Needs Analysis: A Valuable Tool for Designing and Maintaining Effective ESP Curriculum

I - Introduction:

With the advent of the communicative approach, views on language teaching started to incorporate communicative features into syllabus design. Accordingly, a central question has been raised: what does the learner need/want to do with the target language? Rather than, what are the linguistic elements the learner needs to master? This movement has led in part to the development of English for Specific Purpose. Thus, the focus has no more been only on language function but also on experiential content.

In order to cater for the learners’ specific purpose, it has become urgent to collect information about the learners: their needs and wants. For so doing, relevant techniques as well as procedures have been developed by needs analysts. These techniques have been borrowed and adopted from other areas of training, particularly, those associated with industry and technology.

In this respect, the present paper attempts to shed light on the field of needs analysis as a method of not only analyzing the needs of given individuals (learners) or communities; but also as a tool that can help in predicting future decisions about a targeted population. And before indulging in the “hows” and “whats” of needs assessment, a clear and well-rounded definition of the concept has to be provided.

II - WHAT IS NEEDS ASSESSMENT?
The word "assess" comes from the Latin term "assidere," which means to "sit beside." Process-minded and participatory-oriented adult educators "sit beside" learners to learn about their proficiencies and backgrounds, educational goals, and expected outcomes, immersing themselves in the lives and views of their students (Auerbach, 1994).
The needs assessment process can be used as the basis for developing curricula and classroom practice that are responsive to these needs.

The research to date has considered the concept through various perspectives and proposed various interpretations accordingly. In this regard, the concept of needs is viewed as ‘irrevocably value laden’ and felt and prescribed needs are considered within this concept. Learner needs assessment encompasses both what learners know and can do (learner proficiencies) and what they want to learn and be able to do. Richterich (1983: 2) notes the difficulty of reaching an agreed on definition of needs analysis is in that ‘The very concept of “language needs” has never been clearly defined and remains at best ambiguous’. Berwick (1989: 52) offers a simplified conventional definition of need as the ‘discrepancy between a current state of affairs and a desired future state’. If this controversy is meant to reveal anything, it should be the ambiguity loaded within the phrase “needs assessment”.

III - Types of needs
Berwick (1989: 55) views perceived “needs” as those that the educators make judgments about in other people’s experience, while ‘felt needs’ are viewed as the ones that the learners have. Brookfield (1988: 221) defines “felt needs” as wants, desires and wishes of the learner. Brindley (1989) and Robinson (1991) consider all factual information about the learner (language proficiency, language difficulties, use of language in real life) – as means to collect data about objective needs; whereas cognitive and affective needs of the learner in language learning (such as confidence, attitudes, expectations) are considered as data about subjective needs. Hutchinson and Waters (1993: 54) define “target needs” as the ones the learner needs to do in the target situation’, these are necessities, lacks, and wants. ‘What the learner needs to do in order to learn’ is referred to “learning needs.” Peck (1991) categorizes the concept in terms of academic, social, and emotional needs.
Richterich and Chancerel (1987: 3) ague that experience shows that in general the learner is little aware of his needs and, in particular, he is unable to express them except in very vague terms’. Kopp (1986) and Pennington (1980) (quoted in Knox, 1997: 56) maintain that adults may be unaware of some of their educational needs, which may be implicit in their attitudes and choices, and may be aware of other educational needs, which they can state explicitly in response to some questions. Accordingly, it would be helpful to use needs assessment procedures to confirm and discover both implicit and explicit needs important to adult learners.

Richterich and Chancerel (1987) point out that due to the fact that needs vary too much from person to person, the system should be continually adapted. Porcer (1983: 129) emphasizes the fact that “speaking of a need (language or other) is not the same as speaking in general of what is lacking. A need does not exist prior to a project; it is always constructed’. The researcher also believes that the process of learning is obviously affected by the attitude of the learner towards the teaching itself. Therefore, the relationship between the learner and the content of learning should be considered as a prerequisite in specifying and analyzing the needs of a learner.

