Curriculum, Syllabus and Lesson Plan

By: Sheila TamizradBanoo Amin Educational Complex

Winter 1394

WHAT IS A CURRICULUM?

General statements about language learning, learning purpose

and experience, evaluation, and the roles and relationships of

teachers and learners. Contains banks of learning items and

suggestions about how they might be used in class.

WHAT IS A SYLLABUS?

A plan or what is to be achieved through our teaching and

our student’s learning, a summary of the content to which

learners will be exposed,

What to be

taught

In what order

Syllabus

UNITS AND SEQUENCE

SEQUENCE- Learning Pyramid

A Comparison of Learning Pyramid

SYLLABUS vs METHODOLOGY

• SYLLABUS – concerned with the selection and grading of content (definition of content of classroom)

•METHODOLOGY – selection of learning tasks and activities

IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A SYLLABUS

1. Better management of study time, assessment, and reading material

2. Provides moral support

3. Reassures sponsors and students

4. Acts as a road map

TYPES OF EFL SYLLABUS

PRODUCT-ORIENTED – emphasizes the product of language learning

E.g.: structural approach, situational approach, notional/functional approach

PROCESS ORIENTED – to enhance communicative skills, focuses on the specification of the learning task and activities that she/he will undertake

E.g.: procedural/task based approaches, learner-led syllabus, proportional approach

PRODUCT-ORIENTED SYLLABUS

• Selection and grading of the content is based on the complexity/simplicity of grammatical items

• Learner is expected to master each structural step and add to his/her grammar collection• Problem in grammar of the spoken and of the written language

STRUCTURAL APPROACH

• Based on situational needs• Reflects the way language and behavior are used outside the classroom• Links structural theories to situations

SITUATIONAL APPROACH

• Focuses on communicative purpose and conceptual meaning• Needs of learners is central

NOTIONAL/FUNCTIONAL APPROACH

PROCESS-ORIENTED SYLLABUSES

PROCEDURAL/TASK-BASED

• Focuses on pedagogy, learning, and the learner

• Practice and interaction to encourage learners use language communicatively

• Activities employed to complete meaningful tasks enhance learning

LEARNER-LED SYLLABUS

• Focuses on how learners learn

• Difficult to track as syllabus will be largely the responsibility of the learners

• Lacks aims

PROPORTIONAL APPROACH

• Attempts to develop “overall competence”

• A theme will link the units taught

• Designed to be dynamic with room for feedback and flexibility

Examples

• Topic/Theme Based: (e.g. Health/pollution)• Notional functional (e.g. notional: time/space functional: request / apology)• Situational (e.g. Post office)• Skill-based (e.g. negotiation)• Task base (e.g. organizing an event)• Content-base (e.g. English for banking)

Syllabuses in ELT

• Procedural syllabus• Cultural syllabus• Situational syllabus• Skill-based syllabus• Structural or formal

syllabus• Multi-dimensional

syllabus

• Task-based syllabus• Process syllabus• Learner-led syllabus• Proportional syllabus• Content-based syllabus• Notional/functional

syllabus• Lexical syllabus

Structural (Formal) Syllabus

• Organized along grammatical lines.

• Focus on outcomes or the product

• Learner expected to master each structural step while increasing

grammar

• Uses structured, sequenced practice drills

Notional/Functional Syllabus

• Focus is on the communicative purpose and the conceptual meaning of

language.

• Calls for needs analysis to establish objectives

• Functions such as inviting, requesting, agreeing, apologizing are taught.

• Notions such as age, color, size, comparison, time, etc.

Cultural Syllabus

• Based on learner’s own country

• Requiring teacher to have knowledge of student’s culture

• Goals to develop interest, curiosity and empathy for cultures

• Emphasis on socio-cultural implications of language usage

Situational Syllabus

• Based on real life situations, such as going to the dentist, seeing

a movie, meeting a new student

• Content of language is based on such situations.

• Learners find meaning from relevant context.

Lexical Syllabus

• Firmly based on real language.

• Use of the commonest words and phrases and their meanings

• Learning the patterns of language

• Language is carefully selected for the learner to analyze by

themselves.

Skill-Based Syllabus

• Skills are taught that are needed for language competency

• Specific skills such as pronunciation, grammar and discourse are

improved through activities such as: listening to language to find

the main idea, writing well-formed paragraphs, and giving

lectures.

