Blog Post #1 – for 5301 students
As discussed in class, a functional syllabus is a way of organizing a language learning curriculum which focuses on communicative functions of language rather than sequenced grammar items (a structural syllabus). Your goal for this blog post is to find an example of a syllabus and determine whether it is functional or structural.
Google around and find a language course syllabus, a textbook table of contents, or some other course schedule information. Look it over and determine if you think the curriculum is organized more functionally or more structurally. Is it a combination of both? Note that if you are not sure which it is, you are probably better off finding a different syllabus!
On the blog, post a link to your selected resource, and then explain your reasoning as to whether this resource is more functional or structural. Be specific, as clear as possible, and plan to write 2-3 paragraphs about your thoughts. Please make sure to post by classtime on Monday, as a comment to this post.
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Here's a syllabus I found that was very clearly of one type and seemed to include no elements of the other:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cuyamaca.edu/diana.deltoro/pdf/Spring06/ESL100_SyllabusSp06.pdf
This is very clearly a structural syllabus: no functional elements are included. The course title gives it away, I think: Intermediate reading, paragraph writing and grammar.
I was interested to find out where this college is: Cuyamaca Community College in Rancho San Diego, CA, which is about 25 miles from the border with Mexico.
The syllabus strikes me as quite formal and precise. In the "Description" section, the instructor specifies that this course "is the second core course for students whose first language is not English. The course includes intermediate reading, paragraph writing, grammar and sentence structure." Furthermore, the Objectives section goes on to list topics that concern only grammar and rhetoric.
Given the student population at which the course is directed (students who are in college and do speak/read/write/understand English - as shown by fulfilling the course prerequisites), I think the lack of functional elements may be very appropriate and effective in the course context. The course seems to have been quite well thought out. And it had better be: it looks like it meets for six hours per week!
The link to the syllabus that I found is http://www.avtechusa.com/avsite/Course/Course_Syllabus_ESL.pdf
ReplyDeleteThis course covers several different aspects including speaking, grammar, reading and writing. It is a combination of both structural and functional approaches to organization of the material. Unfortunately, the syllabus does not offer the daily or weekly outline of the topics to see how they will be distributed throughout the semester, but it offers the detailed overview of all the topics and structures that will be covered.
The vocabulary development section and communication section of the course are functional as they include topics like Food, Family, Job Search, Court and so on, which will serve the function of the language.
The syllabus also has a grammar section that has topics listed like Gerunds and Infinitives as Subjects, Objects of Prepositions, and so on. This shows the structural part of the syllabus.
At one place the syllabus indicates, "The topics were chosen and ordered according to the perceived relevance to the student's lives, that is, their communicative usefulness". Therefore, the functional purpose can be seen here clearly, and hopefully it will be combined properly and effectively with the grammatical issues that the course intends to cover.
The following link is a French I language class syllabus:
ReplyDeletehttp://www5.austincc.edu/faculty/syllabus.php?id=206578
It is easy to see that this is a structural syllabus by looking at a number of keywords found in this syllabus. The first clue is the use of the word memorize. Learning a language, as Gouin pointed out in our textbook, should not simply be a task of memorizing a given list of vocabulary words or grammar paradigms. In this syllabus though that is exactly what it is. It progresses from asking students to memorize basic vocabulary and sounds to memorizing verb paradigms.
The second clue that this is a structural syllabus is the fact that it follows the book chapter for chapter without deviation. Moving from chapter to chapter doesn’t necessarily make it a structural syllabus because the teacher could always modify the chapters to fit the needs of his/her students. However, in most cases and likely in this one, the teacher will probably stick to what each chapter has to offer. So for instance, in week 3 chapter 1 the syllabus says that the students are going to learn about identifying and describing people as well as the rules for adjective agreement. The keyword here is rules. So the chapter will lie out and present the rules to the students, which will then need to be memorized and put into practice through the student workbook.
The third clue is the use of the workbook as a companion for students to put into practice what they have just learned. Since structural syllabi are all about the memorization of vocabulary and grammar paradigms it would only make since that the workbook would accompany this class. It’s a way for students to practice their paradigms and vocabulary in writing, and in this case in listening as well since audio CDs come with the textbook. However since the workbook is broken into chapters to follow the textbook, the students will know what they are listening for, which does not exactly mimic real life conversation. So while this is a structural syllabus it still probably has students coming out as successful readers and writers though an extra class in French communication will likely need to be taken to make them successful speakers and listeners.
