Curriculum development/syllabus design /ESP/Need analyses

Introduction : Syllabus design is one aspect of curriculum development that emerges in the 1960 due to the urgent need to the
elaboration of programs for second and forign language learners who come to learn English rarely for General purposes (EGP) and usually
for specific purposes (ESP). the temptation was best and therefore effective method of teaching a forign and second language .

*curriculum is a very general concept which involves consideration of the whole complex of philosophical, social andadministrative factors
which contribute to the planning of an educational program. *Syllabus, on the other hand, refers to that subpart of curriculum which is
concerned with a specification of what units will be taught (as distinct from how they will betaught, which is a matter for
methodology).(Allen 1984)

*Curriculum development is basically the process of planning and implementing a certain curriculum; in the same way a language
curriculum is regarded as the various tasks and materials combined in one design. In other words, a language curriculum refers to what and
how students and teachers interact in the learning and teaching process (Richards, 2001).Curriculum development involves understanding,
evaluating , implementing the language program ( which is an organised course of language instruction).

*Historical development : the history of curriculum development starts with the notion os syllabus design which is one aspect of curriculum
development which begun in 1960 while syllabus design emerges much earlier..

*Curriculum' is concerned with the planning, implementation, evaluation, management, and administration of education programmes.
'Syllabus', on the other hand, focuses more narrowly on the selection and grading of content.

Curriculum involves all the arrangement throughout the academic year.whereas syllabus is the spesification of the content to which learners
will be exposed.

*Teachers d have shoul necessary knowledge and skills for evaluating, and modifying and adapting the syllabuses with which they work.

*The curriculum has at least three phases: a planning phase, an implementation phase, and an evaluation phase.

*There are two types (approches) of sylabuses ( white’s classification) : product syllabuses are those in which the focus is on the knowledge
and skills which learners should gain as a result of instruction (What is to be learned –Synthetic approach –subject emphasis ) eg,
Grammatical, Lexical, Functional,Communicative .while process syllabuses are those which focus on the learning experiences themselves (
How it is to be learned –Analytic approach –process emphasis) eg, Skills-based ,Task-based , Content –based , Text-based.

* There are many different ways in which syllabus proposals of one sort or another might be analysed. It was Wilkins (1976) who first drew
attention to the distinction between synthetic and analytic syllabuses.

*Grammatical syllabuses : The most common syllabus type was, and probably still is, one in which syllabus input is selected and graded
according to grammatical notions of simplicity and complexity.

*During the 1970s, the use of structural syllabuses came under increasing criticism.

*One early criticism was that structurally-graded syllabuses misrepresented the nature of that complex phenomenon of language. They did so
in tending to focus on only one aspect of language, that is, formal grammar. In reality,there is more than one aspect to language.

*Functional-notional syllabuses : Many teachers, on first encountering the terms 'function' and 'notion' find them confusing. In general,
functions may be described as the communica-tive purposes for which we use language, while notions are the concept.'meanings (objects,
entities, states of affairs, logical relationships, and soon) expressed through language

*Many of the criticisms which were made of grammatical syllabuses havealso been made of functional-notional syllabuses ; In developing
functional-notional syllabuses, designers also need to look beyond linguistic notions of simplicity and difficulty when it comes to grading
items.

*Procedural syllabuses : a syllabus which is organised around tasks, rather than in termsof grammar or vocabulary. It may suggest avariety of
different kinds of tasks which the learners are expected to carry out in the language, such as using the telephone to obtain information;
drawing maps based on oral instructions…..

* it involves the specification of the tasks and activities that learners will engage in in class.

*Task-based syllabuses : it is designed for selecting classroom learning tasks and activities.

*Content syllabuses : it is syllabuses which is little more than a random collection of tasks. It is rather a systematic selection and gradation
of contents.

Conclusion : with so many approaches and types of sylabuses teachers may feel frustrated about the efficacy of each of them to their
students needs in such case is alwayes a « principled –eclecticism » which would be illimunating.

*Needs analysis : Gathering information about learners and about communication tasks for use in syllabus design.

* A procedure used to gather information about the learners’s needs through questionaires , interviews …and thet help to make decision
about the content of the course .

*Need analyse was introduced into language teaching through ESP movement .

* Needs : requirements, demands, expectations, constraints .

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* There are high scale needs and low scale needs .

*We collect information about the learners needs through questionnaire , interview , observation, tests,case studies , learner diaries .

