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DESIGNING COMMUNICATIVE SYLLABUSES IN

ENGLISH FOR FILIPINO LEARNERS:

SOME CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINESby Rosario E. Maminta

The Communicative Approach to Language

Teaching

versus the audio-lingual approach

concerned with developing the ability to do

something with language (language functions)

such as to narrate, to argue, etc.

the change in ourtheoretical perspectives onthe nature of language and language acquisition

calls for a reexamination of the content of our

language teaching materials.

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OBJECTIVES

Discuss the conceptual and operational guidelines in

designing communicative syllabuses in English for Filipinolearner

Identify and describe the components of a communicative

syllabus

Differentiate the communicative syllabus to other kinds of

language syllabuses

Highlight the importance of adopting an eclectic-pragmatic

approach to syllabus design in order to address the

communication needs of students

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ECLECTIC-PRAGMATIC POINT OF VIEW

TO SYLLABUS DESIGN

Language teachers should becautioned against adopting the falsenotion that the teaching of the functionsof language is incompatible with theteaching of forms.

The kind of instructional materialsshould reflect ournew theoreticalinsights as well as well-establishedprinciples based on the structuralapproach.

A strong argument exists, therefore, in

support of the stand to retain some ofourexcellent audio-lingual materialsinstead

of substituting them with hastilyconceived or ill-designed syllabuses.

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TYPES OF SYLLABUS

Grammatical Syllabus based on a carefully sequencedpresentation of structures or grammatical items

Notional Syllabus the language items are selected on the basisof concepts, ideas or emotions which the learner may need to

express Communicative function syllabus language items are selected

on the basis of communicative tasks such as description andexplanation of process, reporting of information etc.

skill based syllabus- it focuses on the

four skills of reading, writing, listening,

speaking and breaks each skill down in to itscomponent micro skills

functional syllabus- this is organized

according to the functions the learner should

be able to carry out, such as expressing

likes, dislikes

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NATURE OF COMMUNICATIVE

COMPETENCE

The nature of communicative competence underlies the

nature of ourinstructional objectives and learning

activities.

It is impossible to teach language function withoutreference to form.

Organize language teaching in terms of the purpose of

communication rather than form.

1. Establish an inventory of functions.

2. Determine the linguistic forms which are used to

realize the function.

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Determining the Goals of the

Language Program What communication skills or about what topics and in what

particular role and setting will the learner use the language?

National Bilingual Policy

- the role of English is more narrow with

the expansion of the role of the Filipino

national language

- English should be mainly taught as a

means of access to scientificknowledge.

- Filipino is the language of literature,

humanities and social sciences.

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Formulating Instructional Objectives and

Choosing Learning Content Learning items should be organized according to the purpose

of communication rather than form.

Examples of lesson objectives: to describe processes or actions, to stategeneralization, to draw conclusions, to compare, to state cause and effectrelationships

The communicative syllabus or instructional materials integratethe teaching of function and the teaching of form.

In order to perform varied speech roles he (the learner) needs to havecommand of the grammar and phonology which makes the realization inspeech. (Widdowson, 1978)

Example of a lesson with the integration of form and function:

Function: Giving definitionsForm: Using the sentence pattern Noun + Linking Verb + Noun + relative

clause

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Formulating the Topic Sequence

The notions or concepts which constitute the underlying meaning

of the communicative functions are derived from the subject matter

of the discipline.

For example college English materials for agriculture correspond to

the sub-areas of the agricultural curriculum: Soils, Agronomy,Animal Husbandry

Analysis oftextbooks, syllabus

of the content subjects and

questionnaires or interviews of

teachers in the content areas willcertainly provide the best

information on the conceptual

categories of the communicative

syllabus

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Units of Discourse

In a communicative syllabus, linguisticitems to be taught will consequently not

be limited to syntax but will also includediscourse grammar.

Rhetorical coherence and grammaticalcohesion is being developed.

The use ofcohesive device is

explicitly taught.

Objective Topic Rhetorical

Function

Vocabulary

StructuresDiscourse

Ability to

describe a

process as

actions,

sequence,

stages of

processes w/c

occurchronologically

Germination

of seed

Description

of a process

Vocabulary:

simulataneous,

sequence,

preceding,

following

Structure:

Present tense,

Adverbial

clause of time

As, while,

before, after,

afterwards,

later

Components of

Communicative Syllabus

1. Instructional objectives

2. Conceptual categories (topics

inherent to the discipline)

3. Rhetorical functions

4. Grammar and Lexis

5. Discourse Grammar including

cohesive devices

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Organization and Sequencing of

Learning Content Rhetorical functions and conceptual

categories that likely to co-occur are

grouped together in the syllabus

This gives the learner knowledge of how aparticular linguistic item is used to express

different functions or how one function is

realized by different linguistic structures

Rhetorical functions maybe sequenced

logically or on the basis ofdifficulty.Example: description precedes

classification

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Implementing the Syllabus

Each lesson based on the communicativesyllabus is organized around a rhetoricalfunction with an underlying concept whichthe learner is expected to handle in the

specific discipline in which the language isto be used.

The skills of listening, speaking, reading,and writing are integrated in each lesson.

The reading text serves as a presentationmaterial for the discourse structure whileproviding the learner with skills inrecognizing and producing structures,vocabulary and cohesive signals associatedwith the discourse.

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