Syllabus Design &

Course Planning
 Contents
1. What are the parts of a syllabus?
2. What to know before creating a syllabus?
3. How to write a course rational?
4. Should I include an entry or exit level?
5. How to choose the course contents in syllabus?
6. How to determine the scope and sequence?
 Contents
7. What syllable framework are there?
8. What are the approaches to syllabus design?
9. Instructional materials
10. Authentic and created materials
11. Advantages of authentic materials
 Contents
12. Criticism of the use of authentic materials
13. Advantages of commercial textbooks
14. Disadvantages of commercial textbooks
15. Criteria for textbook evaluation
16. Preparing materials for a program
17. Effective teaching
 Syllabus Design &
Course Planning

1. What are the parts of a Syllabus?

Syllabus Design is one aspect of curriculum
development, a syllabus is an specification of the
contents of a course and list what will be taught and
tested.
 Syllabus Design &
Course Planning

Several methods have been used over the years to ensure

successful language teaching and learning, regardless of
the method and approach that you are using in language,
you will find the problem of selection because it is
impossible to teach the whole language so you must
select the parts of the language that you want to teach.
 Syllabus Design &
Course Planning

⁕ Basic Information
⁕ Learning Objectives
⁕ Materials and Access
⁕ Course Content
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⁕ Teaching Philosophy
⁕ Grading Method
⁕ Goal/Rationale
⁕ Student Responsibilities
 Syllabus Design &
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2. What to Know Before Creating a Syllabus

These are some things you should know before creating a
syllabus.
Need Analysis: Needs are often described in terms of a
linguistic deficiency, that is, as describing the difference
between what a learner can presently do in a language and
what he or she should be able to do.
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Situational Analysis: Situation analysis is an analysis of

factors in the context of a planned or present curriculum
project that is made in order to assess their potential
impact on the project. These factors may be politic,
social, economic, or institutional.
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Course Planning: A number of different levels of

planning and development are involved in
developing a course or set of instructional
materials based on the aims and objectives that
have been established for a language program.
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Course Planning

Teaching Materials: Teaching materials are a key component

in most language programs. Whether the teacher uses a
textbook, institutionally prepared materials, or his or her own
materials, instructional materials generally serve as the basis
for much of the language input learners receive and the
language practice that occurs in the classroom.
Effective Teaching: Quality teaching is achieved not only as a
consequence of how well teachers teach but through creating
contexts.
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Course Planning

3. How to Write a Course Rational

A starting point in course development is a description of the
course rational. This is a brief written description of the reasons
for the course and the nature of it. This course relational seeks to
answer these questions:
⁕ Who is the course for?
⁕ What is the course about?
⁕ What kind of teaching and learning will take place in the course?
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The course rationale answers these questions by

describing the beliefs, values and goals that
underlie the course. It would normally be a two or
three-paragraph statement that has been
developed by those involved in planning.
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The following is an example of a course rationale:

This course is designed for working adults who wish to improve their
communication skills in English in order to improve their employment
prospects. It teaches the basic communication skills needed to
communicate in a variety of different work settings. The course seeks to
enable participants to recognize their strengths and needs in language
learning and to give them the confidence to use English more effectively
to achieve their own goals. It also seeks to develop the participants’ skills
in independent learning outside of the classroom.
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4. Should I Include an Entry and Exit Level?

In order to plan a language course, it is necessary to know the level at
which the program will start and the level learners may be expected
to reach at the end of the course.

Language programs and commercial materials typically distinguish

between elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels, but these
categories are too broad for the kind of detailed planning that
program and materials development involves.
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For these purposes, more detailed descriptions are needed of students’

proficiency levels before they enter a program and targeted proficiency
levels at the end of it. Information may be available on students’ entry
level from their results on international proficiency tests such as
TOEFL or IELTS.
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5. How to Choose Course Contents in a Syllabus?

• This is the most basic issue in course design. A course has to be developed
to address a specific set of needs and to cover a different set of
objectives, what will the content of the course look like?

• Decisions about course content reflect the planners’ assumptions about the
nature of language, language use, and language learning, what the most
essential elements or units of language are, and how these can be organized
as an efficient basis for second language learning.
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For example, a writing course could potentially be planned around any of the
following types of content:

• Grammar (e.g., using the present tense in descriptions)

• Functions (e.g., describing likes and dislikes)
• Topics (e.g., writing about world issues)
• Skills (e.g., developing topic sentences)
• Processes (e.g., using prewriting strategies)
• Texts (e.g.; writing a business letter)
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Similarly a speaking course could be organized

around:
• Functions (expressing opinions)
• Interaction skills (opening and closing
conversations, turn taking)
• Topics (current affairs, business topics)
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Course Planning

6. How to Determine the Scope and Sequence

Decisions about course content also need to address the distribution or content
throughout the course. This is known as planning the scope and sequence of the course.

