident that Speaking is a skill that is needed by the students (see Group Question 14) Role play, if included by the course designer, could be one method of enhancing the Speaking skills of students: a specific solution for a specific need.
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PASTE NEEDS TABLE HERE
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PASTE NEEDS TABLE CONTINUATION HERE
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(d) Recommendations Although there were responses provided to the greater majority of questions in the Survey Questionnaire, there were certain questions to which the answers were inconclusive. If the Needs Analysis is inadequate, then remedial measures must be taken to ensure adequacy and conclusiveness of Needs, at least for the time being. Recommendations in this respect are briefly explained individually, below. 1. Conduct a Learning Needs Analysis - The Target Needs Analysis carried out is one-dimensional as it only pinpoints the target group‟s needs. It is ultimately the learners who will undertake the ESP course, and their needs may differ vastly from the target group: a Learning Needs Analysis is vital. Hutchison and Waters say „learners may be well motivated in the subject lesson (here, BSc Nursing subjects) or in their work (here, as nurses), but totally turned off by encountering the same material in the ESP classroom‟. According to the Target Needs Survey, needs of content areas are centred on BSc Level 5 and 6 subjects, Hands-on experience and topics such as patient admissions – this may totally discourage learners. Naiman et al. (1978) as cited by Penny Ur (1991) say „The learner has a need to achieve‟ and this achievement is linked directly to motivation. If learners are not motivated, then the course is fractured; yet another reason why a Learner Needs analysis (e.g. Why are the learners taking the course? How do they learn?) is essential. 2. Conduct a Present Situation Analysis – The ESP course designer has to find out English Language Information about the learners using a Present Situation analysis. Dudley-Evans and St John note that learners‟ „current skills and
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language use‟ must be assessed, in order that learners‟ lacks (or the gap between the Present Situation and the Learning Needs) can be gauged. 3. Expand the target group for the Target Needs Analysis – a) Two staff from the Department of Nursing is not a tangible number to represent the needs of the entire Department. The Target Needs Analysis questionnaire should be administered to the greater majority of, if not all, the Department Staff. b) As the course is progressing to include a partnership with Hemas Hospitals for Levels 3 and 4, and because English will be required from Level 3 in the future, it would be beneficial to include one or two staff members from Hemas Hospital when administering the Target Needs questionnaire. c) As several questions were redirected to the Language Department, at least one staff member representing the Language Department should be administered with the questionnaire d) Resources available at regional centres were inconclusive when Location and Technical Facilities were analysed as part of the survey. Thus at least one representative from each regional centre (Kandy / Jaffna / Batticaloa / Anuradhapura) must be administered with the Target Needs Survey. 4. Change the structure of questions on the Target Needs Analysis – if the target group specified above (Recommendation 3) is present at the same time, a whole-group discussion can be held in order to discuss and determine target needs in a holistic manner, instead of using a majority of time-saving MCQs. 5. Analyse Course Material – ESP Materials are developed for a specific situation, and since the Target Needs analysis has shown the core subject areas 110000006
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of the BSc programme, it is essential that BSc course material is analysed in order to match needs (such as functions/notions in Nursing) to available solutions. Also, the Nursing Department staff said no material is provided by the Department for any ongoing English course – this could prove detrimental. The materials analysis could be done at the end of ESP course design. 6. Conduct Interim and Cumulative Needs Analyses – Needs Analysis is a continuous process, not merely a one-off questionnaire, as needs change and learner groups change according to situation or context. Conducting Interim and Cumulative Analyses of Target Needs, Learning Needs and Present Situation can show differences when compared to Preliminary Needs Analyses – these existing differences in needs will only be made aware to the ESP course designer through Needs Analysis. Additionally, the BSc (Nursing) degree „believes that nurses must respond appropriately to the continually changing health care environment‟ – a continually changing health care environment requires continuous analysis for the success of the ESP course. 7. Seek more information on the Ministry of Health Diploma in Nursing – since this Diploma is at present an entry requirement to the BSc Nursing, the ESP course designer possesses inadequate information on the course and the subsequent effects of the Diploma on the ESP course. More information on the Ministry‟s Diploma course is essential, particularly to identify if English is used as a medium of instruction.
