Higher Vocational ESP Curriculum Design Based On Needs Analysis

English for Specific Purpose (ESP) is characterized by the specific needs of learners, and ESP course is to meet such needs. From this perspective, the thesis conducts research on Nursing English curriculum design based on the theory of needs analysis, so as to explore the methods, approaches and modes of ESP curriculum design in higher vocational colleges and to promote educational reform in higher vocational ESP teaching.In China, the ESP curriculum research originates in universities, which involves ESP ontology, reasons for ESP existence, ESP curriculum, ESP instruction, and ESP evaluation. However, the ESP research in higher vocational colleges lags behind that in universities. Facing the great demand of international cooperation, ESP curriculum develops in large scope. But owning to its specificity, it is difficulty to use a universal syllabus to centralize all kinds of ESP curriculum in higher vocational colleges. This results in arbitrary setting of ESP curriculum, absence of usable resources in vocational colleges.The goal of this thesis is to find out how can ESP curriculum embody its specific needs, how to give effective needs analysis, how to design ESP curriculum and how to conduct ESP teaching. Firstly, it briefly reviews ESP research at home and abroad, gives a detailed analysis on the essence of ESP, its characteristics, development and classification. So the research of ESP course in vocational college gets theoretical support and sets the focus. The literature review of needs analysis and course design is carried out to build up foundation for selecting research methods and setting research procedures. Secondly, the ESP needs analysis in vocational colleges are conducted to find out the target situational needs, learning needs and teaching needs by questionnaires and interviews. The author finds out that different target situations have different needs, and the medical institutions differ in situations of using nursing English. But the consensus is that students must grasp basic nursing English communication skills. The learning needs analysis shows that it is necessary for students to learn nursing English because they need to learn English in real vocational situation for preparation of working. In contrast, students have low interests in English learning. The teaching needs analysis indicates the teaching faculty and teaching places cannot meet all the target situation needs and learning needs. The solution to this problem is to simulate target situation and train teaching faculty.According to needs analysis, task-based syllabus is selected and the course aim, as well as the tasks is determined. The content and the teaching material are designed through the comparison of present material and the needs analysis. What’s more, the teaching practice and learning evaluation was conducted. By means of class observation and questionnaire, it can be proved that the Nursing English teaching can meet learners’ basic needs.Throughout the research process, the author finds out that the ESP curriculum design is a complex task, the obstacles are as follows. Firstly, the needs analysis task is a huge one for the purpose of curriculum design, a lot of data needs collecting and the professional support is needed. That’s why it is hard for higher vocational ESP curriculum to carry out needs analysis. Besides, the research needs advanced literacy and the designer should develop professional and research proficiency in a long term. The ESP curriculum design is a circulating work with constant needs analysis and develops in a rotating up model.To sum up, this research provides practical basis for ESP curriculum reform and is in hope of having some referential significance and arouse attention to high vocational ESP curriculum.