IV – The importance of implementing a needs analysis
Learners and teachers may have different needs. This why needs analysts should be cautious in collecting information from various sources due to the multiplicity and diversity of the views on prerequisites for an ESP. Hutchinson and Waters (1993) hold that the relationship between necessities as perceived by a sponsor or an ESP teacher, and what learners want or feel can be at extreme poles. They suggest that learners’ perceived wants and wishes should be considered carefully, and due to objective and subjective reality of needs, each learning situation should be considered uniquely and systematically.
Bearing in mind a wide range of needs due to the influence of different social and cultural factors on student’s learning (Peck, 1991), a needs analysis is considered as a prerequisite in any course design (Richterich and Chancerel, 1987). According to Knox (1997: 56), needs assessment enables researchers to justify their assumptions as to whether or not potential educational needs are sound, to design a program in terms of topics, materials so as to be responsive to the needs of participants. "The curriculum content and learning experiences should be negotiated between learners, teacher, and coordinator at the beginning of the project and renegotiated regularly during the project" (p. 20). At the beginning of the program, needs assessment might be used to determine types of appropriate program and course content. During the program, it assures that learner and program goals are being met, and allows for necessary program changes. At the end of the program, it can be used for assessing progress and planning future directions for learners and the program. This can maximize the likelihood of students' participation. Finally such focus on satisfying learners’ needs will help the learners to insist on learning and applying what has been learnt.

Richards (1990) deals with this issue from the point of curriculum development, and he thinks that the data to be collected from learners, teachers, administrators, and employers in the planning process will help to identify general and specific language needs and content of a language program. Besides, it will provide data to review and evaluate the existing program.
Yet, it is recommended that needs analysis should be carried out during the life of each course (Richterich and Chancerel, 1987), because ‘as students become more involved with the course, their attitudes and approach may change’ (Robinson, 1991: 15). Therefore, identification and analysis of needs should be a continuous process (Richterich and Chancerel, 1987; Knox, 1987). This can help both administrators and teachers to adapt necessary changes.

IV.1. A needs assessment serves a number of purposes:
• It aids administrators, teachers, and tutors with learner placement, developing materials, curricula, skills assessments, teaching approaches, and teacher training. It assures a flexible, responsive curriculum rather than a fixed and linear curriculum determined ahead of time by instructors.
• It provides information to the instructor about what the learner brings to the course (if done at the beginning), what has been accomplished (if done during the course), and what the learner wants and needs to know next. When learners know that educators understand and want to address specific needs and interests, the former are motivated to continue learning.
V – Steps in implementing a Needs Assessment
To undertake a needs assessment study, one must plan one’s strategy. The four steps to the needs assessment process require that one should determine who will conduct the study, what kind of information needs to be collected, how the information will be collected, and how the information will be used.

V.1. Who Will Conduct the Study?
The first step in performing a needs assessment is to decide who will conduct the study. A needs assessment study can be carried out by needs analysts, outside consultants, practitioners, or educational members, such as teachers. Needless to say that available resources, time frame, and comfort level with performing research may influence decisions.

V.2. What Kind of Information Needs to Be Collected?
The second step in performing a needs assessment is to decide what you hope to learn about your community and what kind of information you plan to collect. For example, do you hope to perform a broad-based study or one that is focused on a particular area? A needs assessment for use with adult learners of English is a tool that examines, from the perspective of the learner, what kinds of English, native language, and literacy skills the learner already believes he or she has; the literacy contexts in which the learner lives and works; what the learner wants and needs to know to function in those contexts; what the learner expects to gain from the instructional program; and what might need to be done in the native language or with the aid of an interpreter. The categories of information one might be interested in collecting include: Demographic Data, Social, Cultural, Educational and Recreational Organizations.

V.3. How Will the Information Be Collected?
After deciding on the types of information the institution wants to collect about its community, it needs to determine how to collect that information. Data can be collected by: 1) interviewing key informants (also known as "gatekeepers"): these are people who hold socially responsible positions, such as educators, 2) holding a community forum, 3) researching social indicators, 4) consulting demographic information from public records and reports, 5) and performing field surveys. It is best if the needs analysts can use more than one of these data collection methods in combination.

V.4. Interpretation of Findings
In order to make use of the information collected, the results have to be interpreted. To interpret the data, some statistical analyses are often applied to identify the most important needs for the majority of the informants. An important feature of the results should be a reflection of whether or not the current goals of the given institution do meet (and will continue to meet) the needs of the community. Crucial to be covered in the finding also is the question as to whether the institution has collected information about the present or the past needs of the community. When the data analysis is completed, it should be possible to produce a rank-ordered list of the most important changes identified by the community. This ranking can be used to set budget priorities. At the end of this process, it is a good idea to share the findings with the community in some way: holding a group meeting, creating displays at the institution, or writing articles to appear online or in the local newspapers, or through teachers seminaries.

