PET 225 TESOL Curriculum

Development
2nd lecture 9 March 2015
The Need for English in the World
today

English today
The demand for English language and

English language education has exploded

with economic globalization.
The response to this demand by
governments around the world has been to
introduce English as a compulsory subject at
younger at younger ages, often without
adequate funding, teacher education, or the
provision of appropriate resources.
need for basic research
need to know how and where to direct
scarce resources (this is a pressing need in
developing countries)
an urgent need to know the costs and
benefits of training students and employees
in English language

Curriculum development
General questions to be addressed
for policy development curriculum, and
materials design and resource allocation.

What are the English language needs

of workers in a wide range of

workplaces and occupations, from
multinational corporations to
government and quasi-government
institutions such as hospitals,
immigration?
How can technology help to meet
these needs?
What are the most effective / costeffective means of meeting these
needs, and what curriculum modes
are most effective (e.g. 'traditional
classroom-based, self-access,
independent learning, distance

What are the implications of the

changing workplace and economy

globally for the teaching, learning and
use of English, often with speakers of
other language or varieties of English?
What is the impact of English as a global
language on the educational practices
and medium of instruction in educational
systems around the world?

More questions for

a wide-ranging
country-by-country survey

At what age and grade level is English

introduced as a compulsory subject?

How many hours per week and weeks per
year is English taught for each grade level?
Are there any plans to lower the age at
which English is taught as a compulsory
subject?
Has the emergence of English as a global
language influenced language planning and
policy-making? If so, in what ways has his
influence manifested itself?
What are the principles underpinning the
English language curriculum?

What gaps, if any, are there between

policy statements and classroom

practice?
What is the impact of English as a
global language on educational
practices and medium of instruction?
What are the costs and benefits, in
terms of time, money and effort, of
teaching English as a foreign
language?
Has the introduction of English had an
impact, or is it likely to have an
impact in the future, on first language
/ indigenous language development?
To what extent is English used as a
medium of instruction for other
subjects?

CHINA
Lowering of age of compulsory English

from 11 to 9.
Teaching English emerging as a
private business.
English increasingly significant as an
entry requirement to university.
English enhances promotional
prospects in the workplace.

HONG KONG
Overwhelming government and

business concern that Hong Kong

will lose out economically if English
language skills are not enhanced.
Primary
4 6 hours / week
Secondary
7 9 hours / week
Year 1 Age 6

Malaysia
Concern at falling standards and

fear that Malaysia may lose

competitive advantage.
Fearful of impact on the national
language.
Primary
90 minutes / week
Secondary
4 hours / week
Age 7

Japan
Increase primary students exposure to
English, especially listening and
speaking
Junior high
3 x 50 minute lessons / week
First year of junior high / Age 12

Korea
Age at which English is compulsory

lowered from 13 to 9.
Huge financial investment in teaching
English.
Concern at negative effect on national
identity of early introduction of English.
Grades 3 6
1 2 hours / week
Grades 7 9
2 4 hours / week
Grades 10 12 4 hours / week
Grade 3 / Age 9

Vietnam
English compulsory from junior high

school (age 11 12)

English plays a central role in both
education and employment
English proficiency now a
requirement for most professional
employment
Grades 6 9
4 x 45 minute lesson / week
Grades 10 12
3 x 45 minutes / week
Grade 6 / Age 11-12

How do these observations stack-up against

what the research says about the conditions of
successful foreign language instruction,
particularly in the early years?

Investment in elementary foreign

language education may well be worth

it, but only if the teachers are native
or native-like speakers and well
trained in the needs of younger
learners; if the early learning
opportunities are built upon with
consistent well-planned, ongoing
instruction in the higher grades; and
if the learners are given some
opportunities for authentic
communicative experiences in the
target language.
(Marinova-Todd, Bradford Marshall
and Snow, 2000: 28 - 29)

Desired
Access to rich input from native
speakers or highly competent
speakers of the language
Actual
The English language proficiency of
many teachers is not sufficient to
provide learners with the rich input
needed for successful foreign
language acquisition. The solution on
the part of countries such as Japan
and Hong Kong to import large
numbers of native speakers has been
extremely expensive, and has not met
with widespread success due to
factors such as the marginalization of

Desired
Well trained teachers, with a particular

focus on the needs of younger learners

Actual
Adequate and appropriate training is a
major problem in all countries surveyed.

Desired
Opportunities for authentic

communicative
Actual
All of the countries surveyed paid
lip service to communicative language
teaching, and the principles of CLT are
enshrined in all of the documents that
I looked at in preparing this
presentation. However, all of my
informants reported a huge gap
between ministerial rhetoric and
classroom reality.

Desired
Appropriate curricula to meet the

needs of the learners of different ages

and at different stages
Actual
There is little evidence that
differentiated curricula to meet the
needs of learners at different
chronological ages and stages have been
developed or are being developed.

Desired
Appropriate curricula to meet the

needs of the learners of different ages

and at different stages
Actual
There is little evidence that
differentiated curricula to meet the
needs of learners at different
chronological ages and stages have been
developed or are being developed.

Desired
Sufficient exposure to the target

language. Ideally, a minimum of 200

hours per year.
Actual
If they are lucky, students, particularly
those in the early years, will receive, on
average, 50 60 hours of instruction a
year which is less than one third of the
minimum number of hours needed for
significant progress in a foreign
language.

Orientation for Curriculum

Development
Principles and procedures for planning
Delivery
Management
Assessment for teaching and learning
Curriculum development involves:
1. Needs analysis. 2. goal setting. 3.
syllabus design. 4. Methodology, 5.
Testing and evaluation.