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Identify the problems that the student faces when wanting to learn a new language.

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It takes into account the current needs and wants of the students, as well as the scarcity of their target situation.

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Proficiencies of learners at the commencement of instruction.

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Regards the needs as to be negotiated between students and other stakeholders.

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Learners’ preferences.

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Focuses on:

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Large scale view of NA in terms of:

strategic language policies for companies.

Professional sectors.

Governmental departments.

Countries, etc.

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Creates a menu including all the main courses.

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Matches the perceived needs to a database of materials.

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When, Why and How evaluate student´s needs and preferences in learning English to resolve this gap absence of knowledge, skills or both.

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When, Why and How evaluate student´s needs and preferences in learning English to resolve this gap absence of knowledge, skills or both.

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When?

I think that a needs analysis can be carried out, when we start the school year and we want to know information that they have not provided us, this would help to know the students in a diagnostic way.

Why?

We use the analysis of needs in language teaching because we want to know what the needs and preferences of students are, this helps teachers to collect information and obtain an accurate and complete picture of needs, to later interpret it and make decisions about what include in the syllable. This process can be used in response to the academic needs of all students, to improve achievement, and meet challenged academic standards.

How?

Some likely resources for gathering information are: questionnaires, surveys, tests, observations, and individual interviews. Generally, a needs analysis attempts to obtain information about the situations in which a language will be used, the purposes for which that language is needed, the types of communication that will be used in the course, and the level of competence that is necessary to develop a study program.

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UK Essays. (2015). Needs Analysis Procedure In Language Teaching English Language Essay. UKEssays.Com. https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/needs-analysis-procedure-in-language-teaching-english-language-essay.php

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Needs analysis procedure in language teaching was first introduced and used by Michael West in 1920, but then re-emerged during 1970 as a result of intensive studies conducted by the council of Europe team. Needs analysis was developed and was emphasized in ESP (English for Specific Purposes) and it is argued that it is not possible to specify the needs of general English learners. Hutchinson and Walters (1987) describe need analysis as the most characteristic feature of English for Specific Purposes course design. It is also notable that a needs analysis is the starting point for a syllabus/course design. It is a part of a curriculum development, and is required before developing a syllabus. Thus, the information gathered from a need analysis can be used to define the program goals or sometimes to select the most relevant material for the language syllabus.

Find out more

Johnson K. (2008, pg.200) points out that: "in order to plan a foreign language teaching we need to find a way of analysing learners' needs. What is going to tell us just how much, and for what purposes our learners will need which foreign languages, it is the process of needs analysis."

Needs Analysis in language teaching and language programme design, can be defined as a systematic process which helps teachers to collect information and get an accurate and complete picture of their students' needs and preferences. Then they interpret the information collected and they make decisions about what to include in their programme, based on the interpretations in order to meet the students' needs. This process can be used in response to the academic needs of all the students, for improving their achievements and meeting challenged academic standards. However, this process sometimes does not involve looking at the learners' individual needs, but may involve looking at the requirements and expectations of other members involved, such as employees, parents, teachers and financial supporters.

Some probable resources for gathering information are: questionnaires, surveys, tests, observations and individual interviews. Generally a need analysis tries to get information on the situations in which a language is going to be used, the purposes for which that language is needed, the types of communication that are going to be used in the course and the level of proficiency that is required to develop a syllabus.

If a need analysis is used as a current part of teaching, it helps learners to reflect on their learning, to identify their needs, but also control their learning. Additionally, as Amie M. Casper (2003) states: " The information gleaned from a need analysis can be used to help you define program goals. These goals can be stated as specific teaching objectives, which will function as the foundation on which a teacher will develop the lesson plans, materials, tests, assignments and activities." Thus, a need analysis helps you to elucidate the purposes of your learning program.

Syllabus design in TESOL:

All professional people, who are labelled as teachers or are somehow related to language teaching, sometimes in their career path will be responsible of creating a syllabus or at least they have created one. Basically, syllabus design is a key component of their course preparation. To start with, syllabus is defined as a statement of content, denoting what a particular programme is going to cover (Richards et al. 1985, qtd in Johnson K. 2008, pg.215), which means that a syllabus design involves planning course content.

David Nunan (1988, pg.8) comments on syllabus design by stating that: "A traditional syllabus design has been seen as a subsidiary component of the curriculum design. Curriculum is concerned with the planning implementation, evaluation management and administration of education programs, whereas syllabus focuses more narrowly on the selection and grading of context."

Syllabus design procedures are required for deciding what is going to be taught in a language programme. A basic step prior to syllabus design is need analysis. Knowing exactly what to your students want, and why they want to learn English is a basic feature in a syllabus design. Generally, a right syllabus is designed into manageable chunks that can be followed and interact into each other. It is important that the effectiveness of the teacher's class will be largely depending on how the lessons develop over time.

