The systematic process of gathering and interpreting information about learners to inform course design decisions. Foundational to ESP (and its largest branch, EAP), TBLT, and any learner-centred curriculum.
Key Frameworks
Hutchinson & Waters (1987): distinguished target needs (what the learner needs to do in the target situation) from learning needs (what the learner needs to do to learn).
Munby (1978): Communicative Needs Processor: systematic profiling of target situation requirements. Criticised for ignoring learning needs and being too rigid.
Dudley-Evans & St John (1998): expanded NA to include Present Situation Analysis (current proficiency), Target Situation Analysis (end goals), and Learning Situation Analysis (learning preferences).
Long (2005): task-based NA using target discourse samples and domain experts rather than linguists' intuitions.