Curriculum and Syllabus – Principles

(please check Jack Richard’s Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching ebook at
https://books.google.com.br/books?hl=pt-
BR&lr=&id=HrhkAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=ELT+methods+and+approaches&ots=_Kjyzs6jna&sig=3W5fuvv3-
b5mTedtpIrgEMBF2MI#v=onepage&q=ELT%20methods%20and%20approaches&f=false ,

(the differences between Curriculum and Syllabus at https://www.slideshare.net/bravus/curriculum-and-syllabus.

(and also a summary of Syllabuses and Coursebook design at https://pt.slideshare.net/ffffunes/syllabuses-and-

coursebooks )

Main Difference – Curriculum vs Syllabus

Curriculum and syllabus are two essential components in any educational program. Curriculum is the set of courses,
coursework and their content offered at a school or anther educational institute. Syllabus is the focused outline of a
subject. Therefore, the main difference between curriculum and syllabus is that curriculum is a set of guidelines
set out for educators whereas a syllabus is a more descriptive list of concepts that are to be taught in a class.

What is a Curriculum
A curriculum is set guidelines that that have been established to help the educators to decide on the content of a
course. It is the curriculum that gives out the course objectives, the contents, and methods that will be used to teach.
Therefore, it prescribes not only what should be taught or how it should be taught, but also why something should be
taught.
Curriculum is usually set out by the administration of an institute. In government educational institutions, the curriculum
may be set out by the government. Educators often make the syllabus using the curriculum. In addition, the curriculum
also lets the teachers measure the effectiveness of their teaching through standardized testing.

What is a Syllabus
Syllabus is a descriptive list of subjects to be covered and a summary of their content. It describes and summarizes
what should be taught to the students. Syllabuses, unlike curriculums, are made by individual  teachers. Since they are
made by teachers, they can be tailored to suit the requirement of a particular class.
A syllabus has details such as schedule, assessments, assignments, projects, etc. So it contains information such as
dates on which assignments are to be submitted, exam dates, details of projects, etc.
A syllabus is usually accessible to students; the syllabus is given out to students at the beginning of the course or
program, particular in secondary and tertiary education. Therefore, they can use it as a guideline for their studies.

Differences Between Curriculum and Syllabus

Curriculum  Syllabus
Meaning a set of courses, coursework and their content a descriptive list of subjects that are to be
offered at an educational institution. taught in a class.
Made by the state, district or institute individual teachers
Adjustments cannot be easily adjusted can be adjusted easily
Nature prescriptive descriptive
Content information like course content, objectives, a list of subjects to be covered, details about
methodologies etc. assignments, assessments, etc.
Students not accessible to students accessible to students