Then, the teacher has to decide the content of his syllabus. He needs to make sure what to include in the syllabus so that it is relevant to what the students need. When it comes to organize the syllabus, the teacher designs his syllabus based on his list of prioritized topics or areas of his study. He has to make sure that his selected topics build up on others, but also that he uses a broad variety of resources and activities. Furthermore, the teacher has to be sure on which of the four skills (listening, speaking, writing, reading) to focus on, and which ones are the most important for his students.

As you have read above, there have been identified three main stages in the process of a language syllabus. The first one is the needs analysis, then content specification and then syllabus organisation.

There are two approaches to syllabus design. Product approach and process approach. Most syllabuses are based on product approach. In the product approach the teacher, teaches the students and then he tests them in order to evaluate them (evaluate their performance). A product syllabus focuses on what is going to be learnt at the end of the learning process (the outcomes) rather than the process itself. Some product-oriented syllabuses are the following: the grammatical syllabus, the functional syllabus and the lexical syllabus. On the other hand, a process approach on a syllabus concentrates on the skills and the processes which are involved in the learning process.

There are different types of syllabuses in TESOL and they are the following: the situational, structural, topical, functional, notional, skills-based, and task based and lexical syllabus.

Part B:

Description and rational of the syllabus items:

Having considered your needs, we have concluded to a relevant model of a syllabus designed especially for you. Obviously, what you are seeking for is the education of your receptionists for a better communication with your guests. Thus we are going to teach them those parts of English that are most relevant to them.

Our organising principle for the selection and grading of what is going to be taught in this two-week course are notional-functional categories. We have decided to take communicative categories as the main principle of our syllabus. Thus this specific course is based on a notional/functional syllabus as it is the most relevant type of syllabus for this purpose. This program needs to be practical and relevant to your receptionists' jobs. They need to learn how to use language under those several situations they face every day. The communicative functions were very carefully selected and sequenced according their usefulness to the receptionist and the extent to which they will meet the receptionists' communicative needs.

The syllabus is organised under the context hotel, which then is divided under a general heading (at the reception desk), with subheadings for specific activities. Within each situation, your receptionists will learn about aspects of that situation, and what language to use in order to communicate with the guests. We have ordered functions according to a chronological sequence because we think is more relevant to base the syllabus on the sequence of each action (what happens first, second, etc.), rather than grading them based on the associated language or grammar, as we are going to teach them how to use the relevant language under each situation.

Hotel:

At the reception desk:

Greeting the guests/Giving visitors a friendly welcome

Booking a room

Giving/asking information

Check-in

Giving advise/ making suggestions

Dealing with complaints

check-out

The situations listed in the syllabus are going to be practised through several of activities which will help your receptionists to develop and practise their abilities to communicate more effectively in a variety of real-life situations required in their work.

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The assumption that the receptionists already know the grammar has been a basic reason for starting this notional/functional syllabus, because what they need the most is to enhance their communicative skills when using language. Teaching based on this syllabus will add a communicative dimension to their already existing knowledge. We are going to activate this knowledge so that they will use it in order to do things with language (communicate better and learn functions of language under the context 'hotel').

Generally, a notion is a particular context in which people communicate. A function is a specific purpose for a speaker in that given context. In this syllabus the notion of working in a hotel, requires a numerous of functions, such as greeting the guests, giving/ asking information, making suggestions, dealing with complaints etc. Thus, the syllabus items are focused on how the receptionists use English, in which purposes they use it and what exactly they need to learn in order to communicate more effectively with the hotel guests. The syllabus items, based on the contextualised exercises will give your receptionists the chance to improve and enhance their communicative abilities through those numerous functions of language we are going to teach them.

The main reason for including those situations in the syllabus is because those are the most important situations in which a typical receptionist will take part in, and thus they need to work and practise their communicative abilities, but also they need to know what function of language to use under each situation. This is going to be done under several activities designed especially for this course. We think that the receptionists need to work their listening and speaking skills, as they are the most important skills they use in their work. Speaking skills are very important and they will be practised through role-plays between the students and the teacher. Listening skills will be practised through listening real life conversations, and then by completing activities related to the situations. It is important that effective speaking depends on successful listening.

We decided to work on the other skills too, but the main emphasis will be given on listening and speaking skills. Relevant vocabulary, grammar rules and structures, but also pronunciation will be integrated in each situation. Your receptionists will be given the opportunity to practise their skills in real life situations involving authentic language use.

Based on each situation, we have produced some exercises that present relevant instances of language. Vocabulary, grammar and functions derive from the situations selected. However, prior each situation we will teach them the appropriate grammar, vocabulary and structures of language they need to know. Under each situation, the receptionists will practise different functions of language. For example, when greeting visitors they will learn and practise relevant language on how to use language in order to greet their guests. This is also going to be done through listening several of greetings, based on real situations taking place in a hotel and produced by different people. We will give them the chance to practise listening comprehension through different listening activities. The receptionists must complete the comprehensions exercises in order to evaluate their understanding.

