Universidad de Jaén

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SUBJECT ASSIGNMENT:
CURRICULUM AND COURSE DESIGN-PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

JAVIER MAURICIO SERRANO GUTIERREZ

GROUP 2013-2014
FPCTEFA573899

MASTER IN APPLIED LINGUSITIC TO ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

FUNIBER, JAEN UNIVERSITY
BOGOTA 2014.

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SUBJECT ASSIGNMENT:
CURRICULUM AND COURSE DESIGN-PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

1.Introduction:…………………………………..…………….. ……………………………3

2. Description of the Context ………… …………………………………………………….3

2.1 Settlement …………………………………………………………………………….....3

2.2 Students profile needs and syllabus.………………..…………….. …………………….4

2.3 Placement for the application of the material and policies:………………………………5

2.4 Evaluation of competences:…………………………………..…………….. ……………5

2.5 Curriculum and language in the IED San Carlos:…………………………………..…….5

3. Evaluation and appropriateness of the material. :…………………………………..……..5

3.1 Context observed from the document:…………………………………..………………..5

3.2 Syllabus design of the coursebook: …………………………………..…………….. ……6

3.3 Tasks:..……………………… ………………………………….…………………………7

3.4 Goals and objectives ………………………………………………………………………7

4 Adapting and implementing: …………………………………..…………….. …………… 8

4.1 Task framework:…………………………………..…………….. …………………………8

4.2 Structure of the unit: …………………………………..…………….. ……………………..8

5.Conclusion:…………………………………..…………….. …………………………………9

6. Bibliography:…………………………………..…………….. ……………………………….9

Appendixes:…………………………………..…………….. …………………………………11

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SUBJECT ASSIGNMENT:
CURRICULUM AND COURSE DESIGN-PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

1.Introduction

The evaluation of coursebook materials is essential in the professional life and day-to-day activities in
which a language teacher is involved. Most of the activities are strongly linked with instruction and
evaluation of coursebook contents. Additionally, these activities are regarded to the analysis of learner’s
cognitive and communicative needs, examination of appropriateness and adaptation of tasks selected
carefully for a lesson and the revision of convenience of the material.

This would be a challenging task when an in-service teacher has to ensure expectations from the National
policies statements, the requirements from the institution and the students. Besides, implementing
material is regarded to the evaluation of syllabuses if the institution wants to adopt it. If this were case,
the teacher training, the permanent adaptation and in some way the changing of teacher’s beliefs and
students become a challenging process.

The aim of this document is to reflect in the usefulness of the material from You! of Longman education
for the context of Colombian students. Afterward, the pertinence of the coursebook for its application in
an elementary course. Later, some suggestions are presented for an adaptation of this resource if this
were adopted in the Instituto Educativo Distrital San Carlos.

2. Description of the Context

2.1 Settlement

Firstly, the context where these resources should be implemented is in IED San Carlos, in Bogotá
Colombia. This is an official school where English is compulsory as for all the same national schools
from primary to secondary school. Consequently, National policies promote the development of
communicative competences to learn English as a foreign language.

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2.2 Students profile needs and syllabus.

The courses in which this material can be adopted is in the six grade from ages from 10 to 13 years old at
the beginner level A1 according to CEFR. The average of socio economic status is around low to middle
class. Such students have never received instruction from coursebook materials because of the National
policies, which does not allow students to purchase EFL books and the only material that could be
photocopied is the one presented by the teacher.

From the knowledge of the students and their learning needs can be concluded that those come from the
context in which students live as social status, requirements for as a student of a global context and the
approach that has been observed in the language curriculum from IED San Carlos School, which is
strongly traditional and rationalistic based upon discrete items of language: grammar and lexis practise
and consequently its deduced that the syllabus has an strong view of syllabuses of the type A. (See
appendix 1,an example of the syllabus presentation).

Broadly speaking, students’ English needs of this school come from vocabulary, grammar,
communication skills and pronunciation. Nerveless, they arrive from primary schools to six grade with
short notions of English. In the other hand, the methodology does not take care about the interests of the
learners, which are about Rap Music and Reggaeton music, TV programs around Disney XD channel,
and some cartoons yet.

These students are kinaesthetic than visual and aural, because of this, an improvement on practice is
essential for this younger, given their teenage behaviour and the low motivation and resistance for
learning English. It is compulsory to modify teaching with another method that embraces more
communicative situations, learning styles and autonomous strategies. However, courses arise the 50
students per grade with different styles and multiple intelligences and the amount of time goes from 2 to
3 hours per week with luck.

On the whole, by the reasons explained before, the content of this material coursebook! (Palencia, 1997)
and their foundations are suitable for the curriculum and methodology required by MEN of Colombia
and the learners given their focus on TBL. To do this some suggestions and recommendations could be
implemented.

