Needs Analysis: An Effective Way in Business English Curriculum Design

Abstract

As one of the most important branches of ESP (English for Specific Purposes), Business English has nearly sixty years' history in China. Needs analysis is the most important stage of ESP teaching and is a widely used tool to study the validity and relevancy of all curriculum design activities in Business English teaching. It assures a flexible curriculum responsive to the needs of various stakeholders of education. Under the guidance of Needs Analysis Theory, this paper aims to discuss whether and how needs analysis can be implemented in Business English curriculum design and the results may shed light on the improvement of the Business English teaching.