CRITICAL ASSESSMENT

Critical Assessment of Syllabus Design

Critical Assessment of Syllabus Design

Introduction

In analyzing second language teaching methodology, there are three important underlying interrelated terms that must be considered: approach, design, and technique. Long & Richards (1987, p.146) mention in their article on the subject that Anthony (1963) originally made the distinction and clarified language-teaching methodology into these three central terms. Long & Richards (1987, p.146) also point out that Anthony's (1963) distinction has been since tailored and therefore methodology is generally referred to by speaking of approach, design, and procedure.  These three terms will be defined and then used to describe and critically analyze two popular second language-teaching methods:  The Natural Approach and Community Language Learning.

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Research question: how do you get them why do you choose them and where?

Does the SLT method's 'approach' in language teaching based both on theory of language and theory of language learning?

Do teachers of second languages all naturally or academically attain or accept some theory of how learners learn language and how language is constructed in terms of the various components that comprise it? 

Methodology

A method's 'approach' is therefore the basis on what the teacher believes are the means by which learners acquire language and, subsequently, how they go about teaching the L2 in the classroom via their chosen materials and teaching techniques.  

In further discussing approach and theory of language, it will be helpful to mention three prominent theories relating to second language teaching methodology which have bearing on approach, design, and procedure: the structural view, the functional view, and the interactional view.  In a more concerted sense with respect to design, for example, these theories will have varying effects on the roles of the teachers and students within the classroom.  

Over the last 30 years, research in rhetoric and composition studies has proven the same pedagogical methods that work with traditional populations work with ESL populations. Of course, some of the content will possibly need to be adjusted depending on the reading and writing levels of the ESL students. However, the general approach to learning is no different for an English learner than for a native English speaker.

The first obstacle to overcome when trying to solve the problem of ESL syllabus design is to figure out where to begin. A good place to start is to consult the institution's student learning outcomes for the course you are teaching. What is it that you are supposed to teach? When a student completes your class with a passing grade, what are the abilities that he or she is expected to possess? For example, a student learning outcome for a freshman composition class might be something like "students will be able to construct a thesis driven essay supporting their argument with external sources" or "students will be able to format their papers and incorporate citations following the guidelines provided by the Modern Language Association."

Sometimes this can be quite a long list with 10 or more items. With a little ingenuity, this list can be turned ...