Also, after or before a situation, students will be divided into groups and they will be given different scenarios in where they have to practise the topic they are given. Some scenarios examples based on greetings, are the following:

Greet two guests as they approach the reception ( guests are an elderly couple)

Greet two guests as they enter the hotel (these guests are very tired)

Greet two guests as they enter the hotel ( these guests are very famous people)

Greet the guests as they enter the hotel (A family with two young children)

In this way, such a combination of elements will be associated with a fairly predictable language in terms of lexis, structure and function/interaction.

Each situation they are going to listen to or practise it orally, will have a different structure, function and lexical items (taught prior each situation). Thus, all syllabus items are organised in a way which will be closely linked to a practical activity or task that the receptionist may have to undertake during their work.

By the end of this course your receptionists will be able to communicate better under several situations, and they will also improve their communicative abilities.

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Needs Analysis Procedure In Language Teaching English Language Essay

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Needs analysis procedure in language teaching was first introduced and used by Michael West in 1920, but then re-emerged during 1970 as a result of intensive studies conducted by the council of Europe team. Needs analysis was developed and was emphasized in ESP (English for Specific Purposes) and it is argued that it is not possible to specify the needs of general English learners.

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DETERMINE : Determine the audience to confirm de information and light the purposes of the process.

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IDENTIFY: Identify the target population whom, the information will be collected so we can determine it by sampling a representative group from the total population in terms of homogeneity (skills, attitude and knowledge)

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SELECT: Select the approach to collect the information.

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Instruments and techniques for collecting data in the Needs Analysis process:

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Infografía de pasos de seguridad para bicicletas gris y rojo

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When, Why and How evaluate student´s needs and preferences in learning English to resolve this gap absence of knowledge, skills or both.

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When, Why and How evaluate student´s needs and preferences in learning English to resolve this gap absence of knowledge, skills or both.

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When?

When we fail to meet the needs and preferences of teachers, students, parents, and administrators, this leads to inappropriate content, so it does not have the desired impact on language students which creates a gap of absence and skills.

Why?

Students need the best curriculum, curriculum design, focus and best methodology, to assess their commitment, language needs, motivation that matches their attitudes, fitness, learning styles, learning strategies, student expectations, age, culture and local needs, That's when a valid and reliable needs and preferences analysis is required in order to get better results that meet each student's needs.

How?

Determine a broader overview of the current situation about the lack of knowledge skills, then organize the steps of needs analysis, choose the best method to collect accurate information from each student to finally achieve the best result.

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Reference:
Darici, A. (2016). The Importance of Needs Analysis in Materials Development. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-6300-432-9_3?error=cookies_not_supported&code=6ee53b03-b4eb-42dd-b88d-9aa850d68291

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Part of the Critical New Literacies: The Praxis of English Language Teaching and Learning (PELT) book series (CNLI)

Keywords

Intrinsic Motivation Good Material Language Teaching Material Development Current Material

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

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The Importance of Needs Analysis in Materials Development

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Part of the Critical New Literacies: The Praxis of English Language Teaching and Learning (PELT) book series (CNLI) Intrinsic Motivation Good Material Language Teaching Material Development Current Material These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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WHILE COLLECTING DATA FROM VARIOUS RESOURCES, YOU CAN FIND DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEEDS, SUCH AS:

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WHILE COLLECTING DATA FROM VARIOUS RESOURCES, YOU CAN FIND DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEEDS, SUCH AS:

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Learners view which in many cases need more individual support, reduction of the academic activities in class or at home.

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Teachers view better or different strategies used to develop learner´s skills or maybe for teaching grammar.

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The information obtained shall be used for:

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The information obtained shall be used for:

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Evaluate the previous curriculum or program.

Planning goals or objectives for a future program.

Better the development of tests or assessment.

Develop teaching materials to improve the academic process.

This is a format that would help us to analyze the analysis gap.
Robinson (2000) calls it analysis of the target situation and analysis of the present or current situation. Therefore, the results of this analysis determine in part the contents, objectives and language skills that will be part of the course. The needs analysis, as mentioned, evaluates different areas of course development.

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Because how and when an analysis is needed to assess the needs and preferences of the student in learning English to resolve this gap of lack of knowledge, skills or both WHY?                                

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Because how and when an analysis is needed to assess the needs and preferences of the student in learning English to resolve this gap of lack of knowledge, skills or both WHY?                                

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It allows to assess the level of performance in the learning of students, and thus to analyze if there is a process of success or failure in their training, and to obtain an acquired result of the given knowledge.
HOW?
We can acquire the learning result of a student through a diagnostic evaluation, in which it could be applied at the beginning of classes and thus be able to determine the level of current knowledge.
WHEN?
For my opinion I think that a final evaluation should be made of their educational stage, to see to what extent the students have achieved the objectives proposed in the Curriculum Project.

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Rosero, M. (2021). Needs Analysis and Preferences. Theme 2. Study Material. Universidad Fuerzas Armadas ESPE

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These are several strategies that a teacher can use to deal with this situation. This is the first of two articles on the topic.

