6 Course Planning Syllabus Design J C Richards

6. Course Planning & Syllabus Design J. C. Richards

Dimensions of Course Development A course rationale Description of entry & exit level Choice of course content Sequencing course content Planning course content(syllabus & instructional blocks) Scope & sequence plan

The Course Rationales provide information for -Target learners -Purposes of courses -Kinds of teaching & learning activities Rationales serve the purposes of -guiding planning of course components -emphasizing kind of teaching & learning to be exemplified -checking consistency b/w course components & values & goals (See p. 146)

Describing Entry & Exit Leveling by proficiency levels Use band levels or points on a proficiency scale for stages (ex-ACTFL Proficiency guideline, See appendix 1, 2, 3) TWE, TSE Rubrics In-house evaluation criteria

Choosing Course Content Reflect planners’ assumptions about nature & use of language, language learning, most essential elements & units of language, ways to organize as an efficient basis for SLL Ex) grammar, functions, topics, skills, processes, texts, etc.

Choosing Course Content Consider subject-matter knowledge, learners’ proficiency levels, current views on SLL/T, conventional wisdoms, convenience Based on needs analysis, literature on topic, published materials, review of similar courses elsewhere, review of tests/exams in the area, analysis of sts’ problems, consultation with teachers or specialists knowledgeable on topic or in area, etc.

Choosing Course Content After initial generation of ideas on content, the following should be considered: -necessity of all suggested topics -omission of important topics -sufficient time to cover -sufficient priority for most important areas -enough emphasis on different aspects of areas identified -extent of help for sts to attain learning outcomes with areas covered

Determining Scope & Sequence Distribution of content Scope- breadth & depth of coverage of items, range of content, extent of topics to be studied Sequence or order of the content based on criteria (e. g. , describing experiencessimple to complex, chronology, need, prerequisite learning, whole->part or part> whole, spiral sequencing

Planning Course Structure Selecting a syllabus framework: example of speaking skills -situational, topical, functional, task-based Factors to be considered for syllabus framework: knowledge & belief about the subject areas, research & theories, common practices, trends 1)

Planning Course Structure Communicative syllabus: Threshold Level, ESP, competency-based, text-based, task-based syllabuses Types of Syllabus 1. Grammatical (structural) syllabus: mapping out grammar with topics, skills, activities (Appendix 4) -criticism: partial dimension of language proficiency, not reflect naturalistic SLA, focus on sentence rather than longer units of discourse, focus on form, lack of communicative skills

1. Grammatical Syllabus Reasons for grammar as core component of courses -teaching grammar as a familiar approach -convenient to link to other strands (e. g. , functions, topics, situations) -a core component of language proficiency: part of communicative competence Grammatical syllabus as one stream of multiskilled/integrated syllabuses rather than sole basis of a syllabus

2. Lexical Syllabus vocabulary target for general courses -Elementary: 1, 000 words -Intermediate: additional 2, 000 words -Upper intermediate: additional 2, 000 words -Advanced: additional 2, 000+ words (Hindmarsh, 1980; Nation, 1990)

2. Lexical Syllabus Lexical syllabus: Collins Cobuild English Course (Willis & Willis, 1988) Corpus linguistics Concordancing Lexis One strand of a more comprehensive syllabus

3. Functional Syllabus Mastery of functions will result in communicative ability Threshold level English-basic functions for social survival & travelling: 120 functions (Appendix 5) First alternative to grammatical syllabus Suited to organization of courses in Spoken English

3. Functional Syllabus Reasons for popularity of functional syllabus -reflect a more comprehensive view of language & focus on language use -can readily be linked to other types of syllabus content (e. g. , topics, grammar, vocabulary) -convenient for design of teaching materials for listening & speaking

3. Functional Syllabus Criticism against functional syllabus -no clear criteria for selecting or grading functions -simplistic view of CC & failure to address processes of communication -atomistic approach to language-discrete components to be taught separately -a phrase-book approach of teaching expressions & idioms for different functions -gaps in grammatical competence or in learning of important structure due to focus on functions

4. Situational Syllabus focus on setting in which particular communicative acts typically occur -focus on mastering expressions frequently encountered in particular situations -presenting language in context & for immediate use

4. Situational Syllabus: Criticisms -Selection of teaching items is rather intuitive. -Language used in one setting may not be transferrable to other situations. -Incidental dealing with grammar causing gaps in sts’ grammatical knowledge

4. Situational Syllabus Reentering of situational syllabus in the form of CA & ESP - Central to communicative situations & to elements of the situation such as participants, their role relations, transactions they engage in, skills or behaviors in each transaction, kinds of oral & written texts produced, & linguistic feature of texts

4. Situational Syllabus Competency-based approach-focusing on transaction in particular situations & their related skills & behaviors Text-based syllabus: focusing on transactions, the texts occurring in transactions, & linguistic features of texts Integration of notion of situation as an element of a more comprehensive syllabus design approach

5. Topical or content-based syllabus -syllabus design based on themes, topics, or units of content -content as a sole criterion for organizing syllabus “It is the teaching of content or information in the language being learned with little or no direct effort to teach the language separately form the content being taught. ” (Krahnke, 1987, p. 65).

