In this extract from Jack Richard’s book, Key Issues in Language Teaching, he looks at influences on the design of language courses.
Many innovations in language teaching arise from within the field of language teaching itself. As with any field of education, new theories emerge from research as ideas change about the nature of second language learning or as earlier understandings are revised or modified. Scholars, pedagogues and applied linguists have generated a body of assumptions and principles that serve as one source for reviewing approaches to language curriculum. These are reflected in the different proposals for a language syllabus. For example, in his article Principles of instructed second language acquisition, Ellis (2011) proposed 10 principles derived from second language research as a basis for designing language courses:
- Instruction needs to ensure that learners develop both a rich repertoire of formulaic expressions and a rule-based competence.
- Instruction needs to ensure that learners focus predominantly on meaning.
- Instruction needs to ensure that learners also focus on form.
- Instruction needs to be predominantly directed at developing implicit knowledge of the L2 while not neglecting explicit knowledge.
- Instruction needs to take into account the learner’s ‘built-in syllabus’.
- Successful instructed language learning requires extensive L2 input.
- Successful instructed language learning also requires opportunities for output.
- The opportunity to interact in the L2 is central to developing L2 proficiency.
- Instruction needs to take account of individual differences in learners.
- In assessing learners’ L2 proficiency, it is important to examine free as well as controlled production.
Current approaches to methodology reflect many of these principles.
The other source of influence on curriculum design is more pragmatic and reflects the demand from governments, educational authorities, employers, and learners for language teaching programs that deliver the practical outcomes stakeholders are seeking. Proficiency in English is not a luxury but a necessity in many countries and growing demand for competency in English puts pressure of those responsible for designing more effective language teaching programs.
Many countries see English as important to their economic development. Large business organizations are increasingly multinational in their operations, and English is increasingly the most frequent language used for both written and spoken communication within such organizations. Many of the world’s English language learners require knowledge of English in order to enter the workforce in their countries and in order to advance professionally. And in many parts of the world where English has traditionally had the status of a school subject, it is now becoming a medium of instruction, particularly at university level. From these pressures a number of demands need to be met in designing language curriculum and courses. Among the requirements are:
- Outcomes that can be delivered efficiently and in the minimum amount of time
- Use of language to access content and information
- Delivery to large numbers of learners, both face-to-face and distant
- Material that can be delivered in self-access mode
- Use of technology and the internet
- Context and situation-specific learning
- Abilities of learners to self-manage their own learning
- Focus on domain-specific language use
- Development of skills needed to access authentic materials
- Development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills
- Outcomes that are performance based
- Assessment linked to task-performance
The challenge for the language teaching profession therefore is to develop language programs that respond to the practical demands for proficiency in English but that are also informed by current research, theory, and best practice. In comparing Ellis’s list with the one above we could say that researchers focus on means, while administrators and planners are more interested in ends or outcomes.
Read Jack’s following article exploring the beliefs that learners bring with them to the language classroom. To find out more about Key Issues in Language Teaching, click here.