Tuesday, July 19, 10:00 am -1:00 pm
Agenda
1. Discussion of “CLT Today” pp. 1-5, 23-27, and 45-46
2. Articulating an approach
3. An “eclectic, enlightened approach”
4. Incorporating an approach into curriculum and
syllabus design
Discussion:
“Communicative language teaching today”
by Jack C. Richards
Articulating an approach to language
and learning:
Approach
Method
Technique
Approach:
Theoretical positions and beliefs about the
nature of language, language learning, and
how they can be applied in pedagogical
settings.
Method:
• A general set of classroom specifications and
linguistic objectives.
• Primarily concerned with:
- teacher and student roles/behaviors
- learning objectives
- sequencing
- materials
Technique:
Exercises, activities, and tasks used to achieve
lesson objectives
(AKA: Classroom practices, tasks)
Activity: Choices about teaching
Directions:
1. Complete the survey
2. Discuss your answers with a small group
Activity: Choices about teaching
Continued:
3. For each question, try to think of situations in
which your honest answer begins with”
“It depends…” or “Both…”
An “Enlightened approach”
• Draws on different methodologies for
different contexts
• Includes basic principles of teaching and
learning
• Informed by current SLA theory
• Not static
An “Enlightened approach”
The interaction between your approach and
your classroom experience is what makes you
a dynamic teacher. It continues throughout
your career.
The key:
Your personal approach should inform
everything you do as a teacher.
“Whatever you do, always have a reason
for doing it.”
-- BREAK –
10 minutes
Incorporating an approach into
curriculum and syllabus design:
Curriculum v. Syllabus
Curriculum :
• Contains broad descriptions of general goals
• Indicates:
• educational-cultural philosophy
• theoretical orientation to language
• theoretical orientation to language learning
• Reflects national and political trends
[from: Dubin, F. & Olshtain, E. (1982) Course design: Developing programs and materials for language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge. p. 34-35.]
Syllabus :
The application of a curriculum to a particular course,
level, or set of related courses. Includes:
• Detailed operational statement
• Translates curriculum into a series of planned steps
• Leads to more narrowly defined objectives at each
level
[from: Dubin, F. & Olshtain, E. (1982) Course design: Developing programs and materials for language learning. Cambridge:
Cambridge. p. 34-35.]
Activity: Examining a curriculum
Small groups:
1. Examine Statement of Purpose” and
“Methodology” in the ALI Curricular Overview
2. Identify:
- broad goals
- overall educational-cultural philosophy
- theoretical orientation to language and learning
3. Report to class group
Key question:
“How can I adapt my own approach to a given
curriculum?”
Activity: Adapting a curriculum
The situation:
Your group is the curriculum committee for the SINAV
language program. You have been asked to examine
curricula from other programs for ideas.
What (if anything!) would you recommend adapting
from the ALI curricular overview?
Activity: Adapting a curriculum
Look at the ALI Statement of Purpose and Approach:
Methodology and identify any of the following you
might include in the SINAV curriculum:
1. Broad Goals
2. Overall educational-cultural philosophy
3. Theoretical orientation to language and learning
Activity: Adapting a curriculum
Directions:
1. Choose a group secretary to write up your
recommendation to the SINAV administration as a
Word document. Explain why you have made your
recommendations.
2. List all group members' names at the end of your
assignment.
3. Upload your assignment to the "DISCUSSIONS"
section of this site -- Follow directions on the
"Posting Assignments" page.
Curriculum assignment: Posting to the
course site
Curriculum assignment: Posting to the
course site
Subject: “Curriculum Assignment”
Message: Copy and paste your
assignment here, then click “Post”
Lunch
Tuesday, July 19, 1:00 -4:00 pm
Agenda
1. Characteristics of a syllabus
2. Types of language syllabuses
3. Translating a program syllabus into an
individual course syllabus
4. Activity: Working with a syllabus template
5. Reflection
Characteristics of a syllabus
1. A comprehensive list of:
- content items (words, structures, topics)
- process items (tasks, methods)
2.
3.
4.
5.
Has explicit objectives
Is a public document
May indicate a time schedule
May indicate a preferred methodology or
approach
6. May recommend materials
[from Ur, P. (1991). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge: Cambridge. p. 177]
Activity: Examining a syllabus
Small groups:
1. Examine one level description in the ALI Curricular
Overview
2. Compare with characteristics on Ur’s list
3. Q: What do you find? What is missing?
4. Report to class group
Most common types of language
syllabuses
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Grammatical
Lexical
Notional
Functional
Situational
Mixed, or ‘multi-strand’
Grammatical syllabus
• a list of grammatical structures
• usually graded according to difficulty or
importance
[from Ur, P. (1991). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge: Cambridge. p.
178]
Lexical syllabus
• a list of lexical (vocabulary) items
• includes collocations, idioms
• usually divided into graded sections
[from Ur, P. (1991). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge: Cambridge. p.
178]
Notional syllabus
General notions:
‘number’
“time”
“place”
Specific notions:
“man”
“woman”
“afternoon”
[from Ur, P. (1991). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge: Cambridge. p. 178]
Functional syllabus
•
•
organized around language functions:
“identifying”
“promising”
“greeting”
usually combined with notions for a “Functionalnotional syllabus”
[from Ur, P. (1991). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge: Cambridge. p. 178]
Situational syllabus
• organized around real-life situations:
“eating a meal”
“in the street”
“buying a car”
• usually include clear set of vocabulary items
[from Ur, P. (1991). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge: Cambridge. p.
178]
Activity: Sample syllabuses
Small groups:
1. Examine the sample syllabuses distributed in class
2. What types of syllabuses are they?
3. Discuss
Activity: Working with a syllabus
template
1. Download the ALI Syllabus template from the
“Syllabus Assignment” page on our course website
2. Examine the ALI syllabus template
3. Using this template, create either:
•
A syllabus for a course you have taught or will be teaching
•
A course for an ALI level
4. Upload to the “Syllabus Assignment” page on the
course website
ALI Syllabus template
Syllabus assignment: Post to the
course site
Suggestions for reflection #2:
How would you describe your personal approach to
language learning and language teaching at this
point in your career? How did you arrive at this
position?
Or:
How do you feel about working with a prescribed
curriculum or syllabus? Why?
Homework
• Read “Language Learning Styles and
Strategies: An Overview” By Rebecca L. Oxford
and prepare comments/questions
• Write a comment about at least three of your
group members’ reflections.