Scope is concerned with the breadth and depth of coverage of items in the course, that is,
with the following questions:

• What range of content will be covered?

• To what extent should each topic be studied?
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The sequencing of the course can be determined based on the following

criteria:

• Simple to complex: One of the commonest ways of sequencing material

is by difficulty level. Content presented earlier is thought to be simpler
than later items. This is typically seen in relation to grammar content,
but any type of course content can be graded in terms of difficulty. For
example, in a reading course reading texts may be simplified at the
beginning of the course and non-simplified at later levels. Or simple
skills such as “literal comprehension” may be required early on, and
more complex skills such as “inferencing” taught at a later stage.
 Syllabus Design &
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• Chronology: Content may be sequenced according to the

order in which events occur in the real world. For example,
in a writing course the organization might be based on the
sequence writers are assumed to employ when composing:
(1) brainstorming; (2) drafting; (3) revising; (4) editing. In a
proficiency course, skills might be sequenced according to
the sequence in which they are normally acquired: (1)
listening; (2) speaking; (3) reading; (4) writing.
• Needs: Content may be sequenced according to when
learners are most likely to need it outside of the
classroom. For example, the rationale for the sequencing
of content in a social survival curriculum is given as
follows: The topics and cross-topics in the curriculum are
sequenced “in order of importance to students’ lives, ease
of contextualization and their relationship to other topics
and cross-topics.” The sequence is:
 Syllabus Design &
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1. Basic literacy skills

2. Personal identification
3. Money
4. Shopping
5. Time and dates
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6. Telephone
7. Health
8. Emergencies
9. Directions
10. transportation
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11. Housing
12. post office
13. banking/bills
14. social language
15. clarification
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• Prerequisite /pri:rækwisit/ learning: The sequence of

content may reflect what is necessary at one point as a
foundation for the next step in the learning process. For
example, a certain set of grammar items may be taught as a
prerequisite to paragraph writing. Or, in a reading course,
word attack skills may be taught early on as a prerequisite to
reading non-simplified texts at later stages of the course.
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7. What Syllabus Frameworks are there?

A syllabus describes the major elements that will
be used in planning a language course and
provides the basis for its instructional focus and
content.
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The syllabus could be:

• Situational: organized around different situations and the oral skills

needed in those situations.
• Topical: organized around different topics and how to talk about them
in English.
• Functional: organized around the functions most commonly needed in
speaking.
• Task-based: organized around different tasks and activities that the
learners would carry out in English.
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8. What are the Approaches to Syllabus Design?

These are some of the approaches to syllabus design:

• Grammatical (or structural) syllabus: one that is organizes around a grammatical

items. Traditionally, grammatical syllabuses have been used as the basis for
planning general courses, particularly for beginning-level learners.

• Lexical syllabus: one that identifies a target vocabulary to be taught normally

arranged according to levels such as the first 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 words.
 Syllabus Design &
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• Functional syllabus: one that is organized around communicative

functions such as requesting, complaining, suggesting, agreeing.

• Situational syllabus: one that is organized around the language

needed for different situations such as at the airport or at a hotel.
A situation is a setting in which particular communicative acts
typically occur. A situational syllabus identifies the situations in
which the learner will use the language and the typical
communicative acts and language used in that setting.
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• Topical or content-based syllabus: One that is organized

around themes, topics, or other units of content. With a
topical syllabus, content rather than grammar, functions, or
situations is the starting point in syllabus design.

• Skills syllabus: one that is organized around the different

underlying abilities that are involved in using a language for
purposes such as reading, writing, listening, or speaking.
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• Task-based syllabus: one that is organized around tasks that students

will complete in the target language. A task is an activity or goal that is
carried out using language such as finding a solution to a puzzle,
reading a map and giving directions, or reading a set of instructions
and assembling a toy.

• Text-based syllabus: One that is built around texts and samples of ex-
tended discourse. As already noted, this can be regarded as a type of
situational approach because the starting point in planning a syllabus is
analysis of the contexts in which the learners will use the language.
 Syllabus Design &
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9. Instructional Materials
• Instructional Materials are a key component in most
language programs. Whether the teacher uses a
textbook, institutionally prepared materials, or his or
her own materials, instructional materials generally
serve as the basis for much of the language input
learners receive and the language practice that occurs in
the classroom.
 Syllabus Design &
Course Planning

• In the case of inexperienced teachers materials may

also serve as a form of teacher training because they
provide ideas on how to plan and teach lessons as
well as formats that teachers can use. Much of the
language teaching that occurs throughout the world
today could not take place without the extensive use
of commercial materials.
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These may take the form of:

 Printed materials such as books, workbooks, worksheets, or readers.

 Nonprint materials such as cassette or audio materials, videos or computer-

based materials.

