1 richards

THE ORIGINS OF LANGUAGE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Deals with following:

Procedures can be used to determine the content of a lg program.

Learner´s needs.

Contextual factures considered.

Nature of aims and objectives.

Factors involved in planning the syllabus.

Issues involved in selecting, adapting and designing instructional materials.

Measure the effectiveness of a lg program.

Historical background

Syllabus design

Specifications of the content of a course of isntruction and lists what will be taught and tested.

Curriculum development

Includes the processes that are used:

* Determine the needs of a group of learners.

*Develop aims or objectives for a program.

* Addresss those needs

* Determine an apropriate syllabus, course strucutre, teaching methods and materials.

*Carry out an evaluation of the lg program that result from these processes.

Teaching methods.

Grammar translation (1800-1900)

Direct Method (1890-1930)

Structural Method (1930-1960)

Audiolingual Method (1950-1970)

Situational Method (1950-1970)

Communicative Approach (1970-present)

Principles of structural method:

Initial preparation

Habit forming

Accuracy

Gradation

Proportion

Concreteness

Interest

Order of progression

Multiple line approach

Vocabulary selection (lexical syllabus)

Criteria used in determining word list:

Teachability - Direct method, vocabulary is taught early on because it can easily be illustrated through pictures.

Similarity Items may be selected because they are similar to words in the native lg.

Availability: Some words may not be frequent but come to mind when certain topics are thought of.

Coverage: words that cover the meaning of other words.

Defining power: Words could be selected because they are useful in defining other words.

Grammar selection and gradation

Gradation: grouping and sequencing of teahing items in a syllabus.

Principles

Simplicity and centrality (subject-verb-complement)

Frequency

Subject and verb ellipsis

Topic highlighting

Tails (ending like "you know"

Reporting verbs

Learability (nouns first, then verbs, then adjectives).

Approaches

Linguistic distance (structures that are similar to those in the native lg should be taught first)

Intrinsic difficulty (simple before complex)

communicative need

Frequency (present continuous)

Linear or cyclical gradation (items are introduced one at time)

Assumptions unverlying early approaches to syllabus design

The basic units of lg are vocabulary and grammar.

Learners everywhere have the same needs.

Learners´needs are identified exclusively in terms of lg needs.

The process of learning a lg is largely determined by textbooks.

The context of teaching english as a foreing lg.