Syllabus Design
Syllabus writing
What is, what for and how to go about it
Katerina Katsara Sec Ed English Teacher Board Member of ÅÊÁÄÅÂÅ
A language teaching syllabus or curriculum is a design of the content and its sequence of a language programme (what-when-how) which incorporates the subject matter (what to talk about) and the linguistic matter (how to talk about it). More specifically, a syllabus is a teaching guideline of when and what material is to be given to the learners and how language learning is to be put in effect. Syllabi embody the general and specific objectives of the language teaching course, the short-term ones being contained in the long-term goal. Types of syllabi can fall into two broad categories depending on the language content the emphasis is placed on; thus there are: • Formal-structural orientation Syllabi in which the focus is on the grammatical / structural/ lexical features of the target language. Linguistic elements range from the simple / easy ones to the more complex items and so is usually sequenced a syllabus modelled on the basis of structural /grammatical content. Teaching methods that highly emphasise on form / grammar such as the Grammar Translation Method (GTM) and the Audiolingual Method (ALM) both determine and are best supported by such curricula. • Functional-notional orientation Syllabi, which focus on what the learner needs to do with the language. The language content and the emphasis, therefore, are not on grammar itself but more on functions and the pragmatic environment in which language is to be used. The Communicative Language Teaching method (CLM) works best with functional /notional syllabi. Seen from the perspective of the result and / or procedure of language instruction, syllabi can also be divided into two different types according to which the immediate emphasis is put on : In Product-oriented syllabi what is focalised is what the learners will know as a result and at the end of the instruction session. They are
What is, what for and how to go about it
Katerina Katsara Sec Ed English Teacher Board Member of ÅÊÁÄÅÂÅ
A language teaching syllabus or curriculum is a design of the content and its sequence of a language programme (what-when-how) which incorporates the subject matter (what to talk about) and the linguistic matter (how to talk about it). More specifically, a syllabus is a teaching guideline of when and what material is to be given to the learners and how language learning is to be put in effect. Syllabi embody the general and specific objectives of the language teaching course, the short-term ones being contained in the long-term goal. Types of syllabi can fall into two broad categories depending on the language content the emphasis is placed on; thus there are: • Formal-structural orientation Syllabi in which the focus is on the grammatical / structural/ lexical features of the target language. Linguistic elements range from the simple / easy ones to the more complex items and so is usually sequenced a syllabus modelled on the basis of structural /grammatical content. Teaching methods that highly emphasise on form / grammar such as the Grammar Translation Method (GTM) and the Audiolingual Method (ALM) both determine and are best supported by such curricula. • Functional-notional orientation Syllabi, which focus on what the learner needs to do with the language. The language content and the emphasis, therefore, are not on grammar itself but more on functions and the pragmatic environment in which language is to be used. The Communicative Language Teaching method (CLM) works best with functional /notional syllabi. Seen from the perspective of the result and / or procedure of language instruction, syllabi can also be divided into two different types according to which the immediate emphasis is put on : In Product-oriented syllabi what is focalised is what the learners will know as a result and at the end of the instruction session. They are
