The most fundamental concern of schooling is curriculum.

Students tend to view schooling largely as

subject or course to be taken. Teachers and professors give much attention to adoption and revision of
subject matter. Curriculum concepts and scope have changed over the years, and from these changes two
differing views of curriculum have emerged. The first sees curriculum as a body of content or subject
matter leading to certain achievement outcomes or products. The second views curriculum in terms of the
learner and his or her needs; the concern is with process, i.e., the climate of the classroom and school. The
major modes of curriculums practiced in schools are;
Subject- centered model focuses largely on knowledge & intellect or intellectual development through
verbal transmission of the subject- knowledge. It fails to take into account individual learner needs,
requirements, levels, differences ... as well as neglects social, physical, emotional & psychological
developmental requirements of the learner. Students are treated almost as tabula rasas which have to be
filled with knowledge, but who have no choice in their learning environment. They are 'passive' learners
and limited skill development. Problem-centered model places the student in a social setting in order to
develop skills in solving real-life problems. However subject content needs to be carefully organized
around the problem so that, along with skills & responsibility, the learner also acquires meaningful &
relevant knowledge base. It is also very difficult to organize all learning around life-problems, especially
when textual resources, etc. are lacking. The teacher also has to be very resourceful, innovative & have a
broad-based knowledge. Learner-centered designs focus on the needs and interests of learners & the
learner is an Active participant in the entire educational process. Here Individual is given importance.
Project-method, discovery method, activity-based learning, learning by doing, etc. are some of the ways
in which the curriculum is implemented. Many skills can & are learnt, & an all-round development of the
child is intended through social interaction, etc. However, there is a tendency to overemphasize the
Individual & neglect the society or social responsibilities.

A well-written syllabus is the beginning of a successful learning experience for students. They will be
well-prepared for meeting the learning objectives. A language teaching syllabus involves the combination
of subject matter (what to teach) and linguistic matter (how to teach). It actually performs as a guide for
both teacher and learner by providing some goals to be accomplished. Syllabus, in fact, deals with
linguistic theory and theories of language learning and how they are utilized in the classroom.