Module teaching and integrating language skills lesson 1

Activity 2 Exploring a syllabus
Objective: to let students examine a syllabus structure
Time: 20 minutes
Materials: Handout 2

Procedure:

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  Ask students to look again at Handout 2 (syllabus for Materials evaluation and design course) and answer the questions. Write the following questions on the board.
  

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  What headings can you see?
  
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  What are their roles?
  
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  Why should teachers consult the syllabus?
  

Answer: Headings: Introduction, Aims, Objectives, Indicative Content, Learning Outcomes, Assessment Profiles, Materials And Resources.

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  Make a note that other syllabi might contain other headings or formulated differently.
  
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  Ask participants to look are aims, objectives and learning outcomes and decide how are they different.
  
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  Establish that aims are broader and define the goal or where to go, objectives describe how to achieve the aims, and therefore they are more specific. Learning outcomes are the proof that students have reached the aims. We should assess learning outcomes.
  
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  Draw students’ attention to indicative content and why it is called so. Indicative mean recommended, a teacher can decide to add or omit any other topics related to learners’ needs.