THE NORMATIVE BASES OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS: A CRITICAL RE-EXAMINATION

Needs assessment is now considered an essential
first step in designing valid instructional syllabuses
for learners of additional languages, particularly for
those learning a language for specific purposes. This
paper explores the subjective and normative qualities
of language needs assessment, and outlines some
of the problems needs assessments in applied linguistics
encounter through neglect of these qualities.
The processes of needs assessment in education are
~ontrasted with those in applied linguistics, especially
with reference to defining terms, setting standards
based on authoritative values, and interpreting data.
Needs assessment in applied linguistics is viewed as a
fo:m of applied research with both descriptive and
prescriptive functions. The paper concludes with a
proposal to match needs assessment research
methodologies with the functional tasks to be
undertaken.