Course Planning and Syllabus Design in Language Teaching

By:MA. Águeda Castillo

Curriculum course and syllabusCu

rric

ulum

• Involves philosophical, social and administrative factors which contribute to the planning of an educational program.” (Allen quoted in Nunan, 2000: 6)

Cour

se • Integrated

series of teaching-learning experiences, whose ultimate aim is to lead the learners to a particular state of knowledge”. (Hutchinson and Waters 1996: 65)

Sylla

bus • Detailed

and operational statement of teaching and learning elements” Dubin &

• Olshtain, (1997: 28).

SYLLABUS CONCEPT on either side of Athlantic

• In Britain, ‘syllabus’ refers to the content or subject matter of an individual subject, whereas ‘curriculum’ stands for the totality of content to be taught and aims to be realized within one school or educational system.

• In the USA ‘curriculum’ tends the synonymous with ‘syllabus’ in the British sense.

Stages of course design

1. Articulating your beliefs and defining the context

2. Needs analysis 3. Specifying the aims and objectives and

competencies. 4. Make decisions about what should be taught

first, second, third, and so on.

Dimensions of a language course development

1. Developing a course rationale2. Decribing the entry and exit level3. Choosing course content4. Sequencing course content5. Planning the course content6. Preparing the scope and sequence plan

1. Course rationale• This is a brief description of the reason of the course

and the nature of it.• It seeks to answer the following questions:

Who is the course for?

What is the course about?

What kind of teaching and learning will take place in the course?

2. Decribing the entry and exit level

ADVANCED

INTERMEDIATE

ELEMENTARY

PROFECIENCY TESTS IELTS

TOEFL

3. Choosing course content

• Set needs and goals• Reflects the planner´s assumptions about the

nature of language, language use and learning….

• It depends on:– Subject-matter knowledge– The learner´s proficiency levels– Current views on SLLT

4. Sequencing: content needed early

Simple to complex

Chronology: Example: listening-speaking-reading-writing

Need: when learners need the content

Prerequisite learning: previous knowledge

Whole to part or part to whole: example: from paragraph to essay

Spiral sequencing: recycling knowledge

5. Planning the course structure

• Steps: 1. Selecting a syllabus framework2. developing instructional blocks

Syllabus could be:

1. Grammatical or structural syllabus2. Lexical syllabus3. Functional syllabus4. Situational syllabus5. Topical or content based syllabus6. Competency- based syllabus7. Skills syllabus8. Task based syllabus9. Text based syllabus10. An integrated syllabus

1. Grammatical or structural syllabus

• The content of this syllabus is determined by giving top priority to teaching the grammar or structure of the target language

• Proceeds from simple to complex:

2. Lexical syllabus

• Students will learn new vocabulary in order to talk about different topics.

• Vocabulary is the key

3. Functional syllabus

• Organize around communicative functions such as:

Requesting

Complaining

Suggesting

Agreeing

4. Situational syllabus

• Is organized around the language needen in specific situations

• Example: – At the airport – At the restaurant, ect.Presents language in context but specific

situations may not transfer to other sotuations.

5. Topical or content based syllabus

• Is organized around themes, topics, or other units of content.

• The target language is a vehicle • Advantages: – authentic, meaningful, and challenging material

(reading/writing)– students’ enhanced motivation– more self-paced autonomous learning (learner-

centered)

6. Competency- based syllabus

• Based on specification of the competencies learners are expected to master.

• Is widely used in social survival and work-oriented language programs.

7. Skills syllabus

• Is organized around the different abilities that are involved in using a language.

• Focus on performance in relation to specific tasks

8. Task based syllabus

• Tasks should be relevant to the real world language needs of the student.

• It is organized around tasks that learners will accomplish in the target language.

• Example:– Reading a map and giving directions– Reading instructions to find a solution to a

problem

9. Text based syllabus

• It is a type of integrated syllabus • Cycle proposed when working with this:

Building the context for

the text

Modeling and deconstructing

the text

Join construction of

the text

Independent construction of

the text

Linking relating texts

10. An integrated syllabus

• It´s a combination of types of instructional content needed to address the complex goals of the program.

• Example:– A syllabus might be organized grammatically first

and then moved to functional…

Developing instructional blocks

• Deals with course sections to make it more teachable and learnable, to provide progression in level of difficulty and to create overall coherence and structure for the course.

• Example: – Modules– Units

Elements of a successful unit

• Length: sufficient but not too much material included

• Development: one activity leads into the next. (no option for random choices)

• Coherence• Pacing: time managements within unit

activities development.• Outcome: related outcomes

6. Preparing the scope and sequence plan

• Consists of a list of the modules or units and their contents and indication of how much teaching time each block will require.

Syllabus components at Universidad Nacional de Panamá- and others, too.

• Course general information• Course description• Competencies – Conceptual (knowledge- cognitive)

– Procedural (language functions-psychomotor)

– Attitudinal (affective)

• Content• Activities• Evaluation • References ( bilbliography- webgraphy)

Writing competencies

• What is a competency?– A competency is the capability to apply or use a

set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform "critical work functions" or tasks in a defined work setting.

Difference between competency and learning objectives

• Competencies define the applied skills and knowledge that enable people to successfully perform their work.

• Learning objectives are specific to a course of instruction.

Elements of a competency

• Verb• Object• PurposeExample :

Utilizes different methods for interacting with people from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial, ethnic and professional backgrounds.

How to write a competency:

1. Begin with a present tense action verb. (Example: Converts meters to points and inches.) 2. Each action verb requires an object. (Example: Identifies bacteria, fungi, and parasites.) (Verb followed by object) 3. Each competency is measurable and/or observable. (Example: Describes general methods of child study by describing such procedures as longitudinal study, case study and correlational study.)

How to write a competency:

4. Each competency is based on performance. (Example: Evaluates literacy genre from a historical perspective by comparing and contrasting the literary works in the 19th Century.) 5. Do not use evaluative or relative adjectives. (like good, effective, correct) 6. Do not use evaluative or relative adverbs. (like quickly, slowly, immediately.) 7. Do not use qualifying phrases. (such as “Write with greater confidence.”)