 Materials that comprise both print and nonprint sources such as self-access
materials and materials on the Internet.

 In addition, materials not designed for instructional use such as magazines,

newspapers, and TV materials may also play a role in the curriculum.
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10. Authentic Vs Created Materials

When plans regarding the role of materials in a language program
are made, an initial decision concerns the use of authentic
materials versus created materials. Authentic materials refers to
the use in teaching of texts, photographs, video selections, and
other teaching resources that were not specially prepared for
pedagogical purposes. Created materials refers to textbooks and
other specially developed instructional resources.
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11. Advantages of Authentic Materials

These are some of the advantages of using Authentic Materials

• They have a positive effect on learner motivation because they are more
motivating than created materials.
• They provide authentic cultural information about the target culture.
• They provide exposure to real language.
• They relate more closely to learner’s needs.
• They support more creative approach to teaching.
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12. Criticism of the use of Authentic Materials

These are some of the problems that teachers find with the use of Authentic
Materials.

• Created materials can also be motivating for learners

• Authentic material often contain difficult language
• Created materials can be superior to authentic materials because they provide
a systematic teaching of the contents found in a syllabus.
• Creating authentic materials is a burden for teachers
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13. Advantages of Commercial Textbooks

These are some of the advantages of using commercial
textbooks:
• They provide structure and syllabus for a program
• They help standardize instruction
• They maintain quality
 Syllabus Design &
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• They provide a variety of learning resources

• They are efficient
• They can provide effective language models and
input
• They can train teachers
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13. Disadvantages of Commercial Textbooks

These are some of the disadvantages of using commercial textbooks:

• They may contain inauthentic language

• They may distort content
• They may not reflect students’ needs
• They can deskill teachers
• They are expensive
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15. Criteria for Textbook Evaluation

1. They should correspond to learners’ needs.
2. They should match the aims and objectives of the
language learning program.
3. They should reflect the uses (present or future) that
learners will make of the language.
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4. Textbooks should be chosen that will help equip students to use

language effectively for their own purposes.
5. They should take account of students’ needs as learners and should
facilitate their learning processes, without dogmatically imposing a
rigid “method.”
6. They should have a clear role as a support for learning. Like
teachers, they mediate between the target language and the learner.
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16. Preparing Materials for a Program

Advantages of building a materials development component into a program
include:

• Relevance: Materials can be produced that are directly relevant to students’

and institutional needs and that reflect local content, issues, and concerns.
• Develop expertise: Developing materials can help develop expertise among
staff, giving them a greater understanding of the characteristics of effective
materials.
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 Reputation: Institutionally developed materials may

enhance the reputation of the institution by
demonstrating its commitment to providing mate-
rials developed specifically for its students.
 Flexibility: Materials produced within the institution
can be revised or adapted as needed, giving them
greater flexibility than a commercial course book.
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Disadvantages also need to be considered before embarking on materials

development:

• Cost: Quality materials take time to produce and adequate staff time as well as
resources need to be allocated to such a project.
• Quality: Teacher-made materials will not normally have the same standard of
design and production as commercial materials and hence may not present the
same image as commercial materials.
• Training: To prepare teachers for materials writing projects, adequate training
should be provided.
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17. Effective Teaching

Effective Teaching is achieved not only as a consequence of how well
teachers teach but through creating contexts and good environments
that can facilitate good teaching.
 Syllabus Design &
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Some of the factors that syllabus designers have to think about are:

• The Institution
• Teachers
• Teaching Process
• Type of Learners
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4 Factors to consider to provide for effective teaching

These are the factor that you should take into account when
designing your syllabus.
1. Institution
A school’s organizational culture is revealed into the way the
following questions are answered:
1. What are the school’s goal and mission?
2. What is the school’s management style?
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3. What shared values do staff have?

4. What are the decision-making characteristics of the school?
What roles do teachers perform?
5. How are teaching and other work planned and monitored?
6. What provision is made for staff development?
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7. How are courses and curriculum planned?

8. How receptive is the school to change and
innovation?
9. How open are communication channels?
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The following characteristics are indicators of the quality of a

school or educational institution.

• There are clearly stated educational goals.

• There is a well-planned, balanced, and organized program
that meets the needs of its students.
• Systematic and identifiable processes exist for determining
educational needs in the school and placing them in order of
priority.
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• There is a commitment to learning, and an expectation

that students will do well.
• There is a high degree of staff involvement in
developing goals and making decisions.
• There is a motivated and cohesive teaching force with
good team spirit.
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• Administrators are concerned with the teachers’ professional

development and are able to make the best use of their skills and
experience.
• The school’s programs are regularly reviewed and progress toward
their goals is evaluated.
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Other aspects to consider are the following:

• A sound curriculum: Well developed courses and teaching

materials and test of high quality.
• Flexible organization framework: There is an atmosphere of
trust and support with reasonable teaching loads.
• Good Internal Communications: Systems that facilitate the
communication among teachers.
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• Professional Treatment of teachers: Teachers don’t work

under poor employment conditions.
• Teacher Development: Teachers develop long-term career
goals.
• Equipment: An institution that provides and invest in
technology.
• Class Size: Language classes should not exceed 30 students.
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2 Teachers
• Many things can be done to create a context for good teaching, but it
is teachers themselves who ultimately determine the success of a
program.