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2.3 Placement for the application of the material and policies

Taking into account the guidelines that are conveyed to English teachers and official schools, it is
necessary to mention the Colombian guidelines for teaching English. In this paper, MEN (Ministry of
National Education of Colombia) refers to the development of learning strategies, communicative
competence; knowledge and sociocultural development of cooperative work strategies: The document is
called “The Curriculum Guidelines edited for teaching English” (MEN M. d., 1998)

“Current reference points for most of the theoretical approaches related to the development of
communicative competence have been the work of Canale and Swain (1980) and Canale (1983), who
generated a construct of communicative competence consists of four components or subcategories:
grammatical competence, sociolinguistic, discourse and strategic…”. (MEN, 1998)

2.4 Evaluation of competences

In the other hand, a national test is implemented in this country “Pruebas Saber” where the
communicative competence is evaluated at the ages of 16 to 17 in the highest level of secondary called
here in Colombia Media Articulada obligatoria (high school). These competences are evaluated
accordingly to the national Curricular Standards and Competences to teach English (MEN M. d., 1998)
based on the Common European framework (Council of Europe )

2.5 Curriculum and language in the IED San Carlos

Otherwise, The curriculum in this school is somewhat instructional because they are preparing students
for the life work around electronic engineering, graphic design and management and so syllabuses tend
to be rationalistic. About language curriculum, Teachers assumes that they are in a communicative
approach point of view. However, accordingly to the present syllabus and their implementation in the
classes it is strongly grammar-focused of the syllabus of type A, somewhat positivist a rationalistic point
of view reflected around the practise and the syllabus.

3. Evaluation and appropriateness of the material.

3.1 Context observed from the document

About “You! Is a two level course design for 12-14 in the first cycle of secondary education ESO”
(Palencia, 1997). This item matches perfectly with the level of students in Colombia A1 according to
Common European Framework CEFR and it is in agreement with the desires of innovation, because of
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the carefull selected tasks, topics and descrete structures. Last but not least, it is observed that the
contents offer possibilities to develop students proficiency at this level but will take care of some
difficulties in the development productive skills, as is expected with starters.

Resources like You! Is designed in agreement with the Spanish policies (ESO), it is a similar condition
of the one of Colombian context and standards, with the difference that material you! Focuses on the
process and communication around tasks that involves students in situations where some interaction in
English is required.

If a Teacher takes a look at the Colombian standards and competencies, a strong relationship will be
found in what is going be thought to students through the material and throughout the expectations of
MEN; but in the San Carlos school, the idea of communicative competences is not true, since the
syllabus that is mastered reflects a traditional view of language, thus the ideas behind the curriculum are
somewhat positivist and linguistic. This is observed in preselected discrete items of language presented
to students on grammar structures organized accordingly to complexity. Consequently, a desire of
motivation arise and strong motivation to apply these materials with the aim of improving teaching and
learning in this school.

3.2 Syllabus design of the coursebook

Another point of view, is the one that in the syllabus of You! Resources, is detected that the main focus
is on the learner, taking into account, that it include interests and free time activities, as is perceived in
the tenth unit, where the contents reflect task organization. Behind the unit, the selection of situations is
showed with variety. Furthermore, the tasks prompt students to the creativity and use of imagination
from the nearer knowledge of the world.

The syllabus is a type B in which is observed the person centred paradigm, due to the interest in carry out
the learner’s needs of communication: in this sense, taking in to account, Thurnbury point of view which
infers that “humanism takes a whole-person (or holistic) view, recognising the influence of emotional (or
effective) factors, as well as of intellectual ones, In the learning process. Both cognitivist and humanism
have contributed to the concept of learner-centeredness - cognitivist because it argues that learners
should be mentally active and that they should take responsibility for their own learning', humanism
because learning cannot be forced - it must be directed by the learners themselves” (Scott Thurnbury).
This material is designed under this view of language nonetheless useful to the kind of students whose
will perceive this new trend in the application of materials.

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3.3 Tasks

The primary focus of this material is in task-based approach however near from the notional - functional
approach in which both perceptions take place. It is focused on the learner but there are discrete items of
basic structures to give coherence and lower difficulties on exercises. These tasks take place to contribute
with interaction. This is examined under the typology of the task proposed by Nunan as information gap,
opinion and reasoning gap activities. “In Baglaroe project, three principal activities type are used
information gap, reasoning gap, opinion gap …” (Nunan, 2003)

The task continuity as Nunan propose “refers to the changing of activities together to form a sequence, in
which successful completion of prior activities is a prerequisite for succeeding ones …” (Nunan, 2003)
contents favour the learner given that the design of activities is according the learning how to learn
principle, so that, it is focused on process rather than products. All activities are selected to help students
to guess what is to be done without translation or exaggerated explanation from the teacher. As an
evaluation of the contents and the sequence of the task, the authors show that the evaluation as a part of
the process. Evaluation is seen as a part of the other tasks but more complex. This is appropriated in the
way that it applies foundations in methodology of TBL approach.

3.4 Goals and objectives

The objectives of the course reflect assumptions of communicative competence in the acquisition way
but offers students the development of linguistic competence. Last but not least, the objective are
reflected around cognitive, sociocultural, educational or learning how to learn, language and cultural
awareness in the way they are presented.

