A DISCUSSION OF THE NOTIONAL-FUNCTIONAL SYLLABUS

A DISCUSSION OF THE NOTIONAL-FUNCTIONAL SYLLABUS

1. 1. The notional-functional syllabus

   • What is a syllabus?
     • “A specification of the content of a course of instruction lists what will be taught and tested”
   • What is a notional-functional syllabus?
     • Therefore, it is a syllabus that has a comprehensible explanation of the functions and concepts to be cover
       • Notion
         • “Time, space, movement, cause and effect”
       • Functions
         • “The intentional or purposive use of language.”
   • How and why was the notional-functional syllabus brought about?
     • Theories of language
       • Richards and Rodgers (2001, p.20) “language is a system of structurally related elements for the coding of meaning”
       • The notional-functional syllabus’s focus on the meanings and functions of language was strongly influenced by functional and communicative views of language.
       • Theories of learning
         • Process oriented theories
           • “build on learning processes, such as habit formation, induction
         • Condition-oriented theories
           • “emphasize the nature of the human and physical context in which language learning takes place”.
   • An analytic approach?
     • Language were seen as “building blocks which have to be carefully accumulated” where there was “careful linguistic control of the learning environment”.

2. 2. Strengths and weakness of the notional-functional syllabus

   • Analytic or synthetic?
     • Analytic approach (exposure to raw language and subsequent induction of forms). Synthetic approach (exposure to graded language and gradual accumulation of forms)
     • Product or process-based?
       • Product-based - that is, focussing on what language is learned, as opposed to process-based, focussing on how language is learned
       • Grading
         • Structural syllabuses had traditionally been graded according to frequency of occurrence, linguistic complexity, and natural order of acquisition
         • Pragmatic considerations
           • “if a structural syllabus and related course units make explicit use of grammatical concepts and categories, it enables learners to use formal strategies for acquiring language, such as analyzing the tense system.”

3. 3. Teaching situations and implications for the notional-functional syllabus

   • How do we define teaching situations?
     • We will assume the language being taught is English. We will also assume that the teacher is a native speaker of English
     • Institutional variables
       • Educational environment in which such teaching can take place.
         • Class size
           • A large class – particularly a diverse one – may not be a suitable target for a notional-functional syllabus.
         • Assessment
           • success in such assessment does not depend on the ability to express notions and functions but on some other area of linguistic or communicative ability
         • Status
           • refers to whether an institution is a private “for profit” institution or a public “not for profit”
       • Socio-cultural variables
         • Individualism
           • In collectivist cultures, learners are more interested in traditional methods
           • In individualist cultures, learners are more open to new methods which focus on exposure to authentic language
           • Gender bias
             • Represents a spectrum which ranges from masculine to feminine perspectives on norms of behavior.
   • Learner variables
     • Language level
       • refers to the level of language ability demonstrated by a particular learner, usually classified in TEFL
     • Learner styles
       • “Concrete” or “communicative” learners appear to be much more amenable to a notional-functional syllaus
       • “prefer to avoid groups” and conformists “emphasize learning ‘about language’
     • Motivation
       • Instrumental and integrative. The former implies “needing a language as an instrument to achieve other purposes
   • Status of English in locality
     • This includes localities where English is the native language; localities where English is an official language; and localities where English is a foreign language.

4. 4. The argument for choosing a notional-functional syllabus

   • Mixed situations
     • Those which tend to create situations where the adoption of a notional-functional syllabus would be ill-advised.
     • The teacher would have to evaluate whether, on balance, a notional-functional syllabus would generally promote or diminish the acquisition of English as a second language
   • English teaching in Japan: Two scenarios
     • In the commercial English school, each chapter in the text book has been given a functional title, e.g. “asking for directions”, “expressing opinions” or “checking information”.
       • Language activities focus very much on how different speaker roles, contexts and statuses affect
     • In the university, the prescribed textbook includes chapters functionally titled
       • More traditional, structurally inspired “language check” and task-based learning inspired “ensemble” activities, where learners have to complete information gap exercises