1.5.2 As a course designer and materials provider
ESP courses aim to motivate learners to use English in an
academic or a professional setting. So, both ESP courses and materials are
based on analyzing the learners' needs (Basturkmen 2006). Course designers
should bear in mind some basic questions before designing any course, such as,
«who are the learners?» , «what do these learners need to learn
English for?» And «what kind of texts do they need?» There is a
controversy on whether the materials provider should adopt authentic textbooks
or write his/her own (Hutchinson and Waters 1981).
1.5.3 As a collaborator
Coordinating with colleagues is considered to be an essential
step in any educational task (Nunan and Lamb 1996). The ESP teachers' role is
to cooperate with the subject specialist. The objective behind this cooperation
is to have knowledge about the subject skills, tasks, and syllabus, and to
discover how the subject integrates with the language in order to bring the
suitable material and courses for the learners (Dudley-Evans and ST John
1998).
1.5.4 As a researcher
ESP practitioners have to be in touch with the research and
incorporate the findings into their classes . According to Sierocka ( 2008) ,
ESP teachers should first identify and sort out the learner's goals of teaching
and then conduct a research in order to design a course and identify the
appropriate teaching materials .
11
The Review of Literature
1.5.4 As an evaluator
ESP teachers or practitioners are required to evaluate and
assess students' achievement and progress. They should also assess the success
or failure of the teaching methods and materials they have followed in their
teaching. In language teaching, evaluation plays a role as a feedback for
learners and the course achievement (Dudley-Evans and ST John 1998).
Section Two: Needs Analysis and Course Design 1.6 Needs
Analysis
Needs analysis is an element of designing or reviewing a
curriculum. Its purpose is to establish key learning outcomes and requirements
in the design and delivery of course or learning activity. According to Richard
et al (2002.353) «Needs Analysis is seen as a process of determining
the needs for which a learner or group of learners requires a language and
arranging the needs according to priorities». The process of NA
consists of identifying the target situation and then carrying out a rigorous
analysis of the linguistic features of that situation. Brown (1995) considers
NA as the activities involved in gathering information that will serve as the
basis for developing a curriculum which meets the learning needs of particular
needs of students. This view means that NA consists of the different activities
that may reveal the needs so as to design suitable curriculum for the
learners.
Needs Analysis is also seen as a fundamental step in any ESP
course which leads to an effective teaching and learning process. According to
Dudley-Evan & St.John,(1998) « Needs Analysis is the cornerstone
of ESP and leads to a much focused course» (P.122) .
12
The Review of Literature
| 
