The document discusses different types of language teaching syllabi, including grammatical, functional-notional, situational, skills-based, topic-based, and task-based syllabi. It provides details on the characteristics and focuses of each type. It also discusses that most syllabi use a combination of approaches and that a syllabus organizes and sequences content into teachable units, while considering pacing, presentation, and practice. The goal is to select a syllabus that fits the learners and fulfills the language teaching goals.

1. The Framework of Materials and
Method

2. Introduction:
Setting the
Scene
English as a Global Language
• Graddol (2006) “the availability of English as a global language is
accelerating globalization. On the other hand, the globalization is
accelerating the use of English.
English language teaching has been diversified.
• English as a Foreign Language (EFL) – English is taught outside
English speaking regions.
• English as a Second Language (ESL) – English is taught inside
English speaking regions to non-native learners.
• English for Young Learners (EYL) – English is taught as an
additional language to very young to young learners up to,
normally, primary level.
• English for Specific Purposes (ESP) – English is taught for specific
occupational purposes such as English for medicine and for
business.
• English for Academic Purposes (EAP) – English is taught to those
who wish to study at institutes of higher education.
• Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) – English is
taught in cross-curricular programs in which content subjects and
language are taught at the same time.

3. The
Framework:
Context and
Syllabus
• Overall, the goals of a language teaching program
is usually derived from an analysis of the reasons
why a group of learners in a particular
environment needs to learn English. Goals need
to be realistic for each circumstance. They may be
set out by the government which is the national
language policy.
e.g. Philippines, Malaysia, Japan
• There is a whole spectrum of possibilities for
defining the goals of language teaching, for a
country, an age group, a whole school, a class or
an individual; and whether for general
educational purposes, business, scientific
development, cultural appreciation or many
other reasons.

4. The Framework of Language Teaching

5. Contextual
factors
Learners
• Age
• Interests
• Level of proficiency in English
• Aptitude
• Mother tongue
• Academic and educational level
• Attitudes to learning
• Attitudes to learning
• Motivation
• Reasons for learning
• Preferred learning styles
• Personality

6. Setting
• The role of English in the country
• The role of English in the school
• Teachers
• Management &
• Administration
• Resource availability
• Support personnel
• The number of pupils
• Time
• Physical environment
• Socio-cultural environment
• Types of tests used
• Procedures for monitoring & evaluating

7. The Syllabus
The next step in the task of planning is to
select a type of syllabus relevant to the
learners for whom it is intended,
appropriate to the situation and which
fulfills the aims as closely as possible.
The ‘syllabus’ can be seen for our purposes
as the overall organizing principle for what is
to be taught and learned. In other words, it
is a general statement as to the pedagogical
arrangement of learning content.

8. Syllabus
• Richards and Rodgers (2001) have proposed a useful
framework for the comparison of language teaching methods
that illustrates the place of the syllabus in program planning.
Three distinct levels
1. Approach - the most general level and refers to the views,
beliefs, and theories of language learning which planning is
based.
2. Design – a level where the principles of the first level are
converted into the more practical aspects of syllabuses and
instructional materials.
3. Procedure – refers to the techniques and the management
of the classroom itself.

9. Principles of
Syllabus
Organization

10. Six broad
types of
syllabus
1. grammatical or structural
2. functional-notional
3. situational
4. skills-based
5. topic-based
6. task-based

11. Grammatical
or Structural
syllabus
• consists of a list of grammatical items selected and graded in terms of
simplicity and complexity (Nunan, 1988).
• Exposes learners to various grammatical structures step by step and
they are supposed to master them by internalizing the rules.
• Emphasizes grammar as the most important the learning content.
• Uses grammar exercises to test the learners’ knowledge.
• Focuses on the learning outcome.
• Believes that grammar or the structure of language is most significant
part in language learning.