5. Topical or Content-based Syllabus Content is incidental in other approaches mentioned above. Topical & content based syllabus consider content as the vehicle for the presentation of language rather than the other way around. Maximum use of content to provide links & continuity across skill areas

5. Topical or Content-based Syllabus Claims on advantages of content-based syllabus -facilitate comprehension -makes linguistic forms more meaningful -serves as the best basis for teaching skill areas -address students’ needs -motivate learners -allow for integration of the four skills -allow for use of authentic materials

5. Topical or Content-based Syllabus Integrated with subject areas such as science, mathematics, social sciences, & university courses Types of CBI: Immersion model, themebased, adjunct model, sheltered model See a theme-based German university program (Brinton et al. , 1989)

5. Topical or Content-based Syllabus Issues in topic-based syllabus development -How to decide on themes, topics, & content -striking a balance b/w content, grammar, & other strands -qualification of ESL/EFL teachers for content-based courses -basis for assessment: content or language?

5. Topical or Content-based Syllabus Unresolved issues of selecting grammar, functions, or skills Difficulty of developing a logical or learnable sequence for other syllabus if topics are the framework Different topics for language of differing levels of complexity-difficulty of reconciliation among different strands of the syllabus (See Appendix 3 in Chapter 8)

6. Competency-based Syllabus specification of competencies in specific situations or for particular activities -Competencies: description of essential skills, knowledge, & attitudes required for effective performance of tasks or activities -widely used in social survival & workoriented language programs (See Chap. 5)

7. Skills Syllabus Organize based on different underlying abilities in using 4 skills -mastery of individual or micro-skills for a complex activity (e. g. , listening to a lecture; See p. 160 for skills specifications) -attempt to identify micro-skillls underlying the four macro-skills(L, S, R, W)-Munby(1978), Yalden (1983)-study skills (p. 160) -See Appendix 6 for syllabuses for L & S.

7. Skills Syllabus Claims for supporting skills-based syllabus -focus on behavior or performance -teach skills transferrable to many other situations -identify teachable & learnable units Criticisms: no serious basis for determining skills, focus on discrete aspects of performance instead of global & integrated communicative abilities

8. Task-based Syllabus Focusing on activity or a goal using language “Tasks are activities which have meaning as their primary focus. Success in tasks is evaluated in terms of achievement of an outcome, & tasks generally bear some resemblance to real-life language use. ” (Skehan, 1996, p. 20)

8. Task-based Syllabus Tasks: basic units of syllabus design and facilitate SLL Learners receive comprehensible input and modified input central to SLA. Tasks “provide a vehicle for the presentation of appropriate TL samples to learners-input which they will inevitably reshape via application of general cognitive processing capacities-for delivery of comprehension & production opportunities of negotiable difficulty. ” (Long & Crookes, 1991, p. 43)

8. Task-based Syllabus Claims for task-based syllabus -activities driving SLA process -grammar is not central but by-product of carrying out tasks. -motivating learners to engage in meaningful communication Types of tasks-Pedagogical & real-world tasks

Pedagogical Tasks Triggers SLL processes & strategies -jigsaw, information-gap, problem-solving, decision-making, opinion exchange Communicative activities as the central feature of a syllabus rather than playing a incidental role as in communicative syllabus

Real-world Tasks Designed to practice or rehearse activities that are found to be important in a needs analysis or turn out to be important & useful in the real world Similar to activities used in other situationally based approaches such as competency-based language teaching

8. Task-based Syllabus Concerns -Definitions of tasks are too broad & include almost anything that learners do. -Design & selection procedures of tasks remain unclear -Excessive use of communicative tasks may encourage fluency at the expense of accuracy.

9. Text-based Syllabus Use of texts & samples of extended discourse Similar to situational approach due to the importance of analyzing the contexts in which learners will use the language. Units of work in relation to the texts (Burns & Joyce, 1997) A type of integrated syllabus (Appendix 7, See Feez, 1998; p. 163)

9. Text-based Syllabus A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. five-part cycle of text-based syllabus Building the context for the text Modeling & deconstructing the text Joint construction of the text Independent construction of the text Linking related texts

9. Text-based Syllabus Advantages: explicit teaching of structures of spoken & written texts, link texts to social & cultural context of their use, design of units of work to develop skills in relation to whole texts, guided practices to develop language skills for meaningful communication through texts Criticisms: more on specific skills than a more general language proficiency, may be impractical in many situations

10. Integrated Syllabus Based on different priorities & use of different syllabus strands-degree of integration Decision b/w macro-level & micro-level planning units Krahnke (1987, p. 75): Level of specifications in terms of complexity, abilities, situations, formal knowledge, the choice of integration differs.

Developing Instructional Blocks A self-contained learning sequence with own goals & objectives Can be a single lesson or a unit of work consisting of several lessons Teaching blocks are for -making the course more teachable & learnable -providing a progression in level of difficulty -creating overall coherence & structure for the course

Developing Instructional Blocks Two commonly used instructional blocks -Modules: a course is divided into separate modules with more immediate & specific objectives for separate assessment, give learners a sense of achievement, beware of fragmentation & unstructuredness -Units: longer than a lesson but shorter than a module, commonest way to organize a group of lessons to plan a single instructional focus

Developing Instructional Blocks A structured sequence of activities leading toward a learning outcome Factors for successful units (scheme of work) -Length: sufficient but not too much -Development: sequence -Coherence -Pacing -Outcomes: know or do things taught or related

Developing Instructional Blocks An example of topical organization of units & an integrated syllabus (Richards & Sandy, 1998; See p. 166 & Appendix 8) Horizontal coherence: the linked sequence of activities within each unit Vertical coherence: the sequence that runs through from the top of each page to bottom with each page culminating in an appropriate activity to bring the page to closure

Preparing the Scope & Sequence Plan A listing or the module or units & their contents & an indication of how much teaching time each block in a course will require A unit-by-unit description of the course cross-referenced to syllabus items included (See Appendix 9)