How to do a teenage needs analysis

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How to do a teenage needs analysis

Iuliia Irgiztseva, Italy

From my experience, doing a needs analysis with a group of teenagers is an excellent way to build rapport and promote self-reflection, engagement and motivation. Teenage students tend to appreciate having a say in what happens to them in class and often change their attitude towards the course, which is particularly helpful with those who have been signed up against their will.

In the first lesson with a group, I like to collect information about my students’ linguistic struggles, preferences and expectations, and I usually do it either as a class survey or a ‘pyramid’ discussion, followed by a short written note to the teacher to get some indication of their writing competency.

Class survey

Depending on class size, divide the students into two or more groups. Each student gets one of the following questions to ask their group members, taking notes of their answers and comments. After the survey, group the students according to the questions they used and allow some time to share their findings. You can also ask the groups to appoint a spokesperson to give a short presentation about the results of the survey. This will be followed by an individual written note to the teacher.

  1. What do you find most difficult about learning English? Why do you think it’s difficult for you?
  2. What class activities, e.g. songs, games, videos, projects, other do you like best and least? Why?
  3. Do you believe doing homework is useful? Why / why not? What kind of homework do you like doing?
  4. Would you like all your spoken errors to be corrected? Who should correct them: yourself with the help of the teacher, your classmates or only the teacher? Why?
  5. In your opinion, what are the most important qualities of a good English teacher? Why are they important?
  6. Do you think it is OK to speak your first language in class? If so, in what situations?

A ‘pyramid’ discussion

Change the questions for the class survey into sentence prompts (see some ideas below), which can be displayed on the interactive white board or dictated by the teacher. Allow some time for students to complete the prompts with their ideas. Once the sentences are completed, students share their ideas with a partner, giving reasons for their choice. Then they discuss their statements in small groups, in bigger groups and finally as the whole class. At this stage, they might like to summarise the main areas they agree or disagree about. Then each student writes a short note to the teacher using their statements as a springboard.

Sentence prompts:

  1. What I find most difficult about learning English is _______.
  2. Best class activities are _____________.
  3. The homework I find useful is __________.
  4. I believe all spoken errors should be corrected by _____.
  5. A good English teacher is / should ________.
  6. It is OK to use my first language in class when _____________.

Collect the notes and give feedback on the content in the following lesson, and where possible, incorporate some ideas to show the students they have been heard. Writing up a class contract could be a meaningful follow-up as well. I have used these questions and prompts with teenagers at B1+ levels, but they can be adapted for lower levels.

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