Curriculum Planning

1
Curriculum Planning

• South Asian Languages

2
Curriculum

• Purpose
• Guide the processes of teaching/learning
• Based on knowledge of the learning
  process/context
• Focus
• Interaction
• Understanding the learner/learning context
• Realization
• Syllabus design
• Flexible specifications
• Provision of means for instructional action

3
Foundational Principles AAA

• Awareness
• Autonomy
• Authenticity

4
Awareness

• Relating learning to existing knowledge and
  experience
• The stone-age man from New Guinea
• Noticing/consciousness raising
• Focused attention
• Role of perception
• Reflection

5
Autonomy

• Chomsky (1988181)
• The truth of the matter is that about 99 percent
  of teaching is making the students feel
  interested in the material. Then the other 1
  percent has to do with your method.

6
AutonomyBasic Principles

• Motivation
• Intrinsic (innate)
• Extrinsic (environmental)
• Choice, Affect, Effort
• Attention-paying ltlt high/sustained cognitive
  effort ltlt positive affect (for activity,
  materials) ltlt feeling of control, ownership,
  competence
• Responsibility
• Decision making

7
Authenticity

• Texts
• Language use in life
• Newspaper articles, novels, poems, commercials,
  soap opera episodes
• Relevance

8
Another A? Achievement

• Intraindividual/Interindividual
• Improvement
• Accomplishment
• How are the intra and the inter related?
• Relational implication for
• Self-esteem
• Assessment
• Feedback
• Rewards

9
Learner Needs

• Who is the second language learner?
• What does s/he bring to class?
• What are her/his goals?

10
Needs Analysis

• Topic
• study pop culture 1 2 3 4 5
• current affairs 1 2 3 4 5
• Method
• small group discussion 1 2 3 4 5
• Formal language study 1 2 3 4 5
• Skills
• speaking 1 2 3 4 5
• Writing 1 2 3 4 5
• Assessment
• teacher assess my work 1 2 3 4 5

11
Learner types and learning preferences

• Concrete learners
• games, videos, talking in pairs
• Analytical learners
• grammar, read newspapers, study alone
• Communicative learners
• watching, listening, using L2 outside
• Authority-oriented learners
• teacher explanation, textbook

12
Summing up CLT

• Language learning is learning (struggling) to
  communicate
• Meaning is paramount
• Fluency and acceptable language is the primary
  goal judge accuracy in context
• Sequencing is determined by any consideration of
  content function
• Linguistic variation is a central concept in
  materials and method

13
Do the results stack up?

• Learners produce greater quantity and variety of
  language in group work versus teacher-fronted
  activities.
• In group work, NNS-NNS interaction produce more
  talk.
• Learners who have opportunities to negotiate
  meaning (make clarification requests and check
  comprehension) do better at comprehension than
  those learners receiving simplified input.
• Communication-based grammar-focus instruction
  works better than grammar-only OR
  communication-only instruction.

14
What do WE need to do?

• Provide appropriate input
• Use language in authentic ways
• Provide context
• Design/use task-based activities
• Encourage collaboration
• Address grammar consciously
• Adjust feedback to the situation
• Include cultural aspects of language use

15
Conclusions

• Focus on DISCOVERING culture
• Language is the instrument/tool/medium of that
  DISCOVERY
• Learner is ACTIVE
• Teachers role Keeping learner ACTIVE