The Need Analysis of ESP Course for Early Childhood Education Major Students

Abstract

Every student of Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) is required to take English as a
course. Students must be provided clear instructions on what materials to study so that they can
benefit from this course. To find the right references, a need analysis must be done to get information
about what students really need to support their current or future learning process. This study is
aimed at identifying and analyzing the needs of Early Childhood Education students taking English for
Specific Purposes (ESP) course. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and descriptive
method. The respondent for this study were 10 students at Early Childhood Education study program
and a lecturer who taught ESP course in the Early Childhood Education study program at Lambung
Mangkurat University. The sampling technique used was a purposive random sampling. The
researcher used questionnaire and interview as instruments in this study. The questionnaire as a
research instrument was arranged in the form of closed-ended questionnaire. From the results of this
study, it can be concluded that the needs of learners in English courses are not the same and varied.
Early Childhood Education students considered speaking and listening skills as skills that are needed
to be learned. To help students study English now and in the future, they will also need English
pronunciation, knowledge of grammar, and general vocabulary related to the subject they are
studying. Additionally, it is advised to always conduct a needs analysis because ESP learners' needs are
continuously changing.