A Journey Through Online
Language Learning
Syllabus Type
Syllabuses are concerned with how a course is structured and its content, i.e. the order in which language items are offered and what the items consist of. Syllabuses are closely linked with learning theories (for an overview, read Ellis 2005 or Doughty and Long 2009), as learning theories clearly underpin them. Similarly, syllabuses are related to methodology, as the learning tasks and activities are determined by the teaching content (i.e. the syllabus).
Most syllabuses are a combination of two or more of the six types outlined below, but usually one will dominate.
Click on the links below or in the left banner for detailed descriptions of the different syllabus types:
A - PRODUCT - BASED APPROACHES
Product-based approaches to syllabuses involve a step-by-step process in which language items are learnt as building blocks that can be synthesised into a larger whole. This is why this type of syllabus is also called synthetic (Nunan 2008:27). Acquiring these items is the purpose of the course and the prerequisite for successful communication.
. Grammatical
. Notional-functional
. Situational
. Skills-based
B - PROCESS - BASED APPROACHES
Process-based approaches adopt the principle that language is learnt experientially. Also called the analytical approach, the focus is not on the product, or what the student will have achieved at the end of the course, but rather on the process of performing certain tasks and activities during the course, because language or communication is seen as a process rather than a set of products.
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