VI - Approaches to Needs Analysis
A careful needs analysis should involve “Present Situation Analysis” (PSA) and “Target Situation Analysis” (TSA). PSA aims at finding out the students’ English proficiency level and their existing language requirements at the beginning of a language program, whereas learners’ language requirements regarding the target situation are identified through TSA (Robinson, 1991: 8-9). Bloor (1984) defines the former type of analysis as a learner-centered needs analysis, and the latter one as a target-centered analysis. Bloor emphasizes that operation of both analyses during a term is certainly desirable. Robinson (1991) also holds that TSA and PSA are complementary and form an efficient form of needs analysis.
Jordan (1997) proposes a “tri-chotomy” of needs analysis which comprises: 1) deficiency analysis, 2) strategy analysis, 3) and means analysis. Deficiency analysis is concerned with the necessities that the learner lacks; strategy analysis seeks to establish the learners preferences in terms of learning styles and strategies, or teaching methods; means analysis examines the ‘constraints’ - local situation - to find out the ways of implementation of a language course.

Furthermore, various analyses and approaches to needs assessment were put forward: analytic view of needs analysis which examines expert opinion, and diagnostic approach which examines the learner’s needs to be used in social services (Berwick, 1989); discrepancy analysis which attempts to examine what people know and what they ought to know, and democratic approach which is based on learner points of view (Stufflebeam et al, 1985, quoted in Berwick, 1989).

VII - Components of Needs Analyses
Many needs assessment tests are available for use in different employment contexts. Sources that can help you determine which needs analysis is appropriate for your situation are described below.
• Context Analysis. The important questions being answered by this analysis are who decide that a given training should be conducted, why a training program is seen as the recommended solution to a business problem, what the history of the organization has been with regard to employee training and other management interventions.
• User Analysis. Analysis dealing with potential participants and instructors involved in the process. The important questions being answered by this analysis are who will receive the training and their level of existing knowledge on the subject, as well as what is their learning style, and who will conduct the training?
• Work analysis. Analysis of the tasks being performed. This is an analysis of the job and the requirements for performing the work. Also known as a task analysis or job analysis, this analysis seeks to specify the main duties and skill level required. This helps ensure that the training that is developed will include relevant links to the content of the job.
• Content Analysis. Analysis of documents, laws, procedures used in the job. This analysis answers questions about what knowledge or information is used on this job; and the sources of the information ( does it come from manuals, documents, or regulations.) It is important that the content of the training does not conflict or contradict job requirements. An experienced worker can assist (as a subject matter expert) in determining the appropriate content.
• Training Suitability Analysis. Analysis of whether a training is the desired solution. Training is one of several solutions to employment problems. However, it may not always be the best solution. It is important to determine if training will be effective in its usage.
• Cost-Benefit Analysis. Analysis of the return on investment (ROI) of training. Effective training is expected to result in a return of value to the organization that is greater than the initial investment to produce or administer the training.