The second article covers...
Range of tasks
Extra work / Homework
Student nomination
Supporting the weaker students
Error correction
This first article deals with the following strategies.

Discussion and needs analysis

Discussion and needs analysis
It is easy for students to get frustrated in a class of mixed ability. Stronger students may feel held back, weaker students may feel pressured. The teacher may feel stressed. The best solution to this is to have an open-class discussion about the classroom situation - to ensure the best for everyone it is better to acknowledge the situation and for everyone to agree how to deal with it. It is probably best to stage and structure the discussion.

Needs Analysis
Use a needs analysis to prompt the students to reflect upon their learning style, learning strategies, language needs, learning enjoyment, motivation, language strengths and weaknesses. Questions that might be included are...

What kinds of class activities do you enjoy / benefit from?

Which language skill do you most wish to develop?

Do you prefer working individually or with a partner?

Would you rather sit and listen to the teacher all lesson or participate in group work?

Students compare their answers in pairs or small groups. You should collect the information and prepare a statistical representation of the key questions and answers. This will help to develop the sense of shared community in the class.

Explain and discuss

Explain the mixed-level situation to the students and give a list of possible approaches to the teaching and learning. In pairs, the students rank the approaches/ideas according to their suitability for the situation.

Following feedback, you should highlight the strategies you plan to use.

A student contract
Developing with the students, or perhaps writing it yourself, a contract of behaviour for activities is a useful device. 'I will help and support my activity partner.' 'I will participate in group work.'

Tell them what you are going to do
If you think your students are not mature enough to carry out this kind of reflection, explain the situation to the class and tell them what strategies you will be using. If students know what to expect, you can hope that they will cooperate.

All of the above work could be done in the mother tongue, although I feel it is best done primarily in the target language (as it draws attention to the fact that this is a learning language issue.)

Student self-awareness
Encourage students to develop an awareness of their own language abilities and learning needs. What are their strengths and weaknesses, and how can they focus on these? How can they measure their own progress

This may take the form of a learner's diary, regular self-assessment, keeping records of mistakes, keeping a record of things learnt.

Work groupings
Varying the way students work in the class will help meet the variety of levels in the class.

Pair work
You can pair strong with strong, weak with weak, or strong with weak. Perhaps in a very controlled activity, the strong with weak will work well. In a freer activity, perhaps strong with strong will be of benefit. Variety in the pairings is the key here - and you should also be sensitive to the general relationships between different students, and learn to note who works well with whom.

Group work These groups could be of mixed levels or similar ones. The hope is that in a smaller group, the weaker student will feel more able to contribute. Also, if the group is working with a set of information, divide the information between the students, forcing them to work together.

You may consider dividing your class into groups by level for the whole lesson, enabling you to give a different level or number of tasks to each group. Discussion of this strategy with the class should help prevent stigmatisation.

Whole class - mingles
This is a favoured strategy of mine. A mingle activity involves students talking or interacting with many different members of the class in a short period of time in order to achieve a task. This means that any one student will work with students at different levels - experiencing stronger and weaker levels of communication. This supports the weaker students and provides opportunities for the stronger ones.

A classic activity is a 'Find someone who...'

In this activity the student has to survey the class to find people who...(for example)
...have got something - Do you have a CD player? Or...
...have done something - Have you eaten fish and chips? Or...
...like something - Do you like tennis?

If a student answers yes to a question, then the other student should ask for more information. If a student answers no, then the other should find a new person to ask, and may come back to the first student with another question later on.

The potential for this is endless. It is a great way to provide practice of a particular language structure/area (10 questions all using the past simple) and provides controlled practice as well as the opportunity for further freer discussion. It also creates a lively classroom dynamic.

Mingles can take many forms - students may have to find the person who has a matching word to theirs, or the second half of a split sentence. The students may all have the same or different questions, or a mixture. The key is the general principle of an information gap or communicative need.

Overall, variety in the types of working groups, and an open discussion of the class situation will help to deal with some of the difficulties that are present in mixed ability classes. The aim of these strategies is to create a positive working environment, which is all part of ensuring better learning.

Gareth Rees,teacher/teacher trainer, London Metropolitan University, UK

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These are several strategies that a teacher can use to deal with this situation. This is the first of two articles on the topic. The second article covers... Range of tasksExtra work / HomeworkStudent nominationSupporting the weaker studentsError correction This first article deals with the following strategies.

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TEACHING SPEAKING, LISTENING AND WRITING

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TEACHING SPEAKING, LISTENING AND WRITING

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Wallace T. (2004) Says. "Writing, speaking and listening are communication skill that are important in all areas in the curriculum" (p.7).

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Students must keep in mind that all skills should enhance all the time.

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If you want to acquire new knowledge you can do it through the some exercises which are on the internet and those one are useful to enhance each skill

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To improve our speaking skills we have to practice speaking in each environment where we are with native or non-native speakers

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Wallace T. (2004) Says. "Practising oral presentation in these ways can lessen students’ anxieties while, at the same time, helping them to learn the subject matter of the lesson". (p.12).

