Objectives of EFL
Teaching
objectives
The difference between ”aims”, “goals” and
“objectives”.
An aim is an expression of a long-term
purpose, usually over the course of one or
more years.
A goal is the outcome of a series of
successfully completed objectives, possibly
measured over a series of days.
An objective is a measurable, observable
behavior of less than a day’s duration.
Goals address more general, societal,
community, or institutional concerns. In
developing a language curriculum, issues
concerning language planning and policy must
be taken into account since it is the society or
broader community which the program
serves that fundamentally determines the
goals to be manifested in the course. In an
ideal situation, thus, goals are determined by
carefully examining information about the
patterns of language use within the various
domains of the society, as well as by studying
group
and individual attitudes toward
English and toward all other languages
which are used in the setting.
Objectives , in turn, are specific outcomes or
products of courses which are outlined in a
syllabus. Objectives guide teachers; they also
help learners understand where the course is
going and why. Objectives can be expressed
in terms of proficiency scores, or as
performance objectives such as language skill
attainments. Setting objectives in the course
plans makes it possible to carry out
the necessary evaluation measures. It also
makes it possible to specify the various levels of
instruction within a program. Course designers
ideally make use of information from all
interested sources when they write objectives.
Effective course design begins with the
question, what do I want my students to be able
to do or produce by the end of my course? In
answering this question, you will articulate
course aims and objectives that will guide your
choice of topics and your sequence of
assignments.
Considerations in choosing objectives :
Objectives
should
reflect
three
important factors: the nature of
organized knowledge, the nature of
society, and the nature of learners.
Objectives of teaching English as a foreign
Language at Intermediate schools of the
Kingdom
The Saudi Ministry of Education (1978:4) has
determined the following four aims of Teaching
English as a foreign language at Intermediate
schools of the Kingdom.
1. To produce, in three years, an individual who is
able to speak, read and listen with
understanding to simple current English and to
write a connected passage of up to half a page
about a simple subject or incident.
2. To give pupils who finish their formal
education in the Third year Intermediate
enough knowledge of the language to help
them in their vocations.
3. To give pupils who proceed to the
Secondary stage a sound foundation on
which to build their future studies.
4. To lay the foundation of a knowledge of
English so that later they can acquire
sufficient grasp of the language to enable
them to preach their religion to English
speakers, and to refute the errors of the
enemies of Islam concerning religion.
The above-mentioned aims of teaching
English at the Intermediate stage very
explicitly emphasize the importance of
imparting high level instruction of English
language and maintaining its standards in
all the four skills, i.e. listening, speaking,
reading and writing.
In a language curriculum, objectives can
both be general and specific. The general
objectives include the four-fold aims of
learning English i.e. listening, speaking,
reading, and writing. The specific aims
pertain to each lesson and clearly indicate
what the teacher wants to achieve by the
end of the lesson i.e. how many new words
and structures he will teach, what particular
grammatical items he will stress upon, and
what skills he will practise.
The specific aims, therefore, are designed for
each lesson; they vary from lesson to lesson
and are limited, exact and definite to be
achieved in one lesson or one class period.
Objectives are also divided into two broad
categories, i.e., behavioral objectives and
instructional objectives. Behavioral objectives
state the kind
of ideas, values, skills,
techniques of thinking and feeling that the
learners are supposed to learn, utilize and
develop.
These objectives are too general and are
largely related to learner’s character building
and personality development. However, they
should be stated in behavioral terms in order
to specify the desired changes in the action
patterns of learners. That is, how the learner
will think, feel or act after an experience has
been given to them.
Behavioral objectives should be consistent
with the goals of education, the purpose and
the policy of the school system.
Instructional objectives are the same as
specific objectives stated above. They are
drafted to teach a particular topic or a lesson
and they differ from topic to topic. These
objectives should also be stated in behavioral
terms clearly stating what academic changes
will take place in the learners after learning a
particular topic or lesson. How many new
words and structures they would have
mastered and what new grammatical items
they would have learned.
The instructional objectives should be
consistent with the behavioral objectives to
avoid any clash or disagreement between the
two.
Behavioral Objectives Instructional Objectives
1-They are long-range
objectives to be
achieved over a long
period of time.
1-They are short-range
objectives
to
be
achieved in a limited
period of time, say one
class period.
2- They mainly pertain
to character building
and personality
development
2-They specifically
pertain to subject area,
course-outline and the
textbook.
3- They are abstract in
nature.
3- They are concrete in
nature.
4- They are broad, 4- They are exact,
indefinite and unlimited. definite, and limited.
5-They involve values,
ideas and thinking
techniques
e.g.,
thinking
critically,
thinking creatively etc.
5- They also aim at
developing thinking skills
by using problem solving
approach, discovery
method, heuristic
approach, role-playing
dramatization etc.
Best of luck
Dr. Nissrein Abdel
Bassett El-Enany