12. Functional-
Notional
Syllabus
• Based on the premise that communication is a meaningful behavior
in a social and cultural context that requires creative language use
rather than synthetic sentence building.
• Grammatical structures are taught not as an end in themselves but
as a means of carrying out communicative functions.
• Based on communicative competence theory
• Notion – a specific context of communication
• Function – a specific purpose in that context.
• Emphasis is primarily on the semantic and communicative aspects
along with grammatical and situational factors.
• Needs analysis is a prerequisite.

13. Functional-Notional
Syllabus
• It is a more inclusive notion based on
communicative competence theory as
proposed by Dell Hymes who felt that
the linguistic forms should be studied
along with the ways in which they are
used.

14. Functional-
Notional
Syllabus
Notion- is the specific context in which we
communicate.
Function – is a specific purpose in a
context.
Example
Shopping can be a notion
Asking price, bargaining, and discussing the
product can be the functions of language

15. Characteristics
of notional
functional
approaches:
1. A functional view of language focusing on doing something through
language;
2. A semantic base, as opposed to a grammatical or a situational base;
3. A learner-centered view of language learning;
4. A basis in the analysis of learner needs for using language that is
reflected in goals, content selection and sequencing, methodology, and
evaluation;
5. Learner-centered goals, objectives, and content organization
reflecting authentic language behavior and offering a spiraling
development of content;
6. Learning activities involving authentic language use; and
7. Testing focused on ability to use language to react to and operate on
the environment. (p. 18-19)

16. Situational
Syllabus
Meaning is dependent not only
on structure and linguistic
knowledge but also on the
context of the utterance.
Content based on everyday
situations. (making and
answering calls, buying, etc.)

17. Situational
Syllabus
Motivational level of the learners
is enhanced.
Limitation: Notions and functions
are limited to few situations.
Learner-centered rather than
subject-centered.

18. Three types
of situational
syllabus
differentiated
by their
informational
content and
linguistic
content.
1. Limbo: Specific setting of the situation is
of little or no importance. What is important
is the particular language focus involved.
2. Concrete: Situations are enacted to
specific settings and the language associated
with it.
3. Mythical: Situations depend on a fictional
cast of characters in a fictional place.
(Pp.179-180).

19. Skill-Based
Syllabus
Specific language skills are
taught to enhance confidence.
Specific language skills: Reading
Skills, Grammar Skills, Listening
Skills, Writing Skills

20. Topic-Based
Syllabus
• Built around certain topics and themes, such as: Travel,
drugs, religious Persuasion, advertising, modern
architecture, sport , etc.
• Usually starts with a variety of exercise that stimulates
student interest in the theme and develop the student’s
ability to manipulate the language appropriate to the
situation and use the language of the theme.
• The rest of the thematic unit include activities that
elaborate the theme, such as key ideas, including
cultural, cross-cultural and linguistic, listening
comprehension; speaking, reading, writing, and
vocabulary.

21. Task-Based Syllabus
• "Task" being "anything the learners are given to do (or choose to do) in the
language classroom to further the process of language learning.” (Williams &
Burden, 1997: p.167).
• Pedagogic task is the departure point.
• Task as an “activity in which: 1) meaning is primary; 2) there is some sort of
relationship to the real world; 3) task completion has some priority; and 4) the
assessment of task performance is in terms of task outcome. (Skehan, 1996 p.38).

22. Syllabus
• Most syllabuses are based on a combination of two or more of the syllabus types.
• The need to distinguish between syllabus itself and what we might call a ‘syllabus
inventory’. It is a list of the contents to be covered in the language program.
• A syllabus is the way in which that content is organized and broken down into a
set of teachable and learnable units, and will include consideration of pacing,
sequencing and grading of items, methods of presentation and practice, and so
on.

23. END
Source
McDonough, J., Shaw, C. &
Masuhara, H. (2013). Materials and
Methods in ELT: A Teachers’ Guide
(3rd Ed.). West Sussex: Blackwell
Publishing.