* Needs can be : necessities ( what learners has to know), lacks ( what learners doesn’t know), wants ( what learners think they need to
know)

Situation analyses : ( envirnement analyses)

* Social factors : ( community and society ‘ business, politics,parent, citizen’

 Is ther suitable classroom ?

 Is there enough time ?
 Are there enough resources ?

* Learners factors : (backgrounds , believes, expectations, learning styles)

 How old they are ?

 What do they know ?
 What do they want (prefered way of learning ?

* Teachers factors : ( language proficiency , experience ,skills qualities , teaching styles and strategies )

 Are they trained ?

 Are they confident ?
 Do they have time to prepare ?

* The distinction between product-oriented and process-oriented syllabuses is that product syllabuses are those in which the focus is on
the knowledge and skills which learners should gain as a result of instruction, while process syllabuses are those which focus on the learning
experiences themselves.

Product-Oriented Syllabuses : Also known as the synthetic approach, these kinds of syllabuses emphasize the product of language learning
and are prone to intervention from an authority.

1.The Structural Approach : Historically, the most prevalent of syllabus type is perhaps the grammatical syllabus in which the selection
and grading of the content is based on the complexity and simplicity of grammatical items.

2. The Situational Approach : situational syllabus will be limited for students whose needs were not encompassed by the situations in the
syllabus. This dissatisfaction led Wilkins to describe notional and communicative categories which had a significant impact on syllabus
design.

3. The Notional/Functional Approach : the starting point for a syllabus is the communicative purpose and conceptual meaning of language
i.e. notions and functions, as opposed to grammatical items and situational elements which remain but are relegated to a subsidiary role.

Process-Oriented Syllabuses : or the analytical approach, developed as a result of a sense of failure in product-oriented courses to enhance
communicative language skills. It is a process rather than a product. That is, focus is not on what the student will have accomplished on
completion of the program, but on the specification of learning tasks and activities that s/he will undertake during the course.

1. Procedural/Task-Based Approaches : Here, the question concerning 'what' becomes subordinate to the question concerning 'how'. The
focus shifts from the linguistic element to the pedagogical, with an emphasis on learning or learner. Within such a framework the selection,
ordering and grading of content is no longer wholly significant for the syllabus designer.

1.Learner-Led Syllabuses : Here the emphasis lays with the learner, who it is hoped will be involved in the implementation of the syllabus
design as far as that is practically possible. By being fully aware of the course they are studying it is believed that their interest and
motivation will increase, coupled with the positive effect of nurturing the skills required to learn.

2. The Proportional Approach : The proportional syllabus basically attempts to develop an "overall competence" (Op.Cit.:97). It consists
of a number of elements with theme playing a linking role through the units. This theme is designated by the learners. It is expected initially
that form will be of central value, but later, the focus will veer towards interactional components ; the syllabus is designed to be dynamic, not
static, with ample opportunity for feedback and flexibility.

*Criteria of syllabus design : Learnabilty , Frequency , Coverage , Usefulness.

*What shoud be incorporated in the syllabus : ( for Hutchinson and Water ) :

 Selection and gradation (what to teach , in what order )

 Teaching method to achieve this purposes.
 For what purposes
 What standard of achievement to be attained
 What information about the learners.
 How to test.

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Conclusion : Eclecticism (Integrated syllabuse)is a common feature of the majority of course books under the communicative banner
currently on offer. Attempting to combine the various aspects of language has also been addressed by Hutchinson and Waters who state:

« Any teaching material must, in reality, operate several syllabuses at the same time. One of them will probably be used as the principal
organizing feature, but the others are still there ».

*Needs analysis (also known as needs assessment) has a vital role in

the process of designing and carrying out any language course, whether it be English for Specific Purposes (ESP) or general English
course.The purpose of need analyses is to identify the gup between :what students are able to do and what they need to be able to do .

*Procedures and techniques for conducting need analyses : Surveys, Questionnaire ,Interview,Case studies ,Observation.

Types of need analyses :

1.Target Situation Analysis:includes objective,perceived and productoriented needs.

2.Present Situation Analysis: estimates strengths and weaknesses in

language, skill, learning experience.

3.Deficiency Analysis:considers learners' present needs and wants.

4.Strategy or Learning Needs Analysis: includes subjective, felt

and process-oriented needs.

5.Means Analysis:the environment in which the course will be run.