References: Nunan D. Communicative Syllabus Design, Cambridge University Press Common European Framework of Reference for Languages Dubin, F., & Olshtain, E. (1986). "Course design: Developing programs and materials for language learning." Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Gattegno, C. (1972). "Teaching foreign languages in schools: The silent way (2nd ed.)." New York: Educational Solutions. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 157 403) to facilitate the teacher and accommodate the learner to the benefit of both the teaching and learning process. Finally, however well thought out and designed a syllabus may be, we should only see it as rough guide and therefore, it is useful that it be reflected regularly and even revised if necessary so that it effectively suits the learners’ needs. Krahnke, K.J. (1981). "Incorporating communicative instruction into academic preparation ESL curricula." (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 210 915) Krahnke, K.J. "Approaches to Syllabus Design for Foreign Language Teaching," Lesley Dick, (2005) Syllabus writing. British Council, Sri Lanka http://www.ac-orleans-tours.fr, Reilly,Tarey,(1988) "Approaches to Foreign Language Syllabus Design” http://www.ericdigests.org/ ericdigests.html ÅêðáéäåõôéêÜ óåìéíÜñéá Ç Ó÷ïëéêÞ Óýìâïõëïò ôçò Èåóóáëïíßêçò Dr ÁããåëéêÞ ÄåëçãéÜííç óå óõíåñãáóßá ìå ôéò õðåýèõíåò Ðïëéôéóôéêþí ÈåìÜôùí êáé Êáëëéôå÷íéêþí Áãþíùí ê. Á. ÁõäÞ êáé Å. ÌùóáÀäïõ, äéïñãÜíùóå óôéò áñ÷Ýò ôïõ Óåðôåìâñßïõ äýï åêðáéäåõôéêÜ óåìéíÜñéá ãéá ôéò êáèçãÞôñéåò Áããëéêþí óôï 2ï ÃõìíÜóéï ÊáëáìáñéÜò êáé óôï 11ï Ãåíéêü Ëýêåéï Èåóóáëïíßêçò. Ôá óåìéíÜñéá ðåñéåëÜìâáíáí åéóçãÞóåéò ãéá ôç Äéáèåìáôéêüôçôá, ôç ÂéùìáôéêÞ êáé ôç ÓõíåñãáôéêÞ ìÜèçóç, ôï ñüëï ðïõ êáëïýíôáé íá äéáäñáìáôßóïõí óôçí Åêðáßäåõóç ôá ÐïëéôéóôéêÜ ÐñïãñÜììáôá êáé ôç óõìâïëÞ ôïõò óôçí áðïôåëåóìáôéêüôåñç äéäáóêáëßá ôçò ÁããëéêÞò Ãëþóóáò. ÕðÞñîå ðáñïõóßáóç Ðïëéôéóôéêþí ÐñïãñáììÜôùí ðïõ Ý÷ïõí õëïðïéçèåß áðü åêðáéäåõôéêïýò ÁããëéêÞò Ãëþóóáò êáé ìáèçôÝò ó÷ïëåßùí. ÄçìéïõñãÞèçêáí 2 åñãáóôÞñéá (workshops) ãéá ôïõò óõììåôÝ÷ïíôåò, ôï Ýíá ìå ôçí ê. ÌùóáÀäïõ ìå èÝìá ôïí êéíçìáôïãñÜöï êáé ôï Üëëï ìå ôçí ê. ÁõäÞ ìå èÝìá ôï ÈÝáôñï. Óôá workshops ïé åêðáéäåõôéêïß ôùí Áããëéêþí åß÷áí ôçí åõêáéñßá íá óõììåôÝ÷ïõí óå âéùìáôéêÝò äñáóôçñéüôçôåò, ðïõ áöïñïýí ôï èÝáôñï, ãéá íá ôéò áîéïðïéÞóïõí ìå ìÝóï ôçí ÁããëéêÞ ãëþóóá óôç äéäáóêáëßá/åêìÜèçóÞ ôçò. Ç áîéïðïßçóç ôïõ åêðáéäåõôéêïý äñÜìáôïò, üðùò áíÝöåñå ç ê.ÁõäÞ, ãéá ôçí åêìÜèçóç ôçò îÝíçò ãëþóóáò áðïôåëåß ìßá áðü ôéò ðéï óýã÷ñïíåò ìåèüäïõò äéäáóêáëßáò ðïõ Ý÷åé ùò óôü÷ï ôçí øõ÷áãùãßá, ôçí åðéêïéíùíßá êáé ôçí óõíåñãáóßá ôùí ìáèçôþí. Ç ê. ÌùóáÀäïõ áíÝöåñå üôé ï ÊéíçìáôïãñÜöïò ìðïñåß íá áðïôåëÝóåé åñãáëåßï ìÜèçóçò ãéá ôçí îÝíç ãëþóóá óôï ó÷ïëåßï. Ðáñïõóßáóå ìéêñÜ tips ðïõ ïäçãïýí óôç äéáäñáóôéêÞ åðéêïéíùíßá ìå áöïñìÞ óõãêåêñéìÝíåò ðåñéóôÜóåéò åðéêïéíùíßáò êáé ãëùóóéêÝò ðñÜîåéò ðïõ ðåñéëáìâÜíïíôáé óôï áíáëõôéêü ðñüãñáììá ôïõ ìáèÞìáôïò. 24 Vol. 22, September 2008 ISSUES