DESIGN

TOPICvs

Task

Topic Based Syllabus

Topic Based Syllabus: It is the type of

syllabus that is organized around themes,

topics, are other units of particular content.

*Topic based syllabus selects language,

vocabulary, language functions etc

*The topics are selected by the

textbook authors on the basis of his or

her sense of importance of the topics or

themes for the learner's to whom the text

is designed. (Ex: crime terrorism. Nuclear disaster,

EFL students etc)

*It also suggest relevant tasks and interactive activities.

This type of syllabus helps learners to acquire language

through the study of series of relevant topics.

Goal: Its goal is to teach specific information and

content using the language that learners are

learning

*Content based syllabus certainly give learners a

lot of exposure of language

Advantages:

*they address learners need

*they motivate learners

*Autonomous learning is there

* it is more learner centered

Disadvantages:

* It doesn't focus on two key questions

1. What content?

2. How much content?

* Syllabus that is merely a list of topics.

E.g. of Topic Based Syllabus:

If the topic is animal .

Teacher will let learner's know about animals

and will tell names of animals then in other phase

teacher gives learner different vocabulary

like( long tail, fur, cold blooded and warm

blooded animals etc) and ask them to compare

them.

Hudelson describes four basic principals of learning and

language learning that are embedded in a topic based

approach1: young learners are in the concrete operational stage of

cognitive development this means they learn through

experiences2: the level of knowing or learning in a group

3: figuring out how language work in different conexts

4: socual interaction results in the acquisition of different

elements of language.

Task Based Syllabus

Task:

*Activities where the target language is used by the

learner for a communicative purpose (goal) in order to

achieve an outcome. (Willis 1996a:23)

*A piece of classroom work which involves learners in

comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting

in the target language while their attention is principally

focused on meaning rather than form. (Nunan 1989:10)

Task Based syllabus:

* It is based on task-based learning, an

approach where learners carry out tasks such as

solving a problem or planning an activity.

* Task-based approaches recognize that

learning is controlled by internal processes and

pass through developmental stages.

* Learners learn by actively using language.

GOAL: To provide the conditions for learners’

language abilities to develop naturally.

(Foster 1999:69)

Advantages:

*Real world communication

*Learner is creative

*Interaction among students

*Efficient for ESP

*Encourages language use

E.g. of Task Based Syllabus:

If the objective is to make students be able to learn

English in everyday context, teacher can bring as

many everyday tasks and ask different students to

come up and perform the tasks.

Can I have two volunteers who can come forward?

Procedure:1. Conduct a needs analysis to obtain an inventory of the

target tasks2. Classify the target tasks into task types

3. Derives pedagogical tasks from the task types

4. Select and sequence the pedagogical tasks to form a task

syllabus. (Long 1985: 91)

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