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It is one of the most important skill which be developed for that reason we have to concentrate on what teachers want to say rather than they are saying.

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Ways to Improve English Listening Skills and Understand Native Speakers

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Wallace T. (2004) Says. " Small groups working together within a class can help students communicate meaningful ideas to each other". (p.14).

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Espe. (2020). Sistema Virtual de educación.  Needs Analysis and Preferences. Retrieved from: https://evirtual.espe.edu.ec/programas_scorm.cgi?id_curso=19167&id_unidad=211626&id_pkg=50147&wAccion=ver_scos

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To be a good writer we have to read a lot and review some structures that  can serve as a model for our own effort

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To ensure a good classroom environment, it must be an open-class discussion about the topic that they like.

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Here, the most important thing is that the topic, activities and the preferences about team work is essential to gratify the needs that the students like.

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WHEN, WHY AND HOW EVALUATE STUDENT´S NEEDS AND PREFERENCES IN LEARNING ENGLISH TO RESOLVE THIS GAP ABSENCE OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS OR BOTH.

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WHEN, WHY AND HOW EVALUATE STUDENT´S NEEDS AND PREFERENCES IN LEARNING ENGLISH TO RESOLVE THIS GAP ABSENCE OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS OR BOTH.

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WHEN

I consider that we as a teacher should evaluate student´s needs and preferences in learning English before, during and after the learning-teaching process in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses that students have, it will also help us to organize the class by levels and determine which strategy or techniques is the best.

HOW

There are some tools which are useful to evaluate the knowledge of each learner. So, in that case it could be use whatever tool you want in order assess whether students have got all the content taught by the teacher. The evaluation it could be at the end of the unit, during the class or in some cases at the beginning of the next class.

WHY

The student´s needs evaluation  is necessary to do because through this one we can realize if the results could have reached the learning outcomes and determine if the strategies and techniques used in the learning process were the best ones for a good understanding by students.

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Admin. (2018). Shifte learning.

Before, During, and After Training: Improving Knowledge Transfer in Your Organization in 3 Stages. Retrievd from:  https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/improving-knowledge-transfer

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As someone who cares about the prosperity of your business, you want your employees to be able to apply the knowledge acquired from the training programs to resolve real problems at the workplace. You have invested time, money, and effort to train your employees; you want to make sure that they DO and not just recite theories, quote statistics, and recount case studies. You want your employees to be able to figure out what is wrong with a machine and fix it, than just know the troubleshooting tips.

Unfortunately, transferring learning is easier said than done. According to research, packing your courses with punchy content does not always deliver the knockout effect you desire.

Learning transfer is challenging because human beings are complex individuals and every person is different from the other. It is difficult to predict how each of them will respond to a course. One game that appeals to the intelligence of one learner might be too challenging for another one. Again, someone may comprehend an idea very well during the training but may not be able to apply his knowledge to solve a real-world problem.

The most powerful reason why learning transfer is ineffective is that 90 percent of training is designed without a well-defined strategy that facilitates it.

There are various other factors that determine how efficient the transfer of learning will be. Read this paper to find out. When you have an idea of the variables you have to work with, you can design more effective eLearning programs.

As a training manager and a course designer, you have to provide a COMPREHENSIVE learning experience. You have to keep in mind that learning does not start and stop with the training session. You have to take care of all the stages of learning transfer: before, during, and after training.

You can facilitate a glitch-free learning and transfer process by adopting these measures even before the training program starts.

1) Carry out a thorough training needs analysis.

A comprehensive training needs analysis exercise with the trainees will help you assess what skills and knowledge they need to excel in their job responsibilities and the gaps in their existing knowledge and skillsets. The insights you gain from a training needs assessment will help you design eLearning courses with relevant content that helps learners perform well in their jobs.

You can reach out to your audience, ask them to fill out self-assessment forms where they will themselves identify the skills they currently possess and the knowledge and training gaps they want to plugin.

Also read: DON'T Skip the Training Needs Analysis! Here's Why.

2) Identify the purpose (the what's in-it-for-me information) of training.

Identify the training goals and learning objectives before you start designing the course. This ensures that all team members are on the same page, work towards a common goal, and focus their efforts to achieve similar objectives. Identifying the training goals right at the outset also sets audience expectations; they know what the training will be on and what learning outcomes they can expect.

3) Align learning outcomes with business goals and on-job tasks.

Establish a clear association between company business goals and the skills the learners will learn and develop by the time they complete the course. This helps you motivate the learner and make your team aware of what they are working towards to develop.

Recommended read: 5 Steps to Design eLearning That Meets Business Goals

4) Plan to provide just-in-time learnin g using the most appropriate delivery method.