VIII - Techniques used in needs analysis
Several basic Needs Assessment techniques include:
• Direct observation
• Questionnaires
• Consultation with persons in key positions, and/or with specific knowledge
• Review of relevant literature
• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Tests
• Class discussions
• Records & report studies
• Work samples
1. Surveys
Surveys are usually in the form of a questionnaire. A comprehensive survey of the information needs of your institution would seek information on the types of information users (physician, nurse, administrator, etc.), the types of information sought (factual, reviews, in-depth, clinical, research, administrative), the frequency of the need (daily, monthly, annually), and where the information is currently found (hospital library, other library, personal library, consultation with colleague, not found, et c.).
Other surveys may be on a more narrow aspect of service. Recent surveys at Dartmouth have assessed 1) satisfaction with the current awareness service, 2) the desirability of a change in Sunday hours, 3) and satisfaction with the Learning Resources Center. Satisfaction with and the need for additional educational workshops are regularly assessed after each workshop.
2. Interviews
Interviews may be formal or informal. Formally, you may visit department chairs, administrators, and/or managers annually to ask if the library, for example, is currently meeting their needs and how things could be better. Informal interviews are often done as you greet people entering the library or check materials out, and ask them if they have found what was needed. If you take it a step further, making a note of the conversation and any action taken in response. This way, you've already initiated done a needs assessment.
3. Analysis of statistics, records
Libraries have always been faithful record keepers, gathering statistics on every aspect of their operations - circulation, reference, acquisitions, interlibrary loan, etc. Analyze these records regularly to see what they tell you about the needs of your institution. You probably already analyze interlibrary loan requests to determine titles to which you should subscribe.
5. Suggestion box
A suggestion box is a very basic needs assessment tool. Complaints - whether received through a suggestion box or not - can fall into this category of needs assessment tool.
6. Meetings, Reports, Newsletters
Attending meetings, reading newsletter, and getting on as many distribution lists as possible are all useful ways to find out about the level of efficacy of new programs and services, and the new direction is heading to.
Any of the aforementioned tools may be used in the continuous quality improvement process to uncover areas in need of improvement and to measure progress toward improvement. With all of the above needs assessment tools, it is important to document how you measure need for knowledge-based information and how you respond to the measured needs.

IX - Conclusion
An ongoing needs analysis should be a prerequisite for any program/course design in order to achieve effective instructional outcomes. Besides this, it can help educators and administrators to gain awareness of the ‘context variable’ (Chaudron, 1990) and program designers - to provide appropriate instructional input to foster effective learning. Needs of administrators /educators and students generally vary across time, instructional contexts, the requirement of an ongoing needs assessment for any educational institution becomes crucial in order to promote effective teaching and learning environments.

Bibliography
Weddel, Kathleen Santopietro - Van Duzer, Carol Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education.
Van House, Nancy A. and Thomas A. Childers (1993). The Public Library Effectiveness Study: The Complete Report, Chicago: American Library Association.
Copyright © 1998, 1999 hr-guide.com All Rights Reserved.
Send questions or comments to webmaster@hr-guide.com
Sitkiye KUTER. AN ACADEMIC ENGLISH NEEDS ANALYSIS IN EFL CLASSROOMS.

The Third Space: Vodafone’s Code of Ethics

The Third Space: Vodafone’s Code of Ethics

The Third Space: Vodafone’s Code of Ethics

The Third Space: Vodafone’s Code of Ethics

Vodafone’s Code of Ethics

Abdeslam Badre

Introduction

Vodafone Group Plc is the world's leading mobile telecommunications company, with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States through the Company's subsidiary undertakings, joint ventures, associated undertakings and investments.

The Group's mobile subsidiaries operate under the brand name 'Vodafone'. In the United States the Group's associated undertaking operates as Verizon Wireless. During the last two financial years, the Group has also entered into arrangements with network operators in countries where the Group does not hold an equity stake. Under the terms of these Partner Network Agreements, the Group and its partner networks co-operate in the development and marketing of global services.

The Company had a total market capitalisation of approximately £80 billion at 15 November 2005.

Global Footprint

The Group has ownership interests in 27 countries across 5 continents. In addition, the Group has Partner Networks in a further 33 countries.

31 December 2006, the Group had 198.6 million proportionate customers in its subsidiaries, joint ventures, affiliates and investments, 600 million venture customers.

Code of Ethics

4. Disclosure
The Company strives to ensure that the contents of and the disclosures in the reports and documents that the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and other public communications shall be full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable in accordance with applicable disclosure standards, including standards of materiality, where appropriate.

5. Compliance
It is the Company's policy to comply with all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations. It is the personal responsibility of each Relevant Officer to, and each Relevant Officer must, adhere to the standards and restrictions imposed by those laws, rules and regulations, including those relating to accounting and auditing matters.

6. Reporting and Accountability
The Audit Committee of the Board of Vodafone Group Plc is responsible for applying this Code to specific situations in which questions are presented to it and has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. Any Relevant Officer who becomes aware of any existing or potential breach of this Code is required to notify the Group General Counsel and Company Secretary promptly. Failure to do so is itself a breach of this Code. 

Social responsibilities

v    Socio-economic Impact

£11.7 billion cash value added in 2005/06

The rapid spread of mobile technology has brought significant social and economic benefits. The challenge is to ensure that the benefits are spread as widely as possible while minimising negative impacts.

