English language syllabus design

Questions to consider when designing a syllabus

Syllabus Design

Questions to ask before embarking on language syllabuses

The fundamentals of Syllabus Design

1. Who is going to refer to the syllabus?
2. Which areas of the students' competence most require improvement to bring them up to the target level?
3. What are the required target levels and how will you indicate them in a syllabus?
4. How will you organise the syllabus? In other words, what factors will you decide upon as the basis for specifying the syllabus e.g. Topic, Function etc.
5. How will you coordinate these factors so as to provide a coherent statement which can guide the people who refer to the syllabus?
6. How will you sequence items in the syllabus?
7. How will you allow for revision and recycling?

[From 'Illyrian Case Study' - part of Ron White's lecture on MA Course at Birkbeck College in 1986]

Materials

(1) A needs analysis for the students concerned

See the materials for specifying syllabus design on the previous page.

(2) A description of the national and institutional situation for which the syllabus is being prepared

For such a description, see:

Readings in School-based Curriculum Development [1984] - Malcolm Skilbeck's Situational Model of Curriculum Development

Roger Bower's model for Project Management and Performance pages 99-120 in ELT Documents 116 Projects for the Third World (originally published by Pergamon in association with The British Council) - a very interesting read by someone who has really done the job!