To ensure that your training has the maximum impact on learners, provide training just when they need it. For instance, sales reps need to access a course on the last update on a product when they are at the store in front of the client. Just-in-time training has the maximum impact because learners can apply the knowledge they have acquired right away.

To provide just-in-time training, consider the following tips:

Identify different content for different groups of people based on their existing skills and career paths.

Choose the right delivery method for your target audience.

Create opportunities for learners to access the training whenever, wherever they are. Read more about responsive eLearning.

5) Meet the learners.

To motivate your audience of learners, managers must ensure that they meet at least some of them before the training and tell them about the significance of the material-how the learning outcomes align with the company's business goals and how they can progress along their career paths with the knowledge they acquire. Managers, meanwhile, should realize the significance of the learning and understand how they can facilitate the learning process for their team members and create opportunities for them to apply the knowledge.

Also read: These 27 Questions Will Help You (Really) Know Your Learners

During the Training

You have to ensure that the eLearning course communicates meaning efficiently and creates a memorable learning experience. Here're some ideas:

1) State the "what's-in-it-for-me" information at the beginning.

The astute learner wants to know, "What's in it for me?" The onus is on the eLearning designer to provide a satisfactory and credible answer to this question.

According to Kontoghiorghes (2001), the transfer of learning takes place more efficiently when learners know what behaviors they are expected to exhibit after they have gone through the training. It is critical that the learning objectives are clearly defined right at the outset to set expectations, clarify goals, and remove ambiguity.

2) Chunk content to prioritize and eliminate clutter.

Chunking and prioritizing content ensure that your course is clutter-free and relevant. Adult learners are short on time; they appreciate a course that cuts to the chase right away.
Note: Make sure that you review the learning objectives while chunking content. Include only "must-know" content and eliminate everything that does not address the learning objectives directly, "nice-to-know" information, for example.

3) Draw upon the learner's prior knowledge to create associations.

We learn best by associations. It is easy to comprehend, remember, and retain new concepts when we can connect the dots and discover underlying patterns. For instance, it is easy to remember a list of names of farm animals than a list containing names of random objects that are not connected to each other.

You can say, "The dress is red." Or you can say, "The dress is as red as a ruby." When you compare the color to ruby, you leave no doubt in your mind about the exact shade of red.

Try to help your learners draw upon their prior knowledge or experience to understand, discover similarities, and make sense of a new concept. Analogies and metaphors are effective instructional tools to draw similarities between two apparently dissimilar objects or ideas. However, ensure that you also point out the differences between the objects being compared.

4) Use instructional strategies that establish relevance.

The transfer of learning is automatic and effortless if the learner is aware of the appropriateness of the material; to his workplace. The adult learner is motivated to apply his newly acquired knowledge only if he is confident that it will help him tackle his real-life challenges. Here are some tips on how to establish relevance by creating a course that mimics reality:

Incorporate realistic scenarios that simulate the problems faced by the learners at the workplace. Here are some tips on how to create relevant scenarios.

Incorporate practical exercises that are similar to what learners will be expected to perform at the workplace. For instance, in a course for call center employees, create activities like answering phone calls taking cues from scripts and templates. These practical exercises give the course the semblance of reality.

Include non-examples from real life to give learners the chance to learn, in a safe environment, what can go wrong and how to fix problems.

5) Align content with real-life job roles and responsibilities.

Adult learners feel more motivated to apply the learning when they can see for themselves, the relevance of the course to their job responsibilities. So, take every opportunity to establish this relevance.

Create scenarios or stories that demonstrate positive outcomes. Incorporate case studies and video testimonials to add legitimacy. Use these media to explain how the learner can improve his on-job performance, as the people in the case studies and videos have done, after taking the course.

6) Keep an eye on the learning objectives while you design the course.

Whether you are create a scenario or planning an activity, continue reviewing the learning objectives. This ensures your content is relevant, and there is no information that does not directly relate to the overarching goals of the course. Your focus should also be on connecting the dots, so every game, every activity, every slide, and every image individually fulfills a learning objective.

Also read: Are You Writing Rockin' Course Objectives? 7 Do's and Don'ts

7) Divide the program into modules.

There are several advantages of spacing out and delivering your course in modules, but most importantly it has to do with the transfer of learning. When learners return to work after completing each module, they get an opportunity to apply their newly acquired knowledge. Because there is not much lag between learning and application, it is less likely that learners will forget the content.

You may want to look up this resource on microlearning to get the scoop on when and how to implement it.

8) Provide action plans to retain and improve motivation.

Help learners prepare action plans to guide them when they are back to work. These action plans lay out the guidelines that will assist learners to apply what they have learned during the training.

Here are some tips:

Create action plans to guide learners just after the training and six months afterward.

Make sure that the plans are realistic.

Specify not only what learners should do to carry out a particular task but also how to troubleshoot.

The learning process continues long after the training is over. The period just after the event (call it an eLearning course or an Instructor-led session) holds many opportunities that you can tap into to help learners cement the material. Here's how:

1) Supplement the training with "social learning."