• Good teachers can often compensate for deficiencies in the

curriculum, the materials, or the resources they make use of
in their teaching.
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Core components of teaching knowledge include the following:

● Practical Knowledge: The teacher's repertoire of classroom

techniques and strategies.

● Content Knowledge: pedagogical grammar, phonology, teaching

theories, second language acquisition, as well as the specialized
discourse and terminology of language teaching
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• Contextual Knowledge: Familiarity with the school

or institutional context, knowledge of the learners,
including cultural and other relevant information
• Pedagogical knowledge: ability to restructure
content knowledge for teaching purposes, and to plan,
adapt, and improvise
 Syllabus Design &
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• Personal knowledge: the teacher’s personal

beliefs and principles and his or personal
approach to teaching.
• Reflective knowledge: the teacher’s capacity to
reflect on and assess his or her own practice.
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Support for teachers include:

• Orientation: New teachers need a careful orientation.

• Adequate Materials: Nothing is more demotivating than using
materials that no one likes.
• Teaching Release: Teachers need time to develop materials, prepare
test and plan lessons.
• Feedback: Teacher need to be told what they are doing well and what
they need to do in the performance.
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3 The Teaching Process

Teaching models are usually based on particular methods or approaches.

• The communicative approach: The focus of teaching is authentic communication;

extensive use is made of pair and group activities that involve negotiation of
meaning and information sharing. Fluency is a priority.

• The cooperative learning model: Students work in cooperative learning situations

and are encouraged to work together on common tasks and to coordinate their
efforts to complete tasks. Rewards systems are group-oriented rather than
individually oriented.
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• The process approach: In writing classes, students take

part in activities that develop their understanding of
writing as a process.
• The whole-language approach: Language is taught as a
whole and not through its separate components. Students
are taught to read and write naturally, with a focus on
real communication, authentic texts, and reading and
writing for pleasure.
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If you want to maintain a good language program you need to

consider the following strategies to address issues:

• Monitoring: Information needs to be collected regularly on all

aspects of the program to find out how teachers are teaching the
course, what is working well or proving difficult, and what issues
teachers need to resolve. Monitoring can take place through
formal and informal mechanisms such as group meetings, written
reports, classroom visits, and student evaluations.
 Syllabus Design &
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• Observations: Regular observation of teachers by other teachers or

supervisors can provide positive feedback on teaching as well as help
identify areas that might need attention.
• Shared Planning: Teachers often work in isolation and do not always
have the opportunities to benefit from the collective expertise of their
colleagues. One way to avoid this is to build in opportunities for
collaborative planning, as when teachers work together in pairs or
groups on course planning, materials development, and lesson
planning. During the process of planning, potential problems can often
be identified and resolved.
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4 .The Learning Process: Four Different Types of Learners

Learners’ learning styles may be an important factor in the success of teaching
and may not necessarily reflect those that teachers recommend.

• Concrete learners: These learners preferred learning by games, pictures,

films and video, talking in pairs and going on excursions.
• Analytical learners: These learners like studying grammar, studying English
books, studying alone, finding their own mistakes, having problems to work
on, learning through reading newspapers.
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• Communicative learners: This group liked to learn by observing

and listening to native speakers, talking to friends in English,
watching TV in English, using English in shops, and so on,
learning English words by hearing them and learning by
conversations.
• Authority-oriented learners: These students liked the teacher to
explain everything, writing everything in a notebook, having their
own textbook, learning to read, studying grammar, and learning
English words by seeing them.
 References
• The Practice of English Language Teaching by Jeremy Harmer
(Fourth Edition).
• Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (3rd ed). Cambridge
University Press.
• Baker, A. (1981). Ship or Sheep. Cambridge University Press.
• Kelly, G. (2000).How to Teach Pronunciation. Person
Education Limited.
• Killen, R (2003). Effective Teaching Strategies. Lesson from
Research and practice (3rd ed.) Social Science Press.
 References
• Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport-CAMSET Project
(2000). Pre service Training Course for Secondary English
Teachers. Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport- Effective Training
Strategies for Lower Secondary School Teachers of English in
Cambodia (2017).
• Practical Methodology in TESOL by Keo Sophal (2019).
• Techer Knowledge Test (TKT) by Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness
and Melanin Willam (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press.