Negotiated Syllabus for Second Chance

Schools (SCSs): Theoretical considerations

and the practicalities of its implementation

Valavani Sofia
Second Chance School of Alexandroupoli

Aims of the presentation

In the context of a flexible curriculum, discuss the

issue of syllabus selection for SCSs
Provide a theoretical basis for the choice of a
negotiated syllabus by drawing on SCS
philosophy, education theories and some research
findings
Suggest the adoption of a negotiated syllabus to
English Language Teaching in SCSs
Propose a framework and offer some suggestions
for its practical realisation
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Second Chance Schools

Adult Education General Secretariat established SCSs by

Law 2525/1997under the responsibility of the Institute of
Continuing Education for Adults (I.D.E.K.E.)
Flexible and innovative programmes based on trainees
needs and interests
Emphasise the centrality of the learner and fight social
exclusion
Provide with skills and qualifications necessary for
trainees to meet the needs in social life and labour market
It is important that the second chance be different from
the first chance
3

Selecting a syllabus for adult trainees: A look

at some theories of adult education

Freires view of adult education: personal freedom and

development through mutuality with others, participation
and negotiation
Constructivism: learners create their own knowledge
based on their previous experience and social interactions
Progressivism: finds expression in negotiated syllabi and
is concerned with learners engagement in selecting
learning activities
Experiential learning: the sort of learning undertaken by
learners who are given a chance to acquire and apply
knowledge in an immediate and relevant setting
4

Theories of Adult Education

Adults are active social beings who
construct their teaching world through
participation, interaction and
negotiation

Why pre-determined syllabi are

not appropriate for SCSs

All external synthetic syllabi seem flawed and

negate the SCS philosophy since they leave the
learner out of the learning process
One-way flow of information
Lack of negotiation and consultation
Trainees are regarded as passive acceptors of
language and not as flexible negotiators
Not creatively involved in the design of the
pedagogical programme
6

Pre-determined syllabi
The idea, therefore, of just one pre-determined
syllabus being a panacea for language teaching
and learning in SCSs seems extremely
improbable

Evaluating past course with pre-determined activities

Very
Satisfied
Not
satisfied
satisfied
a. Achievement of
personal objectives

your

b. Materials and handouts

10%

c. Tasks and activities

20%

80%

10%

80%

20%

80%

d. Projects

50%

50%

e. Group work

80%

10%

10%

f. Teachers involvement

20%

80%

g. Your involvement

10%

90%

h. Visits

50%

50%
8

Useful decisions in a SCS class

Very
useful

a. Working in groups/pairs.

80%

b. Following teachers suggestions about

the English course

Not
Useful
useful
20%
20%

c. Bringing your own materials in class.

80%

d. Discussing your individual

needs/interests with your trainer.

100%

e. Expressing personal opinions about

topics and ways of working

80%

20%

f. Designing your own activities

70%

30%

g. Checking your progress.

70%

30%

80%

20%

Concluding remarks
The data retrieved reveal that SCS
trainees need to have a voice and get
involved in the teaching procedure,
participating in classroom decisions.

10

The negotiated syllabus

According to Breen and Littlejohn (2000:29),

negotiated syllabus seems to distinguish itself from
conventional content syllabi by identifying
classroom decisions as potentials for negotiation
It identifies:
The negotiation cycle (range of decisions open to
negotiation and the steps of the procedure)
The curriculum pyramid (levels in the classroom
curriculum to which the negotiation cycle can be
applied)
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12

The curriculum pyramid: levels of focus for the

negotiation cycle (Breen and Littlejohn2000:286)

13

A negotiated syllabus (Breen and Littlejohn 2000:287)

14

Tools for a negotiated syllabus

Negotiating purposes

Initial questionnaires to trainees

Learning contracts
Weekly planning of sessions

15

Sample of initial questionnaire to trainees

16

Sample of a learning contract

17

Negotiating content

Learning plans jointly developed by a

trainer and trainees
Trainee-designed activities

18

Sample of imaginative writing: Poems

19

Evaluation of outcomes

Daily/Weekly/Monthly retrospective accounts

Reflection charts
An assessment (can-do) card
Work diaries
Reflective learning journals
Peer interviews
Portfolios
One-to one consultations
20

Suggested Daily/Weekly/Monthly
retrospective account

21

Suggested Reflection Chart

22

Sample of an assessment (can-do) card

23

A suggested structure of a work diary

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Implications and challenges for

future research

Negotiated syllabus should not replace trainer decisionmaking. Trainers remain at the heart of the process
Trainers are not committed to trainees sharing in
determining aspects of the syllabus
We have not systematically recorded trainee reactions to
these processes
It seems a challenging but difficult undertaking for
trainers and trainees
A lot more practical experimentation seems essential in
order to expand our understanding of the negotiation
process
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Conclusion

Such a proposal offers significant opportunities for

developing basic skills and qualifications in SCSs
It triggers processes of self-discovery, shared decisionmaking and responsibility
The unpredictability of the target group and trainers
thinking from one year to the next is part of the challenge
and excitement of a negotiated syllabus
It seems to represent one of the most significant practical
and theoretical developments in language teaching in
recent years
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Useful Websites

http://eclass.gunet.gr/courses/TELEGU181/
(English Literacy for SCSs: a web space for
English teachers supported by Bessie
Mitsikopoulou)
http://www.ideke.edu.gr/SDE/ (Second Chance
Schools in Greece)
http://www.eap.gr/lib/ (Library of Hellenic Open
University)
http://www.eaea.org (European Association for
the Education of Adults)
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