We all learn best when we have examples to follow, friends to share our successes with, buddies to learn from, and mentors in our midst. Social learning connects learners to one another and the trainers so that they can discuss and share stories. In-person meetings, chat groups, forums, and videos of trainees sharing their stories hosted on the Intranet are effective ways to incorporate social learning in the learning process. This social aspect of the learning process increases motivation and facilitates a smooth transfer of the knowledge.

Here are two resources to help you understand the concept of social learning:

2) Provide refresher courses.

Trainees often report being unable to retain key learning points after the training is over or recall these concepts when needed. These challenges inhibit practical application of the knowledge. A refresher course can improve recall. The course should be simple and provide just crisp and coherent summary of the key learning concepts. You can pair these refresher programs with problem-solving sessions where trainees can help each other by recounting the challenges they have faced while trying to implement the learning and sharing stories of their success or troubleshooting tips.

3) Arrange post-training follow-up sessions.

Reflection is one of the most efficient ways to cement the knowledge, identify gaps in training, and identify the barrier(s) to a strong transfer of learning.

You can send follow-up emails to trainees after about a month to reinforce key learning points.
You can arrange post-training follow-up sessions to provide supplementary lessons or use these opportunities to let trainees practice their skills or discuss their experiences as they try to apply their knowledge on the job.

These sessions are also ideal times for trainees to ponder whether they are facing challenges as they seek to use their skills at work, and how they have implemented the key concepts, and what were the results? The answers to these questions provide valuable insights to trainers about how successful has been the learning transfer, so they can devise ways to optimize the transfer process.

4) Create opportunities for practice.

Multiple research studies have emphasized the importance of repeated practice to cement one's newly acquired skills. Employees should be provided ample opportunities at the workplace to practice the skills they have learned from the training program. According to studies, not having these opportunities can inhibit an employee's ability to apply his skills to solve real-life problems.

The subject (read: issue) of transfer of learning has been giving sleepless nights to educators, business managers, and eLearning developers for quite some time. Quite a few sensible ideas are floating around. Experts have lots of tips and tricks to share with you. There are several foolproof practices to stick to religiously. This means you might have a lot to catch up with. So here are some kickass resources we recommend:

REFERENCES:

Improving Learning Transfer By Carol Leaman, CEO, Axonify: https://trainingmag.com/improving-learning-transfer

3 Ways to Improve Transfer of Learning in the Workplace by Larry Alton: http://www.business.com/human-resources/3-ways-to-improve-transfer-of-learning-in-the-workplace/

The transfer of training: what really matters by Rebecca Grossman and Eduardo Salas https://www.uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/ifi/INF3280/v14/pensumliste/additionalliterature/grossmansalas2011transfertraining.pdf

Larry AltonTakeout Learning: 4 Tips to Encourage Learning Transfer by Courtney Pittman https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/L-and-D-Blog/2015/04/Takeout-Learning-4-Tips-to-Encourage-Learning-Transfer

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Improving Knowledge Transfer in Your Organization - Shift E-learning

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To ensure you are improving knowledge transfer, here are the key strategies you can implement before, during, and after training. Read SHIFT eLearning Blog!

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Anonymous. (s/f). British Council.

Teaching mixed-ability classes 1. Retrieved from:  https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teaching-mixed-ability-classes-1

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These are several strategies that a teacher can use to deal with this situation. This is the first of two articles on the topic.

The second article covers...
Range of tasks
Extra work / Homework
Student nomination
Supporting the weaker students
Error correction
This first article deals with the following strategies.

Discussion and needs analysis

Discussion and needs analysis
It is easy for students to get frustrated in a class of mixed ability. Stronger students may feel held back, weaker students may feel pressured. The teacher may feel stressed. The best solution to this is to have an open-class discussion about the classroom situation - to ensure the best for everyone it is better to acknowledge the situation and for everyone to agree how to deal with it. It is probably best to stage and structure the discussion.

Needs Analysis
Use a needs analysis to prompt the students to reflect upon their learning style, learning strategies, language needs, learning enjoyment, motivation, language strengths and weaknesses. Questions that might be included are...

What kinds of class activities do you enjoy / benefit from?

Which language skill do you most wish to develop?

Do you prefer working individually or with a partner?

Would you rather sit and listen to the teacher all lesson or participate in group work?

Students compare their answers in pairs or small groups. You should collect the information and prepare a statistical representation of the key questions and answers. This will help to develop the sense of shared community in the class.

Explain and discuss

Explain the mixed-level situation to the students and give a list of possible approaches to the teaching and learning. In pairs, the students rank the approaches/ideas according to their suitability for the situation.

Following feedback, you should highlight the strategies you plan to use.

A student contract
Developing with the students, or perhaps writing it yourself, a contract of behaviour for activities is a useful device. 'I will help and support my activity partner.' 'I will participate in group work.'

Tell them what you are going to do
If you think your students are not mature enough to carry out this kind of reflection, explain the situation to the class and tell them what strategies you will be using. If students know what to expect, you can hope that they will cooperate.

