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8/9/2019 Edl 251 Report
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DESIGNING COMMUNICATIVE SYLLABUSES IN
ENGLISH FOR FILIPINO LEARNERS:
SOME CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINESby Rosario E. Maminta
The Communicative Approach to Language
Teaching
versus the audio-lingual approach
concerned with developing the ability to do
something with language (language functions)
such as to narrate, to argue, etc.
the change in ourtheoretical perspectives onthe nature of language and language acquisition
calls for a reexamination of the content of our
language teaching materials.
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OBJECTIVES
Discuss the conceptual and operational guidelines in
designing communicative syllabuses in English for Filipinolearner
Identify and describe the components of a communicative
syllabus
Differentiate the communicative syllabus to other kinds of
language syllabuses
Highlight the importance of adopting an eclectic-pragmatic
approach to syllabus design in order to address the
communication needs of students
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ECLECTIC-PRAGMATIC POINT OF VIEW
TO SYLLABUS DESIGN
Language teachers should becautioned against adopting the falsenotion that the teaching of the functionsof language is incompatible with theteaching of forms.
The kind of instructional materialsshould reflect ournew theoreticalinsights as well as well-establishedprinciples based on the structuralapproach.
A strong argument exists, therefore, in
support of the stand to retain some ofourexcellent audio-lingual materialsinstead
of substituting them with hastilyconceived or ill-designed syllabuses.
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TYPES OF SYLLABUS
Grammatical Syllabus based on a carefully sequencedpresentation of structures or grammatical items
Notional Syllabus the language items are selected on the basisof concepts, ideas or emotions which the learner may need to
express Communicative function syllabus language items are selected
on the basis of communicative tasks such as description andexplanation of process, reporting of information etc.
skill based syllabus- it focuses on the
four skills of reading, writing, listening,
speaking and breaks each skill down in to itscomponent micro skills
functional syllabus- this is organized
according to the functions the learner should
be able to carry out, such as expressing
likes, dislikes
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NATURE OF COMMUNICATIVE
COMPETENCE
The nature of communicative competence underlies the
nature of ourinstructional objectives and learning
activities.
It is impossible to teach language function withoutreference to form.
Organize language teaching in terms of the purpose of
communication rather than form.
1. Establish an inventory of functions.
2. Determine the linguistic forms which are used to
realize the function.
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Determining the Goals of the
Language Program What communication skills or about what topics and in what
particular role and setting will the learner use the language?
National Bilingual Policy
- the role of English is more narrow with
the expansion of the role of the Filipino
national language
- English should be mainly taught as a
means of access to scientificknowledge.
- Filipino is the language of literature,
humanities and social sciences.
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Formulating Instructional Objectives and
Choosing Learning Content Learning items should be organized according to the purpose
of communication rather than form.
Examples of lesson objectives: to describe processes or actions, to stategeneralization, to draw conclusions, to compare, to state cause and effectrelationships
The communicative syllabus or instructional materials integratethe teaching of function and the teaching of form.
In order to perform varied speech roles he (the learner) needs to havecommand of the grammar and phonology which makes the realization inspeech. (Widdowson, 1978)
Example of a lesson with the integration of form and function:
Function: Giving definitionsForm: Using the sentence pattern Noun + Linking Verb + Noun + relative
clause
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Formulating the Topic Sequence
The notions or concepts which constitute the underlying meaning
of the communicative functions are derived from the subject matter
of the discipline.
For example college English materials for agriculture correspond to
the sub-areas of the agricultural curriculum: Soils, Agronomy,Animal Husbandry
Analysis oftextbooks, syllabus
of the content subjects and
questionnaires or interviews of
teachers in the content areas willcertainly provide the best
information on the conceptual
categories of the communicative
syllabus
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Units of Discourse
In a communicative syllabus, linguisticitems to be taught will consequently not
be limited to syntax but will also includediscourse grammar.
Rhetorical coherence and grammaticalcohesion is being developed.
The use ofcohesive device is
explicitly taught.
Objective Topic Rhetorical
Function
Vocabulary
StructuresDiscourse
Ability to
describe a
process as
actions,
sequence,
stages of
processes w/c
occurchronologically
Germination
of seed
Description
of a process
Vocabulary:
simulataneous,
sequence,
preceding,
following
Structure:
Present tense,
Adverbial
clause of time
As, while,
before, after,
afterwards,
later
Components of
Communicative Syllabus
1. Instructional objectives
2. Conceptual categories (topics
inherent to the discipline)
3. Rhetorical functions
4. Grammar and Lexis
5. Discourse Grammar including
cohesive devices
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Organization and Sequencing of
Learning Content Rhetorical functions and conceptual
categories that likely to co-occur are
grouped together in the syllabus
This gives the learner knowledge of how aparticular linguistic item is used to express
different functions or how one function is
realized by different linguistic structures
Rhetorical functions maybe sequenced
logically or on the basis ofdifficulty.Example: description precedes
classification
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Implementing the Syllabus
Each lesson based on the communicativesyllabus is organized around a rhetoricalfunction with an underlying concept whichthe learner is expected to handle in the
specific discipline in which the language isto be used.
The skills of listening, speaking, reading,and writing are integrated in each lesson.
The reading text serves as a presentationmaterial for the discourse structure whileproviding the learner with skills inrecognizing and producing structures,vocabulary and cohesive signals associatedwith the discourse.
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