Types of Language Syllabi

Definition of a ‘Syllabus’
There are many definitions of the term ‘syllabus’ in literature Educationalists differentiate
between two terms, namely “syllabus” and “curriculum”. The curriculum is “all the
relevant decision- making processes of all the participants, the syllabus is its result
(Johnson, 1989, p. 33). According to Brown (1995, p.7) “A syllabus provides a focus for
what should be studied, along with a rationale for how that content should be selected and
ordered.” Similarly, Richards (2001) defines syllabus as “A specification of the content of
a course of instruction [which] lists what will be taught and tested” (p.2). Robertson (as
cited in Yalden, 1987) states that:
Curriculum includes the goals, objectives, content, processes, resources, and means
of evaluation of all the learning experiences planned for pupils both in and out of the
school and community through classroom instruction and related programs. (P.18)
Robertson defines syllabus as “A statement of the plan for any part of the curriculum,
excluding the element of curriculum evaluation itself.” (As cited in Yalden 1987, p.18).
Robertson concludes that “Syllabuses should be viewed in the context of an ongoing
curriculum development process.” (Yalden 1987, p.18). A syllabus has been compared to
a blueprint. It is a plan which the teacher converts into a reality of classroom interaction.
Richard and Platt (1992) state that syllabus refers to the principles of choosing and
orchestrating the textbook content. They explain that by identifying the type of syllabus
used, it is possible to understand the focus and contents of a course and whether the course
will be structural, situational, notional…. etc. On the other hand, Pienemann (1985, p.23)
sees the syllabus as “the selection and grading of linguistic teaching objectives”, while for
Breen (1984, p.47) it “is a plan of what is to be achieved through our teaching and our
students’ learning”.
On close examination, however, both these definitions seem flawed-Pienemann’s emphasis
on linguistic objectives missing the possible non-linguistic functions of a syllabus and
Breen’s attention to achievement seeming to overlook the indeterminate relationship
between what is taught and what is learnt. Candlin (1984) defines syllabuses as:
Syllabuses are concerned with the specification and planning of what is to be
learned, frequently set down in some written form as prescriptions for action by
teachers and learners. They have, traditionally, the mark of authority. They are
concerned with the achievement of ends, often, though not always, associated with
the pursuance of particular means.
Language Syllabi
The choice of a syllabus is a major decision in language teaching, and it should be made
as consciously and with as much information as possible according to Krahnke (1987),
there are six types of language teaching syllabus including:
▪ Structural (formal) Syllabus
▪ Notional/ Functional Syllabus
▪ Situational Syllabus
▪ Skill-based Syllabus
▪ Task-based Syllabus
▪ Content-based Syllabus

Structural Syllabus

The content of language teaching is a collection of the forms and structures, usually
grammatical, of the language being taught.
Examples include nouns, verbs, adjectives, statements, questions, subordinate clauses,
and so on.

Steps to design a grammar syllabus:

▪ The teacher chooses the structures that the students have to learn according to the
level and the goals proposed in the course.
▪ The teacher chooses a set of vocabulary to be learned together with forms and
structures.
▪ The teacher decides the main words according to the topics to be learned, for
example: simple past tense: adverbs of time (yesterday, last night, last month, etc.),
the use of the auxiliary “did”, the auxiliary verbs: was, were, and so on. • The teacher
designs exercises to put in practice the structures, vocabulary and sentences pattern
(complete, translate, rewrite, etc.).

✓ In this sense, students learn from the simpler to more complex structures and
they may learn the structures more easily; however, students get worried about
grammar in communicative activities because they feel afraid to make mistakes.

Notional/ Functional Syllabus

The content of the language teaching is a collection of the functions that are performed
when language is used, or of the notions that language is used to express.
Examples of functions include: informing, agreeing, apologizing, requesting; examples
of notions include size, age, color, comparison, time, and so on.

Steps to design a notional-functional syllabus:

▪ The teacher makes a list of communication functions of the language that students
will learn (expressing agreement and disagreement, greeting people, apologizing,
etc.).
▪ The teacher writes a list of the semantic notions (meanings) based on the culture and
the context of the speakers of the language (likes and dislikes, formal and informal
greetings, values, etc.).
▪ The teacher applies the functions and the notions together into learning tasks, for
instance, introducing yourself; expressing likes and dislikes; giving personal
information, describing family members. An important aspect of the
notional/functional syllabus is that students learn how to use the target language to
express their own ideas, notions and points of views. This syllabus promotes
language learners using the target language.