Vodafone’s social impacts

Published study on potential of mobile to improve healthcare

We published a study in 2006 that shows how mobiles can help patients to keep appointments, monitor their chronic conditions and seek advice confidentially, as well as increasing adherence to treatment programmes. These benefits are available to big and small businesses alike, including those in the developing world.

Conducted research in developed countries

We commissioned a programme of research, initially focusing on the impact of mobile phones in Africa. The findings from this research help to inform policies on mobile telecommunications and international programmes aimed at increasing access to information and communications technology (ICT) and bridging the digital divide.

In addition to the indirect economic value of our mobile services, our business makes a direct contribution to the global economy through the wealth we generate and the jobs we sustain directly and among our suppliers.

Vodafone’s direct economic impacts

 Accessibility

·                9% of the EU adult population (about 40 million people) is excluded from using mobile phones. This increases significantly with age, with conservative estimates suggesting that 20% of over 50s are excluded. We regard addressing this as both a social and commercial challenge.

Mobile phones have already had a positive impact on millions of people and have the potential to benefit many more.

Social Products and Enterprise Team in 2004 to focus on products with high positive social impact, including those that reduce exclusion from mobile usage. Vodafone is looking for ways to make phones more accessible for People who are elderly, blind, deaf or disabled.

Vodafone is working with UK company, Scientific Generics, to identify key features that will significantly reduce the level of exclusion from mobile communications.

Environment

·                Decreased carbon dioxide emissions per unit of data transmitted by 10% in 2005/06

·                New Group target set to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per unit of data transmitted by 40% by 2011

·                Total energy use increased by 23% this year

·                Energy sourced from renewables increased by 22% in 2005/06

·                Working with suppliers to make network equipment more energy efficient

·                Onsite renewable energy technologies trialled

·                97% of network equipment waste reused or recycled in 2005/06

·                Initiatives launched to raise awareness and encourage handset recycling

·                Recycling programmes established at all local operating companies

·                1.37 million mobile phones collected for recycling in 2005/06

We recognise that our global energy use is increasing and predict that it will continue to do so. Trying to implement a strategy to limit its impact on global warming by investigating how to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by increasing energy efficiency, and by using more renewable energy sources. 

Human Rights

Vodafone's commitment to human rights is embodied in its  Business Principles:

• respect and comply with all human rights legislation, regulations and standards in the countries where we operate.
•  welcome the development of the UN Norms on the Responsibilities of Trans-national Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights to help business build its understanding of human rights and explore the ways it can contribute.

Employees

• Vodafone is committed to protecting and enhancing the human rights of its employees.
• Its Group employment policies are consistent with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization's Core Conventions.

It employs approximately 55,000 people worldwide. Its goal is to recruit and retain the most talented, motivated people by providing a good working environment, treating people with respect, and offering attractive incentives and development opportunities.

Health & Safety

The health and safety of our employees is a priority. Our health and safety policy ensures consistently high standards are set throughout the company to make sure our employees can do their work safely. It covers health and safety management, radio frequency fields and health and driving safety.

·                Developed a strategy to focus on employee wellbeing at all local operating companies

·                Introduced a Performance Dialogue for every employee to receive feedback on their performance from their manager

·                Increased percentage of women in senior management (bands A-E) from 10% to 17% in 2005/06

·                Introduced two new global health and safety standards

·                Reduced work-related lost-time accidents by over 20% from 2004/05

·                Vodafone does not tolerate child labor, forced or compulsory labor.

Suppliers
Vodafone's Code of Ethical Purchasing aims to ensure that its suppliers share its values and uphold standards on human rights.

Content
Access to communications technology can support greater freedom of expression. However, new technology brings new challenges and we will balance the right to freedom of expression with the protection of vulnerable groups, such as children.

Driving safety in Spain
Vodafone Spain has dramatically reduced driving accidents among its employees through a sustained driving safety campaign over the last five years. The number of vehicle accidents resulting in lost time has fallen by more than 80% since 2003 (and by 50% since 2004). through running a training course: In 2005/06, 234 employees who work on the network took a refresher course in off-road driving.

