Leidis Saldaña

Stephanie Rodriguez

Language Syllabus Design: Two Types

1. Introduction
A. Over the last three decades or so, the field of syllabus design has witnessed a
plethora of novel, yet competing approaches to syllabus construction, following
"dramatic shifts in attitudes towards both language and learning" (Nunan 1989:12)
B. There are two approaches to language syllabuses design, which are the type A and
the type B. Each approach reflects different orientations to language learning and
teaching.

2. Type A curriculum
A. Syllabus orientation to learning process
a. Interventionist
b. Giving to the pre selection of linguistic or other content or skill objectives
B. Attitudes towards the learner
a. External to the learner
b. Determined by authority
C. Teacher/Students Roles
a. The teacher as a decision maker
b. Teacher doing things to the learner
D. Language Content
a. Specific linguistic objects
E. Syllabus objectives
a. Defined in advance
F. Advantages
a. Allows teacher to be more accountable
b. Provides a more detailed breakdown of the language item to be taught
c. Provides learners with good knowledge of simplified grammar rules
d. Learners do well in linguistically based grammar tests
G. Disadvantages
a. Does not promote communicative fluency
b. Does not teach language holistically
c. Not enough attention is given to the process of learning itself
d. It’s more concerned with the content of the lessons.

3. Type B Curriculum
A. Syllabus oriental to learning process
a. Non experimental
b. Experimental natural growth
B. Attitude towards the learner
a. Internal to the learner
b. Inner directed or self-fulling
 C. Teacher/ Student role
a. Both make decision
b. Teacher do things for with the learner
D. Language Content
a. What the learner brings or wants
b. What the subject is to the learner
E. Syllabus objectives
a. Describe objectives afterwards
F. Advantages
a. Students determine the amount of input
b. This approach believed that fluency leads accuracy
c. Prefers learning than the content
d. Help the students remember useful knowledge
G. Disadvantages
a. Not focus on grammatical aspects
b. Language does not have a sequence
c. Learners can´t be expected to know what best for them
d. Teachers maybe incapable of recognizing the appropriate control of learners

4. Conclusion

If the focus of a language course is to teach explicit rather than implicit knowledge of language, then
a ‘Type A’ (content oriented) syllabus would be the ultimate choice. However, given the fact that
the author teaches mainly conversation classes, a ‘Type B’ (process oriented) syllabus, with a focus
on recycling language items to most effectively incorporate them into the learner’s syllabus, would
best serve to improve the learners’ communicative abilities. Ultimately, there must be a balance
between the both analytic and synthetic approach, so the best option is to combine the two types
of syllabus.