A Needs Assessment for an EFL Program in Japan: A Systematic Approach to Program Development

Abstract

General dissatisfaction with the educational system in Japan has led to a movement for reform. In this regard, there are implications for change in the English as a Foreign Language {EFL) program. Whether or not change is indicated needs to be established. This paper addresses the preliminary procedure in the redesign of an existing EFL program. The systematic approach to program development, as defined by Brown (1988), was adopted for this purpose. The paper reports the results of a needs analysis conducted for a representative private high school EFL program. The results indicate that there is a need for a program reform.