Nature and origin of language curriculum

2009-2010 Semester 2

TESL 3240 Curriculum Development and Material Design Lecture 1

Terminology

What is curriculum?

A curriculum is all the different subjects or courses of study that are taught in a school, college, or university(Source: Colins Cobuild Dictionary)

More curriculum models

• National Curriculum UK(http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/)

• Hong Kong curriculum development council(http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/cdc/en/)

• 英语课程标准 http://www.being.org.cn/ncs/eng/eng.htm#一

Curriculum Components

(Brown 1995 pp19-24)

Curriculum governs “all the aspects of the planning, implementation and evaluation of an educational program, the why, how and how well together with the what of the learning-teaching process.” (Richards and Renandya, 2002)

• The basic value systems of curriculum design

• The stages of curriculum design

• The principles of curriculum design

Curriculum theory

The basic value systems of curriculum design

Classical Humanism

Social Reconstructionism

Progressivism

Stages of curriculum design

Policy making

Needs assessment

Design and development

Teacher preparation and development

Program management and evaluation

Principles of curriculum design

• Coherence

• Permanent change and innovation

• Different approaches integration

Language Curriculum Development (LCD)

A comprehensive, ongoing, cyclical process “to determine the needs of a group of learners; to develop aims or objectives for a program to address those needs; to determine an appropriate syllabus, course structure, teaching methods, and materials; and to carry out an evaluation of the language program that results from these processes” (Richards, 2001, p.2).

Questions related to LCD

1.What procedures can be used to determine the content of a language program?

2.What are learners’ needs?

3.How can learners’ needs be determined?

4.What contextual factor need to be considered in planning a language program?

5.What is the nature of aim and objectives in teaching and how can these be developed?

6.What factors are involved in planning the syllabus and the units of organization in a course?

7.How can good teaching be provided in a program?

8.What issues are involved in selecting, adapting, and designing instructional materials?

9.How can on measure the effectiveness of a language program?

Curriculum and syllabus

• A syllabus is a specification of the content of the course of teaching and lists what will be taught and tested(Richard,J.C 2001:2).

• Curriculum design is directly connected with syllabus design

• Syllabus design is regarded as a contextually diminished view of curriculum design

• All the essential points of curriculum theory, its approaches, stages and principles, may be applied equally to syllabus design

• Curriculum development includes more issues than syllabus design (e.g.,the needs of learners; Objectives for a program; appropriate syllabus, course structure; teaching methods and materials; evaluation of the language program)

Origin of Language curriculum

Starts with the notion of syllabus design

LCD really begin in 1960s, later than syllabus design

The key of stimulus is teaching methods’ change—for better methods

Teaching methods in 19-20 century

• Grammar Translation Method (1800-1900)

• Direct Method (1890-1930)

• Structural Method (1930-1960)

• Audiolingual Method (1950-1970)

• Communicative Approach (1970-present)

• Task-based approach (1990-present)

Assumptions underlying early approaches to syllabus design

• The basic units of language are vocabulary and grammar

• Learners everywhere have the same needs• Learners’ needs are identified exclusively in

term of language needs• The process of learning a language is largely

determined by the textbook• The context of teaching is English as a

foreign language

Summary

• Nature of LCD

• Origin of LCD

• Curriculum and syllabus

Some review questions

• What are the three philosophical underpinnings for curriculum development? What kind of role do teachers play in the instructional activities does each of the above suggest?

• What are the limitations of an ends-means model of curriculum development?

• What is the difference between syllabus design and curriculum development?