Situational Syllabus

The content of language teaching is a collection of real or imaginary situations in which

language occurs or is used. A situation usually involves several participants who are
engaged in some activity in a specific setting. The language occurring in the situation
involves a number of functions, combined into a plausible segment of discourse. The
primary purpose of a situational language teaching syllabus is to teach the language that
occurs in the situations.
Examples of situations include: seeing the dentist, complaining to the landlord, buying
a book at the book store, meeting a new student, and so on.

Steps to design a situational syllabus:

▪ The teacher makes a list of communication situations that will take place (the
weather, food and drinks, family life, free time activities and so on).
▪ The teacher makes a list of topics, grammatical forms and vocabulary and sequence
them (simple present tense, frequency adverbs). • The teacher classifies the topics,
forms and structures and fit them with communication situations (One day on the
beach, at the restaurant).The teaching units below are language materials that have
been developed based on situational syllabus.
Unit 1. At the library; Unit 2. At the office; Unit 3. At the park; Unit 4. At the restaurant;
Unit 5. Traveling; Unit 6. At a party.
✓ An important advantage of a situational syllabus is that students learn how to use
the target language in authentic communication. This syllabus is good for language
learners who are preparing to go to a country where the language is spoken. This
situational teaching has the goal of teaching specific language content that occurs
in situations.
Skill-based Syllabus

The content of the language teaching is a collection of specific abilities that may play a
part in using language. Skills are things that people must be able to do to be competent
in a language, relatively independently of the situation or setting in which the language
use can occur. While situational syllabi group functions together into specific settings
of language use, skill-based syllabi group linguistic competencies (pronunciation,
vocabulary, grammar, and discourse) together into generalized types of behavior, such
as listening to spoken language for the main idea, writing well-formed paragraphs,
giving effective oral presentations, and so on. The primary purpose of skill-based
instruction is to learn the specific language skill. A possible secondary purpose is to
develop more general competence in the language, learning only incidentally any
information that may be available while applying the language skills.

Steps to design a skill-based syllabus:

▪ The teacher makes a list of language skills that students need to acquire.
▪ The teacher makes a list of topics, grammatical forms, structures and vocabulary
and sequences according to language skills.
The following is an example of a skill-based syllabus:
Listening: listening for specific information.
Reading: reading and answering a questionnaire.
Writing: writing and replying to invitations.
Speaking: talking about past events.
✓ This is a syllabus where the students can develop their communicative competence
using different resources.

Task-based Syllabus

The content of the teaching is a series of complex and purposeful tasks that the students
want or need to perform with the language they are learning. The tasks are defined as
activities with a purpose other than language learning, but, as in a content-based
syllabus, the performance of the tasks is approached in a way that is intended to develop
second language ability. Language learning is subordinate to task performance, and
language teaching occurs only as the need arises during the performance of a given task.
Tasks integrate language (and other) skills in specific settings of language use. Task-
based teaching differs from situation-based teaching in that while situational teaching
has the goal of teaching the specific language content that occurs in the situation (a
predefined product), task-based teaching has the goal of teaching students to draw on
resources to complete some piece of work (a process). The students draw on a variety
of language forms, functions, and skills, often in an individual and unpredictable way,
in completing the tasks. Tasks that can be used for language learning are, generally,
tasks that the learners actually have to perform in any case.
Examples include: applying for a job, talking with a social worker, getting housing
information over the telephone, and so on.

Steps to design a task-based syllabus:

▪ The teacher makes a list of abilities or tasks that students need to develop.
▪ The teacher writes a list of topics, grammatical forms and vocabulary and sequences them.
▪ The teacher organizes the topics, forms and structures and fit them with the tasks. Example:
Second unit: reading: All in the memory
Task: Preparation for tasks. Listen to descriptions of childhood memories.
Task: describe a childhood memory (extended, speaking and writing).
After task: Ask questions and present an oral report (pronunciation, using intonation).

✓ One important advantage of the task-based syllabus is that students learn to carry out
activities using the target language. Language teaching through task-based syllabus arises
during the performance of a given task.
✓ The disadvantage is that students often learn to perform tasks and language learning is less
emphasized.