All of the above work could be done in the mother tongue, although I feel it is best done primarily in the target language (as it draws attention to the fact that this is a learning language issue.)

Student self-awareness
Encourage students to develop an awareness of their own language abilities and learning needs. What are their strengths and weaknesses, and how can they focus on these? How can they measure their own progress

This may take the form of a learner's diary, regular self-assessment, keeping records of mistakes, keeping a record of things learnt.

Work groupings
Varying the way students work in the class will help meet the variety of levels in the class.

Pair work
You can pair strong with strong, weak with weak, or strong with weak. Perhaps in a very controlled activity, the strong with weak will work well. In a freer activity, perhaps strong with strong will be of benefit. Variety in the pairings is the key here - and you should also be sensitive to the general relationships between different students, and learn to note who works well with whom.

Group work These groups could be of mixed levels or similar ones. The hope is that in a smaller group, the weaker student will feel more able to contribute. Also, if the group is working with a set of information, divide the information between the students, forcing them to work together.

You may consider dividing your class into groups by level for the whole lesson, enabling you to give a different level or number of tasks to each group. Discussion of this strategy with the class should help prevent stigmatisation.

Whole class - mingles
This is a favoured strategy of mine. A mingle activity involves students talking or interacting with many different members of the class in a short period of time in order to achieve a task. This means that any one student will work with students at different levels - experiencing stronger and weaker levels of communication. This supports the weaker students and provides opportunities for the stronger ones.

A classic activity is a 'Find someone who...'

In this activity the student has to survey the class to find people who...(for example)
...have got something - Do you have a CD player? Or...
...have done something - Have you eaten fish and chips? Or...
...like something - Do you like tennis?

If a student answers yes to a question, then the other student should ask for more information. If a student answers no, then the other should find a new person to ask, and may come back to the first student with another question later on.

The potential for this is endless. It is a great way to provide practice of a particular language structure/area (10 questions all using the past simple) and provides controlled practice as well as the opportunity for further freer discussion. It also creates a lively classroom dynamic.

Mingles can take many forms - students may have to find the person who has a matching word to theirs, or the second half of a split sentence. The students may all have the same or different questions, or a mixture. The key is the general principle of an information gap or communicative need.

Overall, variety in the types of working groups, and an open discussion of the class situation will help to deal with some of the difficulties that are present in mixed ability classes. The aim of these strategies is to create a positive working environment, which is all part of ensuring better learning.

Gareth Rees,teacher/teacher trainer, London Metropolitan University, UK

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These are several strategies that a teacher can use to deal with this situation. This is the first of two articles on the topic. The second article covers... Range of tasksExtra work / HomeworkStudent nominationSupporting the weaker studentsError correction This first article deals with the following strategies.

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Language is present in everyday activity. It helps to share information, emotions, feelings and thoughts.

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It is considered one of the most spoken language. It is essential in education, business and all kinds of communication worldwide.

Importance of English

It is useful for understanding and interacting in different areas.

Opportunity to get access to a great amount of information.

Increase confidence to get a better position in companies and international organizations.

It helps to develop not just language abilities but life skills.

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It is essential for teachers to conduct a needs analysis process  to help students to be able to participate in the learning process.

Contribution of Needs Analysis

Contribute to the academic activity in the classroom.
It collects data that can be used to:

Design courses

Programs based on students' needs and preferences.

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Why conducting a needs analysis process?

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Why conducting a needs analysis process?

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It helps to find out learners' interests. Also, to diagnose the presence of a gap between educators and students' perspectives about learning. It motivates students about their real reasons to learn English as a foreign language. And the most important to help teachers select, create and apply the most useful tools to improve the Teaching and Learning process.

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When, Why and How evaluate student´s needs and preferences in learning English to resolve this gap absence of knowledge, skills or both.

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When, Why and How evaluate student´s needs and preferences in learning English to resolve this gap absence of knowledge, skills or both.

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When?
At the beginning of the language program, when the students want to learn and the teacher has to figure out what kind of expectations and motivation learners have about the program.

Why?
As it says, evaluate the student's needs and preferences allows educators know the problems that students have been facing when trying to learn a new language. The gap between what they know and what is expected of them to do at the end of the learning process.

How?
The course to be evaluated is selected, the general aspects of the population such as skills, attitudes and knowledge are classified.
Afterwards, It is selected what kind of instruments are needed such as questionnaires, interviews, observations and so on.
It is important to remember that the evaluation method must be correctly implemented to avoid biases. Finally, the results can be used to evaluate the program, to plan future objectives, to improve the learning materials and to develop better activities for the evaluation.

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Espe. (2020). Sistema Virtual de educación.  Needs Analysis and Preferences. Retrieved from: https://evirtual.espe.edu.ec/programas_scorm.cgi?id_curso=19167&id_unidad=211626&id_pkg=50147&wAccion=ver_scos