The syllabus I found is an example of a structural syllabus in which grammatical structures are the central organizing feature.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cuyamaca.edu/diana.deltoro/pdf/Spring06/ESL100_SyllabusSp06.pdf
(Same as the one you found, Martin)
You will note that most of the course objectives are articulated in terms of the grammar items mastered. The course study proceeds from simple grammatical structure (present progressive -> simple past -> past progressive) to more complex grammatical structures (perfect tenses -> future time clauses -> modality -> comparatives -> count and mass nouns)
What strikes me about this syllabus is that language is broken down into smaller units which are taught piece by piece. Each lesson in the syllabus focuses on one grammatical feature, and is taught in an accumulative fashion based on the assumption that each item will be mastered before going on to the next. I am guessing that it is the learner’s task to put these items together in a way that will enable him to gain some mastery of the target language. One question of interest: what were the criteria for selection of the grammatical items in the structural syllabus?
I can see the appeal of the structural syllabus: simpler rules are taught before more complex ones. However, it would be remiss not to note that the simpler rules are some of the more difficult for the ESL learner to conquer (E.g., “s” morphemes). Another appeal is that grammar is expected to be taught in a language class, and would be familiar content to students. Grammatical items can be easily assessed in a grammar test (no ambiguity about right or wrong answers).
The main faults of structural syllabuses, as I see them, are that they tend to ignore meaning as well as the communicative aspect of language. There is an argument to be made here that a lot of really useful language may be neglected at the beginning because it is viewed as structurally too complex (If I were you, I would). I wonder to what extent structural knowledge transfers to actual language behavior. How far does the structured approach give students the ability to function in the language, especially if grammar is presented more than it is explained?
I found the following Portuguese I syllabus: http://wrlcsun3-ge.wrlc.org/bitstream/1961/7335/1/PORT%20101%20Portuguese,%20Elementary%20I_Flavia%20Azeredo(9).pdf
ReplyDeleteThe syllabus is organized more functionally than structurally. The course description states that the student will be introduced to "basic communicative functions, vocabulary and structures of the Portuguese language." Reading and writing are also taught at this beginning level. The course objectives states that the aim is to provide "skills needed for everyday situations in Brazilian Portuguese."
While the syllabus is structural in following the text chapter by chapter, the learning outcomes in the syllabus are functionally focused on pronunciation, the ability to "express personal opinions" in the L2, listening and comprehension of short passages, and conversational practice with classmates. The course is limited to the present tense as stated in a number of the learning outcomes.
The syllabus also states that communication is key to the course. English is not allowed in the classroom, but it is recognized that correctness is something that "evolves naturally from speaking and communication in class." Various activities are focuses on oral communication, and Internet resources for promoting oral proficiency are given in the syllabus. An oral presentation and an oral exam are part of the graded items.
The course emphasizes not only the oral and listening skills but reading and writing as well. The limit is on present tense only, but focus is on the ability to communicate on practical situations. Students will get immersed in the language through listening, speaking, reading and writing practice in the class and through homework.
I found several example syllabi on the site, http://www.eslmarketing.com/esl_curriculum.htm.
ReplyDeleteOf course, as the site name suggests, they are trying to sell us a curriculum. The site instructs us that we should then create individual lesson plans based on the syllabus.
I looked at two samples. The Reading & Vocabulary syllabus was highly structural. The first goal of the syllabus is to, “Emphasize massive vocabulary acquisition.” Another is to “identify the use of prefixes, roots and suffixes.” They example did not reference anything to indicate any structural orientation, such as a story line, theme or context practical use. Perhaps we would get that if we bought the add-on lesson plan. While this may be a somewhat useful approach for “test preparation” or other very specific purposes, it appears to be limited in its applicability.
The Listening and Speaking syllabus example appears to have more functional orientation. For example, two classes listed are: “Use shopping language to purchase clothing and food,” And “Order food and drinks using a menu; understand basic table manners.” Nothing in the syllabus indicated a discussion of structural items, such as “nouns, pronouns, verbs” etc. Perhaps, once again, it’s there if we buy the lessons.
It looks like a functional syllabus.