About the role of the teacher, it seems to be an interpretative type whose main aim is in the process given
that this material doesn’t reflect a pre selection of contents around cognitive requirements or topics, but
functions are reflected in the task which follow a proper grammar sequence suitable for the learner can
solve tasks without any difficult.

The material reflects coherence around the different tasks, which are the contents for the development of
skills. It is perceived the development of skills intrinsic behind the tasks but those are not focused in just
one skill. This is what is expected to improve around role of the teacher to change the minds of the
students including autonomy strategies in the practise as the course does it.

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4 Adapting and implementing

4.1 Task framework

Task approach is the main principle of this unit of work, this should be improved if we take into account
Willis framework for task design that is pre task, task cycle and language focus (Willis, 1998) maybe this
unit is organized by this framework but must be clearer for learners and this stages. This would be clearer
if it is informed to student in which stage name they are. In addition the time to solve the tasks and the
groups or individual work must be underlined and explained at the beginning of the unit. (See appendix
2)

4.2 Structure of the unit

In the let’s get started section, the pictures define well the topics to be presented for learners but
modification should be implemented with the pictures with teenagers form their own contexts too like
cultural activities and others that student can do in their free time and this can be done by adding them
into the vocabulary and pictures selection. (See appendix 3)

Listening audiotapes with scripts at the same time and about vocabulary related with these activities
should increase their pronunciation. In the other hand, the learning strategies is not obvious to the
students, this must be underlined under a subtitle over the activity: this must be clear when they are
receiving input about this also is evident in the task but is not clear to students in the design of the
sections. In take a look section the passages are proper for a globalized culture as it is presented but in
the reading tasks section must include another continents as Africa and Asia and other countries
Venezuela, Ecuador, etc.

It is important that the passages and sentences must be listened and read at the same time because in the
listening section it is presented as one listen or read option because these learners are starters. In step by
step sections it is seen that the pictures are authentic as in the other sections, passages seems to be
authentic as well. variety and grading of the tasks reflects an attempt to develop interdisciplinary with
maths and statistics. I should include an interdisciplinary section just to learn how to analyse data form
maths.

In Have a go section, instead of solving a test as is proposed, a production of a new one based on other
activities could increase motivation. Later, they could applied it not only in the class but outside the
classroom by interviewing other pals form the same school, from other grades: this will give a sense of
success and meaningful.
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Over to You! Section is like an evaluation since the point of view of TBL in which all the topics and
situations from the previous sections are reviewed but this is designed to develop written skills and this is
proposed like a project stage. The use of tape recorders or mp3 player cannot contribute to the success of
this task of the unit, given that not everybody have this kind of tools. An improvement of this could be
made by identifying before the lesson students who have these tools by interviewing each other, where
do they listen to music as a motivation at the beginning of this stage. (See appendix 4)

5.Conclusion

To conclude and given that this material is a type b syllabus is necessary to do procedural and sequence
changes, this must done under the tasks approach without losing the point of view of structures and
functions requirements, this is to avoid possible complications in the improvement. In so far, the features
of learning how to learn and the features of process of learning this material is suitable for the changes
that want to be improved in IED San Carlos School.

It is interesting to see that this work is not organized under discrete items but is organized under
functions and task: this will help to the development of the lessons because it change the focus of the
class which is given around structures. It may be improved in a more integrative view of language.

Last but not least, it is a person centred resource, which encourage students to the use of their creativity
and their interests to increase motivation in English class.

Finally, Teacher which will make adaptions, this should take into account properties of the cultural
features from place students come for example centre, south or north from the country and have in mind
its close context (Colombia). In addition, students give their opinion about the material and they told that
was very interesting for them and essay to follow.

6. Bibliography

Willis, J. (1998). TASK-BASED LEARNING. TASK-BASED LEARNING. TASK-BASED

LEARNING.
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Council of Europe . (s.f.). common European Framework. Obtenido de http://hub.coe.int/en/:

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/source/framework_en.pdf
Nunan, D. (2003). Designing task form communicative classroom. Cambridge, 66-119: Canbridge
University Press.
MEN, M. d. (2006). Formar en Lenguas Extranjeras. Bogotá, Colombia: Imprenta Nacional

MEN, M. d. (1998). Lineamientos Curriculares Para la Enseñanza de Lenguas Extranjeras. (M. D. MEN,
Ed.) Bogotá, Bogotá D.C., Colombia: Ministerio De Educación Nacional.
Palencia, R. a. (1997). You! introduction to the teachers book, content pages and unit 10. Longman.
Scott Thurnbury, i. C. Curriculum and course design. spain

Students: Javier Mauricio Serrano Gutierrez

CODE: FPCTEFA573899
Group: 2013-2014
Subject: Curriculum & Course Design
The right file name would be: 1314JMSerrano_CCD

APPENDDIX 1

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Appendix 2

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Previous knowledge task

Time: 2 hours
Work: individual and pair group

Appedix 3
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Going to concerts

Rana box game

pikis game

Coin near the wall

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Donkey game

Coka game

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Appendix 4

question Luisa Patricia Sebastian Esteban

Do you like
listening to
music?
Where do you
listen to music?

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