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(e)Limitations of the Survey
Although the Survey Questionnaire was formulated to be as comprehensive as possible, there were certain limitations identified. Below, these limitations are outlined individually, and their subsequent effect on the needs data, briefly explained. 1. Inadequate Needs analysed – Needs must essentially be identified and prioritised for the successful planning of an English for Specific Purposes course. The above Survey Questionnaire delves only into the Target Situation Needs; there is no provision for exploring Learning Needs or Present situation needs. If needs are inadequate, then planning for ESP will be unsuccessful, resulting in the eventual failure of the course. 2. Two staff members as representatives – Since the above Survey is essentially a Target Situation Analysis, the entire Target Group (i.e. the entire staff of the Department of Nursing) should have been interviewed. Two staff members, though sources of information, cannot represent the needs or opinions of an entire department. This proves detrimental to the reliability of the Target needs data. 3. MCQ type questions – When Multiple Choice Questions are used, the individual responding to them has been provided with only a limited amount of choices. In this Survey, MCQs were used in order to save time and obtain straightforward answers; however, for a holistic Target Needs Analysis to be carried out, and options must therefore be at least open to discussion. There may have been more in terms of valuable information, but as the interviewees were
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only provided with these questions: any additional information may have been left out. Quantity of needs data was affected. 4. Batch wholly present for one interviewee but not for the other – As one interviewee (Mr. De Silva) was available before the other, the entire group administered the survey questionnaire to him. Thereafter each set of individual questions was administered one by one. At this point, only the members of the group who had completed individual questioning stayed behind to interview the second interviewee (Mrs. Vithanarachchi). As a group, we may have been able to elicit more reliable / concrete information if both interviewees were present at the same time (e.g. data left out by one interviewee may have been filled in by the other concurrently). Here, quality of needs data was affected. 5. Regular referral to LSE 1305 and LSE 2305 - It was noticed that both interviewees repeatedly referred to the two courses currently carried out as part of the B.Sc. Nursing. We are uncertain as to whether these two courses are formulated according to the ESP approach or not. The reliability of the needs data is at risk if any misunderstandings occurred between current courses (LSE 1305 and LSE 2305) and future ESP Course (as yet not fully planned). 6. No knowledge of prior English courses – With reference to (4) above, the interviewer group was unaware of the existence of LSE 1305 and LSE 2305, the nature of the two courses (i.e. ESP or not), the pre-requisite criteria for them, the courses‟ content or duration. 7. Regular redirection to Language Department – For responses to questions 8, 9 and 13, the interviewees noted that the Language Department would know better. This indicates a dearth of quality and quantity of needs data. The quality 110000006
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of the data is restricted because in the absence of a specific data, the response becomes inconclusive. Quantity of data is affected because only staff from the Department of Nursing has been interviewed, and this has proven inadequate. 8. Medium of Instruction of Diploma (Ministry of Health) uncertain – the Survey (Group or Individual Questionnaire) does not provide for the determining of the language medium for the above Diploma, which is currently a fundamental pre-requisite ahead of enrolling for the B.Sc. Nursing. Acquiring this information would only serve to further specify the needs for the course. If the Diploma is conducted in Sinhala or Tamil, then the ESP course would have a general idea of the gap in English prior to the start of the course and the proficiency level required at the end of the course.
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(f) Concluding Remarks Firstly, it is evident from the results of the survey and the limitations faced that a single Target Needs Analysis proves inadequate towards the successful planning of the ESP course. Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) say „information obtained from clients…will only be as good as (a) the questions asked and (b) the analysis of the answers‟. We have found limitations in the quality, quantity and reliability of questions asked and answers analysed. Secondly, through the conduct of the Target Needs Analysis, we have realized that a Learning Needs Analysis and a Present Situation Analysis are essential in order to fill gaps and further specify needs which are vital to the ESP course. Thirdly, it is apparent that evaluating needs is not a one-time matter – needs (in all forms) must be assessed continuously for best practice in ESP course design. Although Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) state that “findings from a needs analysis are not absolute but relative, and there is no single, unique set of needs”, if any of the aspects mentioned in the previous paragraph went unaccounted for, the ESP courses would not improve specific requirements in the BSc Nursing students‟ language proficiency. The door of the successful ESP course would swing unsteadily and ultimately, fail. As time is limited during an ESP course, we need to ensure needs are as holistically specific as possible. Therefore the successful ESP course designer, through this report, must learn:
A Target Needs Analysis alone proves inadequate
Learning Needs Analysis and Present Situation Analysis are essential
Needs Analysis is a continuous process, not merely a one-off survey
and must consequently take steps to resolve these aspects. 110000006
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References
Raheem, R. (2010). Lecture on English for Specific Purposes ( October 9 th, 2010)
Hutchinson, T. & Waters, A. (1987) English for Specific Purposes: A learningcentred approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Dudley-Evans, T. & St John, M. J. (1998) Developments in English for Specific Purposes: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Allum, V. & McGarr, P. (2010) Cambridge English for Nursing: PreIntermediate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Bradley, J.C. & Edinberg, M.A. (1990) Communication in the Nursing Context. Connecticut: Appleton and Lange
Author Unknown (2011) Bachelor of Science (Nursing) Degree: Programme Guide for Students 2011/2012. Retrieved March 15th 2011 from www.ou.ac.lk/science/health/images/stories/Nursing/Programmme_Guide_for_S tudents_2010-2011.doc-web.doc
Naiman, N., Froelich, M., Stern, H. H. and Todesco, A. (1978). The Good Language Learner. In Ur, P. (1991) A Course in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
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LSU 3206
Final Project Report
Annexures
Annexure A - LSU 3206 Group Questionnaire
Annexure B – LSU 3206 Individual Questionnaire
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