The 12-question needs analysis questionnaire (copy it)
Copy the questionnaire, change the words in brackets and send it with the booking confirmation. It works for English or any other language you teach.
Short answers are fine. If the student is a beginner, send it in their own language: you want honest answers, not a writing test.
Needs analysis questionnaire for adults
Hi [name], before our first lesson I'd like to get to know you a little. Answer as much as you like: short answers are perfect. 1. Why do you want to learn [language] now? 2. Do you have a deadline? (an exam, a trip, a new job, a move abroad) 3. Where will you use [language]? (work meetings, travel, exams, family, friends) 4. How would you rate your level today? This self-assessment grid can help: [link] 5. Have you studied [language] before? For how long, and what worked or didn't? 6. What feels hardest right now: speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar or vocabulary? 7. How many hours a week can you study outside our lessons? 8. Would you like homework? How much? 9. What topics do you enjoy talking about? 10. How do you like to be corrected: on the spot or at the end? 11. Do you prefer a coursebook, real material (articles, videos, podcasts) or a mix? 12. Anything else I should know? (learning difficulties, bad experiences with lessons, schedule) See you on [day] at [time]. [your name]
Send it by email or WhatsApp, wherever they first wrote to you. A form tool works too, but plain text is the quickest to answer on a phone.
What each question tells you
Every question feeds a decision: what to teach first, how fast to go, which materials to use and how to correct. If a question doesn't change your plan, drop it.
| Question | Why you ask it |
|---|---|
| Why do you want to learn now? | It gives you the first goal and tells you how motivated they are. |
| Do you have a deadline? | An exam or a move abroad sets the pace and the order of topics. |
| Where will you use the language? | It tells you which skills and vocabulary come first: meetings, travel, exams or family. |
| How would you rate your level? | A starting point for the level check, and a sign of how confident they feel. |
| Have you studied it before? | It shows what they already know and which methods didn't work for them. |
| What feels hardest right now? | It points to the skill to work on in the first lessons. |
| How many hours a week can you study? | It sets realistic goals and how much homework makes sense. |
| Would you like homework? | Some adults want it, others will never do it. Better to know now. |
| What topics do you enjoy? | It gives you conversation material that keeps them talking. |
| How do you like to be corrected? | Some students want every mistake corrected, others freeze if you interrupt. |
| Coursebook, real material or a mix? | It helps you choose between a coursebook and your own materials. |
| Anything else I should know? | Learning difficulties, bad experiences or schedule limits you'd never guess. |
When to send it (and when to repeat it)
Send it before the first lesson, go through it with the student in the first ten minutes and repeat a short version every few months, because goals change.
- Before the first lesson: with the booking confirmation, so you can prepare.
- In the first lesson: go through the answers together and ask for examples. People write less than they say.
- Every three or four months: ask about goals, the hardest skill and time again. It's a good moment to agree on a new plan.
Our first lesson plan shows where the needs analysis fits in a 60-minute lesson, and our progress report template helps you review the goals later.
The level question: self-assessment first
Ask students to rate their level with the CEFR self-assessment grid. It describes each skill from A1 to C2 in plain "I can" statements, so students can place themselves without a test.
Send a link to the CEFR self-assessment grid on Europass with the questionnaire and ask the student to choose a level for listening, reading, speaking and writing separately. If you also want a quick written check, use our free English placement test.
Treat the answer as a starting point. Some students rate themselves too low, others too high, and you'll only know in the first lesson.
Needs analysis for young learners: ask the parents
With children, send the questionnaire to the parents. They know the school marks, the exams and what the child enjoys, and they are the ones who decide and pay.
This version has eight questions. Go through it with the parent in the first five minutes of the first lesson.
Needs analysis questionnaire for parents
Hi [name], before [child's name]'s first lesson, here are a few quick questions. 1. How old is [child's name], and what year are they in at school? 2. Why are you looking for lessons now? (school marks, an exam, a move abroad, more confidence) 3. Is there an exam or an important date coming up? 4. What does [child's name] find hardest in [language]? 5. What do they enjoy? (games, drawing, football, music, video games) 6. How long can they focus on one activity? 7. Anything I should know? (learning difficulties, shyness, allergies for in-person lessons) 8. How would you like to hear about progress? (a short message after each lesson, a monthly report) Thank you! [your name]
Ask the child their own questions in the lesson, as a game: what they like, what they find hard and what they'd like to be able to say.
How to use the answers
Turn the answers into three goals and a plan for the first four lessons, share it with the student and check it again in a few months.
- 1
Write three goals
Concrete and in their words: "hold a 10-minute meeting in English", not "improve speaking".
- 2
Plan four lessons
One or two goals per lesson, with their hardest skill in every one.
- 3
Share the plan
Send it after the first lesson so the student sees where they're going.
- 4
Review and adjust
Compare progress with the goals every few months and ask the questions again.
Every student's goals in one place
Save the questionnaire answers in your SmartCookie lesson notes and share your booking link with new students.