Introduction

This paper is organized into four sections. The first section provides a definition of foreign language need in the business context, catalogues types of this need and discusses its indicators. In the second section, some methods that can be employed in need analysis studies are presented. Section three provides illustrative material from two surveys that were carried out in Finland and Germany, respectively. The educational implications of the findings of studies into the foreign language need of companies are then dealt with in the fourth section.

When dealing with language need, terminological and conceptual difficulties arise. Firstly, the terms ‘need’ and ‘needs’ are only partially synonymous. The term ‘language needs’ can refer to language users' and learners' reported need, to what they think they need in relation to language use and training (e.g., better skills in a certain language, less teaching of grammar, etc.). The term ‘need’, which I use, is primarily used when need is seen as something objective, as something one objectively ought to have. Secondly, the concept of language need cannot be entirely ‘objectivized’. It is never totally devoid of subjectivity. In my terminology ‘objective need’ is based on an objective criterion, not on somebody's opinion (see below). The choice of this criterion is, of course, subjective again. It is a vicious circle.

The concept of foreign language need

Many business activities require the use of foreign languages. Often, foreign language need is determined by commercial factors (for instance, when products need to be sold to potential customers from abroad).