STUDENTS’ NEED ANALYSIS IN THE CONTENT OF ENGLISH

TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY LEVEL

Leni Pangestuti
Wahyu Setyono
Aji Maulana
Lisa Mahendri Putri

A. Background
Learning English in the university level has higher stage than high
school students. It is because college student enters English advanced
level. The orientation of the learning is Cognitive Academic Learning
Proficiency Skills (CALPS). In the CALPS, language involves more
abstract vocabulary and concepts. At this level of language proficiency,
the student demonstrates the ability to draw complex meanings in oral or
written language, without paralinguistic cues, and the information is
context reduced.
Students are expected to understand most academic presentations
without visual or demonstrations, makes formal oral presentations, uses
higher level reading comprehension skills including inferential and critical
reading, read for information, writes compositions, essays and research
projects, solves math word problems without illustrations, and writes
answers to higher level questions - can take standardized achievement tests
successfully. This is the time to provide some grammar instruction and to
present new information and language, including extensive vocabulary
development.
In learning English language, the materials are expected to meet
the needs of students in each department. Needs of the students in this
level should be covered because English used in speaking and writing
differ from one context to another (Hutchinson & Waters, 1986). Students
with advanced fluency must have all skill comprehensions. Moreover,
English language has different context for each different department. In
these phenomena, lecturers must be aware the needs of the students,
ability, potential and preference in meeting the needs if they want to
achieve the effective language learning (Bada and Okan, 2000). Also, it
has become important issue in designing syllabus; we need to know the
students’ needs and the way to choose textbooks.
From the description above, it shows that the need of students in
language learning is one of important aspects in making an effective
language learning process for college students for each department.
Therefore, the researchers conducting a study entitled “STUDENTS’
 NEED ANALYSIS IN THE CONTENT OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOK
FOR UNIVERSITY LEVEL”. The researchers elaborate two research
questions as follow:
1. What is the factual information about the needs of college students
in learning English?
2. How is the relevance between the content of English textbooks
with the students’ needs?
B. Literature Review
Need Analysis
Need Analysis (NA) is characterized by Graves as “Needs to be caught
on as something that instructors can see and do as portion of teaching”
(Hedgcook and Ferris, 2009: 118). The engineer will analyze what are the
student’s needs and what kind of suitable educating and learning materials
will be instructed to the understudies. So that, it
is imperative to recognize and analyze the target needs and the learning
needs. Besides, require examination too has been characterized by a
number of schools and understanding of these definitions
is accommodating within the further examination of the subject beneath
though.
Generally, require examination is characterized as a particular ground
for future improvement of the scholarly exercises of a specific gather of
students. Separated from the definitions mentioned above within
the presentation portion, this idea features a number of other definitions,
where the researchers attempt to show their claim vision of the
issue. Centering on dialect related needs in terms of dialect programs,
the clarification.
1. Target Needs
The analysis of the target needs is in terms of necessities, needs,
and needs. Country and Macalister (2010: 25) clarify briefly that necessity
fit into required information needs relate to display information and needs
fit into subjective needs.
2. Importance of Require Investigation:
Need Examination may be a useful tool to get it students’ needs and to
assist the usage of instructive arrangements. Nunan (1988) claims
that data got through NA can serve the taking after purposes:
a) NA can set the objectives of the course and direct the choice of
contents.
b) It can be used by the educator to adjust the syllabus
and technique to play down the hole between the teachers’ and
learners’ desire.
 c) It may be utilized to distinguish the hole between the teachers’ and
learners’ anticipated instructing and learning approach.
Frameworks for Needs Analysis
Different sorts of strategies are recommended for conducting a NA.
The choice of methods depends on the reason of NA. For illustration: In
the event that one tries to conduct a NA of the composing issue of
the understudies at tertiary level, the data can be gotten from the taking
after sources:
a) Tests of understudy composing.
b) Test information on students’ execution.
c) Reports by instructors on ordinary issues understudies confront.
d) Data from understudies through interviews and survey.
e) Investigation of content books, educating and scholastic writing.
Using Textbooks in English Language Teaching
Textbook is one of the teaching materials that are used in teaching-
learning process. Therefore, the existence of textbook influences the
learning process. Yulianti (2011) explains that a textbook is an
instructional material which consists of content and material of the subject
which is in the written form and has a great contribution in the teaching-
learning process. It is a source for the teachers and students which support
a good learning.
Harmer (2007) argues that the most important aspect in using
textbook is engaging the students through the content. As a result, the
teacher is helped by textbook in the learning process. In English language
teaching, textbook has important role in the teaching and learning process
because it presents the resources to obtain English.
According to Cunningswotrh (1995), there are several roles of the
textbook in English language teaching as follows.
1) A resource for presentation material (spoken and written)
2) A source of activities for students practice and communicative
interaction
3) A reference source for students in learning grammar, vocabulary,
pronunciation, etc.
4) A source of stimulation and ideas for classroom language activities
5) A syllabus (where they reflect learning objectives which have already
been determined)
6) A resource for self-directed learning on self-access work
7) A support for less experienced teacher who have yet to again in
confidence
 In addition, Cunningswotrh also explains that textbook is a kind of the
service in teaching-learning, so the teacher can develop or explore more
the ideas from the outside.
CALPS
Li (2015:29) explains that Cognitive Academic Language
Proficiency Skill is the academic English language needed to understand
the subject content. This concept deals with skills essential to academics
such as listening, reading, speaking, and how to write about the relevant
subject matter. By understanding this concept, the teacher also is helped to
avoid labeling ELLs who exhibit this disparity as having special
educational needs when what ELLs actually need is more time. This level
is important for students in succeed in school. Haynes (2007) argues that
students need time and support to become proficient in academic areas.
According to Liliwhite (2011), CALP is one of a theory of language which
is developed by Jim Cummins.
C. Methodology
Research Design
The type of this research is descriptive qualitative research. Denzin
and Lincoln (2000) explain that qualitative research consists of
interpretation and naturalistic approach. The researcher takes the
qualitative research because this research is to identify and understand
something specifically. The writer focus on the analysis the content of
English textbook for University level based on the CALPS theory.
Besides, the writer also wants to know the relevance between the content
of English textbooks with the students’ needs.
Technique of Collecting Data
Data are collected through observation. The research data is
obtained by observing the research object of “Understanding and Using
English Grammar third Edition”. The data is collected by selecting and
classifying the written texts based on the CALPS theory.
Technique of Analyzing Data
To analyze the collected data, the writer takes the following steps:
observes the parts of the textbook, identifies the parts which has the
categories as the CALPS, relates the content of English textbooks with the
students’ needs, and makes conclusion and suggestion.
D. Finding and Discussion
Before the teacher giving the material to the students, the teacher
needs a material that relates to the level of what the students have placed.
There are some characteristics and follows by the content that the writer
finds on the text book by the title ‘’Understanding and Using English
Grammar Third Edition’’.
1. The student understands most (but not all) academic presentations
without visuals or demonstrations.

