Helen Strong

MSc English Language Teaching Management

Market Research in ELT

The question

A business / government organisation recently advertised for English language training for fifteen members of its senior level staff. Carry out an intelligence search of the nature of its business, organisational structure and resources, using all data-gathering means at your disposal. Your report must be as elaborate as possible, enumerating and describing each stage of your search procedures, and the rationale thereof.

The extract

In business, research is ultimately used to support decisions. Effective research can identify opportunities and threats, thus enabling managers to respond appropriately to the external business environment, which is crucial for the survival of a company. Research is considered so valuable that often companies and even countries are ranked not according to their turnover or GDP, but according to how much they invest in research. This is because research enhances value in terms of shareholder, individual or aggregate wealth, more secure jobs, higher salaries, and higher standards of living.

In the business of English Language Teaching the situation is exactly the same - in order to remain ahead in what is an intensely competitive market, an ELT institution must be prepared to research the market and act quickly to changing needs. It is through such behaviour that a school will continue to attract investment and suitably qualified and experienced staff, which will in turn promote growth.

But what does research actually mean? As a noun, suggested definitions include: a systematic and methodical investigation to establish facts or collect information; a scholarly or scientific inquiry; a close, careful study* and "the systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of information relevant to [making] decisions." (Hague and Jackson, 1999:18). Stemming from the Old French rechercher meaning to search again, the versatility of the word allows it to be used as a verb (to research the market), as an adjective (research methods, research project, research facility), to describe the person doing it (a researcher), and to describe a company department (Research and Development - often abbreviated to R&D) or organisation (Research Institute for XYZ).

An intelligence search is a form of research which is concerned purely with the gathering of relevant information, and is the basis of Part 1 of this paper.

The paper is in two parts. The first part explores the opportunities available to a school when researching background information on a potential customer, namely a company wishing to invest in English training for fifteen members of its senior level staff. Various research methods will be detailed, and the rationale of each method stated, which will enable a school to gather as much intelligence about the customer as possible in order to gain a better advantage in the negotiation stage.

The second part deals with statistics, more precisely, how statistical methods can be used to convert raw data into meaningful information upon which managers can base their decisions. This skill is extremely useful in cases where a comparison between variables is required, and an example of such a calculation will be presented.

*Definitions from various sources, including Collins English Dictionary (1998), Encarta World English Dictionary (1999), http://dictionary.reference.com/ and http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/

Back to the essay titles.