Wellbeing programme in Ireland
In March 2006, Vodafone Ireland launched a wellbeing programme designed ‘to make people feel great at work’. The programme provides free online health checks and encourages employees to lead a healthier lifestyle. Health and fitness fairs provide information, products and services to help people understand and take steps to improve their health.

Equal Opportunities & Diversity

We believe that diversity is an asset to our business. With operations worldwide, Vodafone is not only multinational but multicultural. We are building a culture that respects the value of differences among us and encourages individuals to contribute their best within an environment that is inclusive, open, flexible and fair. We will not tolerate discrimination or unfair treatment on any grounds.

Vodafone’s Foundations

·                Begun a major review of the Group Foundation’s donations strategy

·                Donated £38.1 million to charitable causes worldwide in 2005/06

·                New foundations in Albania and the Czech Republic

·                It invests in the communities where it operates through donations of cash, equipment, products and services.

·                Employees also give their time as volunteers to support good causes.

·                It is also looking at ways its technology can assist emergency response to natural and manmade disasters.

it aims to focus our contributions on areas directly related to the impacts of our business on society. Our Social Investment Policy identifies the following priorities:

·                Reaching the excluded with the benefits of mobile technology

·                Promoting sustainable business practice and environmental protection

·                Supporting the personal involvement of our employees in their local communities.

We aim for our grants to have the greatest possible impact. We measure our total social investment by combining the value of cash donations and other contributions.

 

References: www.vodafone.com

A post structuralist Reading of Friendship in one of The Simpson's Episode

By Abdeslam Badre

I – Introduction                                      

‘To have a friend you must be one’

 

This paper attempts to construct a critical reading on the issue of friendship, being the prevalent theme in The Simpsons episode we watched in class. Despite its being one of the prerequisites of the individual’s social life, the meaning of ‘friendship’ and the value of a ‘friend’ may differ from one individual to another, from one life-stage to another, and from one community to another; further, they may even differ between males and females. On the this ground, my reading of friendship, as tackled in the episode, will be built in terms of binary oppositions between sexes and generations. Put simply, being the catalyst of the theme in this episode, Liza’s understanding of friendship will be opposed to both her brother, Bart, as a representative of the opposite sex, and her mother, Mrs. Marge, as being the emblem of the older/adult generation. For so doing, I will approach these elements from post-structuralist perspective to show that the notion of friendship is a constructed concept whose meaning is elusive, always absent/present: something that one can not fix down, since its meaning differs among individuals, sex, groups, and generations.

 

 

II – Description of the scene

 

In this episode, Liza Simpson is seeking friends. Right from the beginning, we see her craving to have some schoolmates signed her yearbook: she joined more than one group to have her desire satisfied, but it seems that no one recognizes her presence, and her effort to have a memorable word from a friend goes in vain. It is at this point that the feeling of loneliness infiltrates her soul and keeps growing to the existent of a feeling of marginalization, then a rejection by her peers. After leaving the Springfield house for the summer vacation, that feeling of loneliness is still dwelling in her heart. Boldly enough, Liza does not seem to give up easily, for she decides to confront that emptiness by a pertinent quest of new friends in the beach-house area where she is to spend her holidays. However, until now, all her attempts give no fruitful results, a fact which induces a number of questions in her mind the main of which is what might be the reason behind her being rejected by her peers. And after seeking her mother’s advice, she is told that she’d better be what she is not in order to have what she seeks. Thus, she decides to go for her brother’s persona, and then we hear her saying “bye, bye Liza Simpson.” Right after changing her personality, she finds a three-peer group (two boys and one girl) which has been indifferent to her presence. So, she decides to take more risk in order to catch their attention: she, for instance, has accepted to go skating with them though she is not good at skating. As a rewarded, they finally grant her a little space within their circle; but Liza decides to gain more space within the group by inviting them to her house, suggesting the idea of a beach party, and showing them all her skills. By so doing, Liza wins her friends’ confidence and more importantly, she gains their sympathy, which is incarnated in the fact that she receives a little gift (bracelet) from one of her new friends. However, things do not always go as we wish them. Driven by jealousy and envy, her brother, Bart, is determined to put an end to her relation with the group of friends; accordingly, he reveals to them that Liza is not actually what she appears to be but simply a ‘teacher-pet,” who is incarnating her brother’s actual personality in order to impress them, a fact which upsets the beach kids. Liza again ends up lonely, with no friends. But this time she is tired of what she is and what she has pretended to be, for, as she said: ‘in me it does not work. In someone else it does not work.” Now, she spends most of her time with her brother with whom she is at the defensive. Noticeably, her antagonistic contact with her brother underlines another dimension of juxtaposition: though she goes to some entertainment parks with him, she does not enjoy her time as she would have done if she had been with friends. By the end, the three friends are going to visit Liza and admit to her that they consider her as a friend, regardless of what or who she is as long as she a Friend. They also signed her yearbook, which was a nice and rewarding surprise for Liza.