Content-based Syllabus

It is not really a language teaching syllabus at all. In content-based language teaching,

the primary purpose of the instruction is to teach some content or information using the
language that the students are also learning. The students are simultaneously language
students and students of whatever content is being taught. The subject matter is primary,
and language learning occurs incidentally to the content learning. The content teaching
is not organized around the language teaching, but vice versa. Content-based language
teaching is concerned with information, while task-based language teaching is
concerned with communicative and cognitive processes.
An example of content-based language teaching is a science class taught in the language
that the students need or want to learn, possibly with linguistic adjustments to make the
science more comprehensible.
Steps to design a content-based syllabus:
▪ The teacher chooses the topics from the content (subject), for example in Biology:
ecosystem, cell, human body, etc.
▪ The teacher makes a list of topics, grammatical forms and vocabulary and adjusts
them to the topics. For example: Subject: biology. Topic: cell. Vocabulary: parts of
the cell. Structure: simple present and present continuous tense.

✓ The teacher organizes the forms and structures and adjusts them to the topics.
✓ The benefit of a content-based syllabus is that students feel satisfied with the
purpose of learning the target language and at the same time, they are acquiring new
information. Finally, this syllabus is often used in immersion programs.

Ecletic Approach
Eclectic approach is a method of language education that combines various approaches
and methodologies to teach language depending on the aims of the lesson and the abilities
of the learners. Different teaching methods are borrowed and adapted to suit the
requirement of the learners. It breaks the monotony of the class. In addition, it is a
conceptual approach that does not merely include one paradigm or a set of assumptions.
Instead, eclecticism adheres to or is constituted from several theories, styles, and ideas in
order to gain a thorough insight about the subject, and draws upon different theories in
different cases.

Approaches and methods:

There are varied approaches and methods used for language teaching. In eclectic approach,
the teacher can choose from these different methods and approaches:
Grammar-translation Method: It is a method of teaching languages by which
students learn grammatical rules and then apply those rules by translating between
the target language and the native language.

Direct Method: In this method the teacher refrains from using the students' native
language. The target language is directly used for teaching all the four skills—
listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Structural-situational Approach: In this approach, the teacher teaches language

through a careful selection, gradation and presentation of vocabulary items and
structures through situation-based activities.

Audio-lingual/Audio-visual Method: In this style of teaching students are taught

through a system of reinforcement. Here new words and grammar are directly taught
without using the students' native language. However, unlike direct method, audio-
lingual method does not focus on vocabulary. Instead, the teacher focuses on
grammar through drill and practice.

Bilingual Method: The word 'bilingual' means the ability to speak two languages
fluently. In bilingual method, the teacher teaches the language by giving mother
tongue equivalents of the words or sentences. This method was developed by C.J.
Dodson.

Communicative Language Teaching: This approach lays emphasis on oral method

of teaching. It aims to develop communicative competence in students.

Total-Physical Response: It is based on the theory that memory is enhanced through

association with physical response.

The Silent Way: In this method the teacher uses a combination of silence and
gestures to focus students' attention. It was developed by Caleb Gattegno.

Advantages:
• The teacher has more flexibility.
• No aspect of language skill is ignored.
• There is variety in the classroom.
• Classroom atmosphere is dynamic.
• These types of programs not only negotiate teacher skill-development within an
improved recognition of and respect for cross-cultural and multi-linguistic
classroom settings, but also encourages student pride in their heritage, language,
communication preferences and self-identity

References:
Krahnke, K.J. (1987). Approaches to Syllabus for Foreign Language Teaching. New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.
Barnett, J. (1980). “Notional/Functional Approaches.” In Annual Review of Applied
Linguistics. Ed. Robert Kaplan, Randall L. Jones, and G. Richard Tucker. Rowley, Mass.:
Newbury House. 43–57.
Breen, M.P. (1984). Process Syllabuses for the Language Classroom. In Brumfit, CJ. (ed.)
General English Syllabus Design Pergamon Press Ltd. and the British Council.
Hutchinson, T. & Waters, A. (1987). English for Specific Purposes: A Learning Centred
Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
LinguaLinks Library. 1999. How to design language syllabus. SIL International. Retrieved
December 7, 2001, from http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/LANGUAGELEARNING
Baleghizadeh, S. (2012). Grammatical syllabus and EFL textbooks: the need for
consciousness raising activities. Per-Linguam28(1):111-116 http://dx.doi.org/10.5785/28-
1-123.

Online Sources:
https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/177893-EN-none.pdf
https://quizlet.com/138843732/six-types-of-syllabi-flash-cards/
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED283385.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclectic_approach
https://www.academia.edu/38228462/What_is_syllabus_and_its_types_a_brief_introduct
ion
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3201914

Prepared by:
Abao, Daisybel P.
Delos Reyes, Shani C.
Valencia, Arjess Y.