Chapter One Introduction
Studies in learning-centered and learner-centered approaches are increasing. Learners’ needs have been regarded as an essential approach to effective learning and teaching. Scholars endeavor to explore vital theory in curriculum development (Nunan, 1988). Needs Analysis (NA) has become important in curriculum development, implementation and evaluation ever since it earned its popularity in the field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in 1980s. When it focuses on identification of learning needs rather than that of learners’ linguistic needs, NA has also been applied in the English for General Purposes (EGP) education (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987). According to Gu (2017), ESP education in China’s colleges and universities is supposed to prepare our students to meet the needs of economic growth and social developments. However, the current situation of ESP teaching is kind of worrying, instead of being optimistic as people have expected. ESP research method and scope is rather simple and narrow, basically restricted and confined to ESP ontology. Many scholars have been studying the NA in the field of TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages). However, much attention has been paid to the theoretical study of ESP (e.g. Bosher & Smalkoski, 2017; Ferris & Tagg, 1996; Holliday, 1995) but little to the practical teaching process. Furthermore, much analysis focuses on language needs in order to determine the course content or develop materials (e.g. Tarone & Yule, 1989) while inadequate attention focus on learning needs.
According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987), the underlying assumption in NA is that learners vary with various internal and external factors. The students at Hebei North University (HBNU), for instance, differ from those in other colleges and universities. The study focuses on the English majors who had graduated from high school and were to receive three-year education here. They are in their third year and they have almost finished their studies in their college education. Some of them went to find their jobs during the last winter holiday and got some working experiences in the process. Their proficiency levels should be taken into consideration to evaluate, implement and develop the curriculum of Business English. ESP curriculum aims to help students of EFL (English as a foreign language) reach certain proficiency levels that are considered necessary. These are questions of significance. In order to help assess language curriculum, it is critical for the policymake，英语论文网站，英语论文 |