 

III - A post-stucturalist analysis

 

The above mentioned scene is loaded with media artifacts, revolving around the theme of friendship. Starting from the school end-year party, the signing of the year-book, beach-kids, the bracelet Liza received from her friends, to the signed book she got by the end of the episode. All these sings, both denotative & connotative- refer to the signified ‘friends’/friendship.’ At first, the reader/viewer perceives the notion of friendship though Liza’s eyes: her spontaneous behaviors with the schoolmates inform us that friendship is a sublime socialization process that requires no specific socio-economic status, social-class belonging, or typical personality traits. All what one needs to do/have so as to have friends or be accepted among them is to be a friend. Strikingly, the fact that she did not have her book signed by her peers besides her being neglected by them reveals that Liza’s perception of the notion is not accurate or not agreed-upon by her community. Again it is through Liza’s reflection that we reach this reality which sets a question mark against the actual meaning of friendship.

 

Upon her attempt to modify her understanding of friendship, Liza learnt from her Mum that one should not always be what one is, if willing to have friends. Hence, Mrs. Marge tells the reader/viewer that Liza’s understanding of friendship is rather instinctive, naïve, and innocent, for it lacks the social dimension – the agreed upon codes. This idea is ascertained by Lisa’s actual decision to change her personality and incorporate her brother’s. Indeed, this decision marked a bold line between Liza’s previous and present understanding of friendship. Further, it marks Lisa’s departure from the stage of innocence to the phase of experience, where every human interaction is – or should be- mingled with social and cultural norms in order to be recognized and approved by the group.

 

After going for her brother’s persona, Liza managed to make friends and apparently appeared to grasp the social meaning of friendship; and so does the viewer/reader. However, Bart unveiling of the real Liza to the beach-kids, and the disapproved reaction of the latter towards her have again destabilized both Liza and the viewer’s understanding of the exact meaning of friendship. This is so because Bart added another dimension to the concept. When he said, for instance, that the beach-kids were supposed to be his friends, simply because they appreciated his personality, acted out through Lisa, he was lucidly claiming that friendship is void of any social norms: for him friendship is gained on the basis of the individual’s personal skills and performances within the group. Unlike his mother who defined friendship from a socio-cultural perspective, Bart understood it from an individualistic stand. And in the realm of both extremes, Liza, the meaning of friendship along with the reader/viewer are lost. We understand this from her saying: ‘In me it does not work. In someone else it does not work,”

 

The final decision of the beach-kids to visit Liza and admit that they accepted her no matter who she was as long as she was a FRIEND has an outstanding significance. The importance of the act lies not only on its positive effect on Liza, but it also caters for an alternative definition of friendship that the reader/viewer has to adapt, namely, being as it is, friendship should be based on what friends are able to do to save their friendship and not on how they do it.

 

To rap it up, the three or four definitions of friendship that we got from this episode reveal the arbitrariness of the concept. From a post-structuralist point of view, each of the episode’s characters holds a different signified for the same signifier: each of them defines friendship differently. Liza’s quest of friends, in this respect, represents an attempt to pin down a fixed meaning of the concept; but at each time she believed to have it fixed, ‘meaning’ keeps escaping grasp. Even after she gained her friends’ approval, by the end of the film, she had to leave them and go back home; and thus, meaning again proved to be slippery. This image epitomizes the post-structural idea of the absent/present meaning where the signifier is void of a particular signified.

 

IV – conclusion

 

True enough, Liza has learnt new tricks on how to make new friends. Yet, it is not sure whether what she learnt will help her gain new friends because it all depends again on how friendship will be defined by the people she might meet, on the special/time settings, and on the purpose of having friends. With these elements in mind, friendship – the signified- will keep incarnating different meaning which may not correspond to the signifier.