Process Syllabus

• Program is designed as the school year takes place

• Decision to follow a pre-designed content syllabus, or develop an

on-going syllabus using alternative assessment, activities and tasks

• Develops a strong relationship between subject matter, learning,

and the contributions of a classroom.

Content-Based Syllabus

• Goal is to teach specific information and content using the language

that learners are learning.

• Subject matter is primary, and language learning happens concurrently.

• For example, in a chemistry class, linguistic adjustments are made to

make the chemistry more understandable

Task Based Syllabus

• Using specific task to achieve a purpose

• Language is developed through interaction and practice.

• Task must be relevant to the real world

• Pre-task, Circling task, Post-task

Learner-Led Syllabus

• Learners engaged in the implementation and design as much as

practically possible

• The hope is that the learner is more motivated due to their

awareness of the course and their involvement.

• Questions on practicality of program as syllabus is guided by learner

Proportional Syllabus

• Focus is on flexibility and spiral technique of language sequencing leading to the

recycling of language.

• Goal is to develop an overall competence

• Themes are chosen by the learner

• Shift from form to interaction.

• States syllabus has to indicate what will be taught, rather than what will be learned

Multi-Dimensional Syllabus

• Flexible syllabus incorporating elements of other models.

• Example: a syllabus that includes important functions, reviewing

important situations, and teaching specific skills

• A combination of other models.

PRODUCT-ORIENTED SYLLABUS – structural approach

1. Structurally graded syllabus misrepresent the nature of language

2. There is more than grammar to language

3. No one-to-one relationship between form and function

4. Tend to promote activities which serve to internalize the formal

properties of language

PRODUCT-ORIENTED SYLLABUS – functional/notional approach

1. Selection and grading of items become much more complex

2. Items should reflect how learners carry out the communicative purposes

3. Look beyond linguistic simplicity or complexity

4. Misrepresents the nature of language as communication

5. Promote activities that attempt to replicate in class “real” communication

WHAT KIND OF SYLLABUS?

• Engage learners in problem solving tasks as purposeful activities

• Problem solving tasks would involve a conscious and repeated reference to the formal

properties of the language

• Language as a necessary resource for the achievement of communicative outcomes

CLL PRINCIPLES IN TEACHING MATERIALS

• Authenticity of text (idiomaticity and complexity of normal native-speaker discourse)

• Authenticity of text use (Authentic materials, that are believed to be user-specific, just develop

general reading comprehension)

• Authenticity of context (Authenticity of task to learner)

Three Phases in Class Management

1. Things to decide

2. Actions to be taken on the basis of those decisions

3. Process of review to feed into future decision making

Decision

ActionReview

Approaches to the role of teaching materials

Approaches

Deficiency viewBest teachers have no

need for published materials

Teacher-proof materials

Difference view

Mere classroom manager

Freedom for teachers

Language Teaching Analysis

A. Goals

B. Content

C. Methods

D. Guidance

A. Goal

1. Points of view

2. Type of goals

3. Probability of conflict

4. Materials can’t determine goals

B. Content – Main Points

1. Input

2. Emergent content

3. Materials doesn’t determine content

B. Content – Categories

1. The target language itself

2. Subject-matter content

3. Learning strategies

4. Attitudes

C. Method

1. Learning process

2. Activities

3. Activity management

D. Guidance

Help people fully understand what/ how they are doing it.

• Explanations of goals/content/learning activities

• Hints to draw attention

• Providing learner with immediate feedback

• Evaluation of learner progress/ attainment

• The timing

• Guidance about methods/ target content/ classroom behavior

Three Roles of teachers

Rationale People

Ideas People

• Learners’ guide language learning

Independent language learning

Classroom language learning

• Ideas books• Ideas for content• Ideas for activities• Ideas for filler activities

Why use textbooks?

• Suitable for their needs

• Possibility of looking ahead and back

• Well-presented

• Adapt and improvise

Lesson Plan

• Why?

1. Clear goals

2. Focused

3. Organized (time, resources, type of interaction and sequence)

• How?

Lesson Plan Sample 1

Lesson Plan Sample 2

Lesson Plan Sample 3

Lesson Plan Sample 4

How to design a comprehensive and appropriate lesson plan?

Let’s find out tomorrow!

Thank you!