ReplyDeleteI think I found a sample of funtional syllabus.
http://www.mvcs.org/files/Academics/Syllabi/High%20School%202010-11/English%202010-11/English%20ESL%20Listening%20and%20Speaking.pdf
Course Outline includes the following topics: Advertising on the Air, Pushing the Limit, Too Good to Be True, The Art of Storytelling, Culture and Commerce, Joking Around, and To Spank or Not To Spank.
The content of a structural syllabus is a collection of the forms and structures of the language being taught. Examples include nouns, verbs, adjectives, statements, questions, subordinate clauses, and so on. While the content of a functional syllabus has 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.
In order to discuss the topics given in the syllabus in each class, for example, "spank or not to spank", students need to know the functional skills, such as informing, requesting, or agreeing. Also students need to know the notion of comparison in order to participate in a conversation or an argument. There is no specific forms and structures in the syllabus. It's an intermediate listening and speaking course for international high school students who are studying in US. Probably the basic forms and structures were given in the previous required course. Therefore I think it is an example of a function syllabus.
I chose to present a syllabus that I will be currently teaching at the HOPE TUTORING CENTER, a community based ESL program in Arlington. The book they are using is called ‘All- Star’. I have scanned the relevant pages of the syllabus. Unfortunately, it is not letting me upload it to the blog.
ReplyDeleteOne does not require more than one glance at the syllable to determine that it is a functionally based one. In the case of community based adult teaching programs the focus is to get these ESL learners able to function in English i.e. Tell time, buy groceries and commence simple communicational events effectively.
For this book, functionality is the basis of organization and choosing it to teach adult ESL learners who probably have no immediate need for English for Academic purposes is smart and greatly serves the intended purpose.
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ReplyDeleteI found the following “Elementary Vietnamese” syllabus, which is functional.
ReplyDeletehttp://lrc.cornell.edu/asian/courses/vi/viet102/syllabus/2011_01_18_16_09_17-doc.doc
While searching online, I found that the most common language course syllabi these days seemed to be those functionally organized, yet still have a touch of grammar as they go through. This syllabus is one of them.
In course objectives, it states that “students will continue to learn basic grammatical structures of the language in order to converse effectively.” This sentence shows that they do discuss grammar in class but it is only a means of improving conversation. Thus, this course focuses more on pragmatic communication rather than on grammar itself. The instructor makes it even clearer by saying “Special emphasis will be given on the spoken aspects.”
Looking at the course outline, we can see useful topics of our daily life: shopping, traveling, eating out, talking on the phone, and so on. These topics include practical expressions such as asking prices, bargaining, and asking for directions. I believe in this class, students will learn basic conversation skills that can be easily applied to many situations in real life.
It was interesting to see how the instructor has designed course activities to achieve the purpose of this class. He or she not only highlights on active class participation but also plans to have oral test and various activities including lab work, listening activities and students’ presentations. All of these are in line with the overall goal, an effective conversation.
William Mastropieri
ReplyDeleteI am presently using a fine example of a functionally designed curriculum. This book is entitled "Real Life English". We are on the second level. This has most of the practical and functional needs for a second language learner. We have completed the first unit.
This was titled "Personal Communication".
The title clearly shows that information sharing
is the key. That is, personal information and intoduction.
My students enjoyed using English to introduce themselves and others. They also enjoyed a real life English pairing exercise in which one student acts as an individual from the motor vehicle department and his mate acting as one who is in the process of answering personal questions in order to apply for a driver's liense. My students learned practical uses by standing and speaking.
This functional approach offer students the means to communicate in area such as banking,
citizenship application, personal feelings, sales, food, health care, employment and transportation.
I was given the assignment of selecting this practical and functional book. I did not teach grammar as they picked up the grammatical key areas through the repetition, pairing and role play. This seems to be the first time a genuine functional approach was taught. I was excited to see my students take off on this aproach.
My students were surprised on their own ability and how much fun they can have.
Here is a link to the first scanned page of the syllabus I have chosen for this post.
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0ByJ0yRlPJ1-4ZjgxMjA4NTMtZTc1Yy00MGI2LWFhMzItNDU5YzEyY2NiN2Ex&hl=en&authkey=CIOUvt
and for the 2nd page
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0ByJ0yRlPJ1-4MTdmZjA5NzMtMWY4OC00NjJmLTg2YmQtYTc1MGYyNjNkMTJi&hl=en&authkey=CNKI
Dr. Cindy suggested to upload my scans to google Docs and post the link for them on this blog.Hope it works.
Thanks Cindy :)