Table 1

HOW TO PREPARE A NEEDS ANALYSIS

For a Montessori approach to adult language learning and to get familiar with the students, a complete
and useful needs analysis must contain:

Content

Explanation
Questions
motivation:

to

know

the

extrinsic

Why you want to study [type of language]?

Is [language] important for your work/ studies/ daily
life/ future?
Which skill(s) you want more to concentrate your
language training? (e.g. more emailing than speaking)
In which way will you use more [language] ? (e.g.
writing minutes, reports, job interviews, tourist purpose
etc..)
Which nationality (ies) will you be speaking more to?

Suitable information to
know the person, as a
future
student,
from
different points of view:

Have you already had previous learning experience

about [language]? If yes, please give your feelings
about strengths and weaknesses (You can leave
students free to write or give a list of factors with
numbers to evaluate: e.g. 1-10 where 1 is very bad and
10 is excellent).

Questions to
knowledge.

discover

students

inner

needs

of

What are we going to do here?,

Why are we here, in your opinion?
Why are you here?
etc.

It has a clear purpose

It is culturally appropriate

Such kind of questions, very unusual, destabilize students, in

some way forcing them to think more deeply. In this way
students can discover, at least, their unconscious needs and
The use of the needs analysis and the use of the information
resulted from it have been clearly explained to the students
before starting it.
It does not ask students to talk about taboo topics in
their

cultures;
does not ask them to say things that could seem like
boasting if their culture is particularly sensitive to that;
allows an easy answer to those who might feel
embarrassed by saying nothing or which might create
misunderstandings;

It

finishes
with
a
discussion and gives
hints for
selfstudy skills,
if
possible
It should be kept both
by teacher and student

Table 2

You can invite students for an informal chat after the filling of
the needs analysis during which you can talk about their previous
language studies, what they thought about the methods used
and what they think their best ways of learning language are.
Drive also the discussion about hobbies and passions. Those
information are the same as required in the written form, but an
informal chat can help you to catch the students attitude and
character that a written form cannot do.
It reminds and helps teacher remind students of their initial
motivation, situation and goals. Sometimes motivation changes
and gets lower during the learning path, mainly when some
difficulties must be faced. Students feel they are not learning, or
at least they arent learning enough, while they are actually
doing so: showing them what was the initial situation helps to
encourage them. Goals are sometimes lost and this causes a
decrease in Motivation.

STUDENTS CHECKLIST

The use of the Checklist is a helpful tool to keep students motivation high for all the learning path. In fact,
it is a common feeling with students of a foreign language that they are not learning enough, or even nothing
at all. This is due to the fact that, being a language not a school subject but communication, the more
students learn the more they need new words and forms, with the result that they always feel to miss
something in the communication.
Students checklist helps students to focus on what they have done so far, and not what they are going to do.
Students should be left free to discuss about the periodic check list with their teacher, but we suggest
teachers encourage students to arrange appointments for private discussions: this will help students to get
feedback and suggestions from the teacher and will also help the teacher to adjust and change the
didactical approach to match students needs and expectations, as well as to prepare more suitable
didactical materials.
Check list should be filled monthly, but this depends on the training path chosen by the students. Teacher
should give suggestions on the periodicity.

Name

Month.
Checklist

My initial level
Final expected goal

Students comment

Teachers comment

Sub-goals (if any)

Watching my Diary, what have
I learned?
Am I autonomous in what
is written in my diary?
Do
I need more to
reach autonomy in what
is written in
If yes, what?
What are my weak and strong
points, considering what I
have acquired so far?
What do I need to do to
improve my weak points, as
previously
Is my learning proceeding in
accordance
with
my
expectations and needs?
If not, what is different?
Is

there an aspect of
the language I would like
to explore
Is
there an aspect of
the

lik t
languag I woul
d
e
o
e less?
Have my goals changed?

se
e

If yes, specify
Are teachers activities
satisfying and useful for my
If not, specify
Is didactical material
proposed by teacher suitable for
If not, specify
In general, am I satisfied
with how my learning is
Have I any suggestions to
give to/ask my teacher?
Self-assessment for each competence
Competence Mark with a x where1 is low and 8 is good
s
Writing
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Listening

Speaking

Reading

Others (specific
jargon,
telephonin
g, etc)

Table 3

Teachers Comment

Mind maps for language teaching

A mind map is a diagram used to represent words and ideas that are linked to
and arranged around a central key word or idea. A Mind Map is a very effective
tool for language teaching. It helps the teacher introduce or bring together multiple
words or forms that are linked to one subject or theme.
It is a very efficient tool for helping students of all ages in all subjects to memorize
more quickly all kind of information.
Applied to language learning activities, this technique is very helpful, if
used in the correct way.
Below you can find an example of a minima applied to language learning. On the
Internet many websites are available for more information.
At the beginning of each course, help students to understand how to buildup their
own mindmaps, that
can be in written form and
also as a mental image.
Start from the subject you want to be the focus of