1. Course Design
Chapter 10, Tricia Hedge
“Teaching and Learning in the
Language Classroom”(2004)
Prof. Estela Braun (2012)

2. Reflect:
 1. Which roles might teachers play in
course design?
 2. What contextual factors do we need to
consider?
 3. How can we establish goals and
objectives?
 4. What options are there in choosing a
syllabus?

3. And more…
 5. What criteria might we use in choosing
a textbook?
 6. What is the role of projects in course
design?
 7. What is the role of negotiation in course
design?
 8. What procedures can be helpful in
evaluating courses?

4. Models of Syllabus Design in ELT
 1960’s/1970’s: The Structural Syllabus
 1980’s: The Communicative Syllabus
 1990’s: Task-based Sylabus
 2010: Post-communicative syllabus
 Multi-dimensional Courses

5. STEPS IN COURSE DESIGN
 STEP 1: Consider the students :
 A)As individuals.
 B)As members of a learning group
 C)As learners in an educational system
 D)As memebers of a social group
 STEP 2: Consider the context.

6. More steps
 STEP 3: Establishing goals and objectives.
 STEP 4: Planning the syllabus.
 STEP 5: Designing the syllabus.
 STEP 6. Teaching the course.
 STEP 7: Summative evaluation of the course.
 TASK: In groups think of the kind of syllabus you would
design for:
 A) A group of adults who want to travel abroad on
holidays.
 B) A group of researchers who have to do presention of
papers abroad;
 C)A group of young people, over 21 who have to pass
English exams to finish High School.

7. The most efficient course
design
 Consider:
 Class size.
 Time available.
 Teacher’s Kol of the language system and
command of methods.
 Intercultural awareness: educational
values, perceptions of teacher’s
role,expectations of classroom
procedures.

8. What students have to say
 1. What sort of activity did you like
best/least in your previous classes?
 2. Which activity did you find most useful?
 3. How much homework did you do?
 4.How did you help yourself to learn
English outside the classroom?
 5. What do you think you are good
at/weak at in English?

9. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
 GOALS are broader in scope, eg:
 To develop the students’ability to read more
comprehensibly and effectively.
 OBJECTIVES are more specific:eg,
 (a)to develop effective strategies for dealing with
unknown words.
 (b)to be able to distinguish fact from opinion.
 (c)to build confidence in dealing with a wide
range of texts (different genres)

10. How to specify language learning
objectives:Wilkins, Nunan(1988),Van Ek(1975)
 1. The situations in which the foreign language
will be used (topics)
 2.The language activities the learners will
engage in.
 3.The language functions which the learners will
fulfill.
 4.What the learners will be ab le to do with
respect to each topic.
 5. The general notions the learners will be able
to handle.

11.  6. The language forms they will be able to
use.
 7.The degree of skill with which they will
be able to perform.

12. ASPECTS OF A COURSE TO DO
RESEARCH ON:
 Student needs.
 Course content.
 Resources.
 Methodology.
 Teaching strategies.
 Learning strategies.
 Assessment.

13. METHODS OF EVALUATING
COURSES
 Student feedback.
 Teacher self-report.
 Observation.
 Documents.

14. What choices do teachers need to
make in course design?
 Choosing a textbook.
 Taking a process approach.
 Designing tasks.
 Using projects.
 Negotiating with learners.

15. DESIGNING A COURSE UNIT/SYLLABUS
TASKS:
1. Following a model, prepare a syllabus for
a Primary School Course.
2. For next class, read aspects related to
Taking a process approach and answer the
questionnaire provided.