Teach English in Xilong Huyu Zhen - Tianjin

Syllabus DesignA language teaching syllabus involves integrating the subject matter and the linguistic matter. There are many types of syllabi one can design, essentially deciding what gets taught and in what order. The choice of syllabus and what goes into it should be made deliberately and consciously. Research shows that there are many types of syllabi but that most are a combination of two or more types with one usually dominating, and that, in reality, the different types are not all that different from one another. The six different types of language teaching syllabi are: structural, functional, situational, skill based, task based and content based. The suggestion is to have one based more on structure and the other based on language use. The issue should not be which type to choose but rather how the ones chosen relate positively to each other. The effectiveness of the class will depend on the sequencing of lessons and how well all the lessons interrelate. Syllabus design, in my opinion, should be holistic, that is to say the readings selected, homework assigned, quizzes given, custom designed materials made, the amount of time allocated for speaking and writing activities, and the use of phonetics should work in harmony to bring the richest experience to the learner. The content of instruction is a mix of teaching grammatical structures and practical aspects, such as, how language is used: to express, for example, informing, agreeing, apologizing, and language needed to respond to certain situations: going to the doctor, meeting someone?s parents. Skills, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, listening and writing must be an integral part of the overall syllabus too. To begin to develop a syllabus, one must first understand the goals of the institution. What does the class promise to teach? What abilities will the student possess after completing the course? Once this is determined, a syllabus may be designed to work toward the goal. The teacher needs to keep in mind the overall course goal but also take the lessons to the micro level where each lesson has its own purpose. Assessing what materials are available to achieve these objectives is important. What will the teacher need to create? This micro view consists of a subset of goals leading to the ultimate goal and is achieved by preparing a series of integrated lesson plans designed to achieve the overall course objectives and the individual lesson goals. Individual lesson plans should be student centered as much as possible. The ESA format works well allowing for student interaction, with lots of conversation opportunity in student activity sessions. Introducing the topic in the Engaging phase sets the tone for the level of enthusiasm and motivation. A good measure of time for this is between 10-15 minutes. This does not have to directly relate to the content that will be offered during the Study phase where the teacher introduces the lesson plan objectives. Students can work on exercises after the teacher offers examples and answers any questions students have before moving to the study activities. The length of time depends on the study activities presented. The remaining time should be spent with students working together using the language as much as possible, talking refining pronunciation and becoming increasingly more confident. This time also provides the teacher with the opportunity to assess and correct as needed. Finally, before launching the syllabus, one must review the goals and available resources and make certain student levels are appropriate to the lessons planned and to make sure everything (materials, lesson plans) are working toward the syllabus goals.