Usually the students understand about the academic presentation

without the teacher give them the demonstration first. Independently,
the students before join the class they usually already learn about the
material that will be discuss. So, the teacher on the class just becomes
the facilitator. The materials that given are just like the point of the
content that have to be learn.

2. Reads for information, writes compositions.

The information that given on the textbook of second years

students are usually does not has much explanation but focus on the
point of information. After getting the information that the students
find, usually the students write the composition or like a note to make
them easily on learning.
 3. Solves math word problems without illustrations.

On the second years textbook usually using higher level language

or using academic language. The students have to understand or
master the material on that textbook.

4. Writes answers to higher level questions.

The questions that given on the textbook are have higher content
with higher language. The questions usually do not followed by the
illustration of situation or context to help the students understand with
the meaning. The answer of the question also mostly does not on the
type of short answer, but it is longer than usual or like the essay sheet.

F. Conclusion
Need analysis plays an important way in second language or foreign
language learning classes. It is important because by using needs
analysis teachers, learners, teaching materials, teaching procedures-all
make a harmonious relationship that enhance learners’ learning. This
information makes a number of benefits to teachers. According to the
research it found that there are some aspect that the use of text book in
the university level affect to the students motivation in learning English
 language especially grammar lesson. The aspects that affect to the
students motivation are The student understands most (but not all)
academic presentations without visuals or demonstrations, Reads for
information, writes compositions. Solves math word problems without
illustrations. Then the last is Writes answers to higher level questions.
Students ‘motivation is a very important issue as this factor is a
guarantee of a successful outcome of studying. But not only this
aspect affect to students learning archievement. The skill and talent to
meet students’ needs is the main factor teachers should consider as
students pay primary attention to how their interests are addressed to
the teacher or facilitator.

E. References
Cunningsworth. (1995). Choosing Your Coursebook. Oxford: Heinemann.

Harmer, J. (2007). How to Teach English. London and New York: Longman Inc.

Li, N. (2015). A book for Every Teacher: Teaching English Language Learners. English:
Information Age Publishing .

Lillywhite, K. M. (2011). Developing Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) in

Diverse Classrooms. Logan, UT: Utah State University.

Lincoln, D. a. (2000). Handbook of Qualitative Research . London: Sage Publication.

Yulianti, R. (2011). Content Analysis on the English E-book "Developing English

Competencies for Senior High School (SMA/MA) Grade X. Malang: Faculty of
Letters State University of Malang.