6.Discourse Analysis: investigates how sentences combine into discourse.

7.Register Analysis: focuses on vocabulary and grammar of the text.

8.Genre Analysis: focuses on the regularities of structure that distinguishes one type of text from another.

ESP

* Since 1960s, English for Specific Purpose (ESP) has been progressively growing and has eventually come to play a major part in English
Language Teaching (ELT)

ESP Definitions and characteristics

Defining ESP has proven to be so problematic to researchers that producing a simple and straightforward definition of ESP is not an easy
task (Strevens 1987, p. 109). ESP, generally speaking, refers to a particular group of students learning English for specific fields or a
professional career. In contrast to General English (GE), which normally addresses general topics, ESP focuses on specific topics and skills
ESP learners need in a particular subject area.

* Robinson (1987) classified ESP as a particular course; in which learners have scientific, occupational, and academic specific goals and
purposes.

* ‘English for Specific Purposes’ (ESP), which is part of a more general movement of teaching ‘Languages for Specific Purposes’ (LSP),
was pioneered in the 1950s and 1960s.

* Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 19) define that ESP is an approach to language learning and it is based on learners’ need.

*Robinson (1989) describes ESP as a type of ELT (English Language

Teaching) and defines it as: “Goal-oriented language learning.“

* mackay and mountford : « ESP is the teaching of english for clearly utiliterian purposes »

ESP Curriculum Development : Curriculum development is basically the process of planning and implementing a certain curriculum; in
the same way a language curriculum is regarded as the various tasks and materials combined in one design. In other words, a language
curriculum refers to what and how students and teachers interact in the learning and teaching process (Richards, 2001). Regarding ESP
curriculum, Litwack (1979) stated that ESP curriculum is a specific one and that there are certain steps to be followed in developing ESP
curricula such as analysing learners' needs, designing authentic materials, finding relevant and appropriate discourse, deciding the language
activities and task, re-editing the design, and finally piloting and evaluating the materials.

* for robinson can be devided into :

English for occupational purposes(EOP)

English for academic purposes .(EAP)

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English for science and technology.(EST)

*Needs analysis is essential for designing any language course for learners.

*Needs Analysis in ESP Setting :The key stage in ESP (English for Specific Purposes) is needs analysis.

*‘Needs analysis is the corner stone of ESP and leads to a vary focused course’ (Brown, 1995 ).

* According to Robinson (1991: 7),“needs analysis is generally regarded as critical to ESP, although ESP is by no means the only

educational enterprise which makes use of it”.

Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 53) argue that any language course should be based on needs analysis. Needs analysis is fundamental to an
ESP/EAP approach to course design.

Components of Needs Analysis: Many ESP scholars suggest that TSA (Target Situation Analysis) and PSA (Present Situation
Analysis) are the fundamental components for assessing language needs of learners.

1.Target Situation Analysis (TSA) : The term, ‘Target Situation Analysis’ (TSA) was introduced by Chambers (1980). Target
Situation Analysis (TSA) is a form of needs analysis, which focuses on identifying the learners’ language requirements in the occupational or
academic situation they are being prepared for. Robinson (1991: 8) argues that a needs analysis, which focuses on students’ needs at the end
of a language course, can be called a TSA (Target Situation Analysis).

2. Present Situation Analysis (PSA) : According to Robinson (1991: 8), “PSA (Present Situation Analysis) seeks to establish what the
students are like at the start of their language course, investigating their strengths and weaknesses”.

Conclusion :teachers need to have the authority to evaluate a textbook ( add, omitt, replace, change ) because he/she should not
follow it blindly , he is more awareof his learners needs.

It is the use of particular variety of english in specific context and justified by learners needs. Need analyses emerges in 1960., ESP
movement.

ESP EGP

- Working with adults -high school students

- -to meet the needs of a particular learners
-to improve overal english competence involving a range of skills (the four skills
and voc, gra , pro..)

ESP family tree :

1. EOP (English for Occupational Purposes )

2. EAP (English for Academic Purposes)

Needs : the concept need in ESP can be understand in relation to :

1. Goal –oriented needs : (target needs ) what the learners need to do in the target situation eg bussinessmen need to understand
bussiness letter .
2. Process –oriented needs (learning needs ) what learners needs to do in order to learn.
 Necisities : what learners must know.Lacks : what learners doesn’t know.Wants : what learners feel they need.