a critical look at different approaches to needs analysis: providing a framework for curriculum development

In the process of developing and implementing any language course, needs analysis, also known as needs assessment, plays a very important role. historically, needs analysis emerged in the realm of language teaching through the esp movement. needs analysis is defined by nunan (1988) as a set of tools, techniques, and procedures for determining the language content and learning process for certain groups of learners. for a course to be successful, the needs of the learners must be addressed (garcia, 2002). several approaches have been developed by different scholars for the purpose of needs analysis, namely, (1) a sociolinguistic model, (2) a systemic approach, (3) a learning-centered approach, (4) a learner-centered approach, and finally (5) a task-based approach. this paper was aimed at focusing on these various approaches in order to furnish teachers with a useful framework for the study and analysis of learners’ needs. for this purpose, first, this article began with an explanation of the main assumptions and principles proposed by these approaches to needs analysis. then, the advantages, disadvantages and the criticisms posed against each model were mentioned. it was revealed that no single approach can result in constructing an effective curriculum capable of meeting all learners’ needs. teachers need to rely on a hybrid eclectic approach, taking advantage of the best premises chosen from among these individual models and dare to trust in their own practical teaching experiences. therefore, this paper concluded with recommending a practical framework consisting of a set of practical principles which will be capable of taking different learners’ needs into account, depending on contextual and human affective variables. these findings would be of great help for both language teachers and curriculum developers.