Theory and practice in second language syllabus design

Abstract

The syllabus is an essential factor in the achievement of communicative competence in second language teaching. Various proposals for syllabus design have been made, ranging from product to process syllabuses. Their theoretical bases and the practical constraints which influence them are discussed. The product syllabus is a formal statement of the end product, and has been criticized mainly because it cannot account for communicative competence in the syllabus design itself and because it may encourage a step-by-step teaching procedure. The process syllabus attempts to address learning procedures and is concerned with learning experiences and the negotiation of meaning. This approach is also not without its critics. But practical factors such as administrative requirements, teacher capacity and learner differences constrain the syllabus design. It is concluded that a process syllabus which specifies the classroom activities in much more detail than has been the case so far, and which contains product elements to accommodate some of the constraints, is likely to realize the aim of communicative competence. Die sill ab us is 'n belangrike element in die bereiking van kommunikatiewe vaardigheid in tweedetaalonderrig. Verskeie voorstelle vir die ontwerp van sillabusse is reeds gedoen, en strek vanafproduk- tot prosessillabusse. Die teoretiese basis van hierdie sillabusse sowel as die praktiese beperkinge wat hulle bei"nvloed, word bespreek. Die produksillabus is' nformele verklaring van die eindproduk, en word vera/ gekritiseer omdat dit nie rekenskap kan gee van kommunikatiewe vaardigheid in die sillabusontwerp self nie, en omdat dit aanleiding kan gee tot' n stap-vir-stap onderrigbenadering. Die prosessillabus poog om die leerproses in ag te neem en leerervarings te spesifiseer, en beklemtoon die onderhandeling van betekenis. Hierdie benadering is ook nie sonder sy kritici nie. Maar praktiesefaktore soos administratiewe vereistes, onderwyserbevoegdheid en verskille tussen leerders, het' n beperkende invloed op die ontwerp van die sillabus. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat 'n prosessillabus wat die klaskameraktiwiteite in baie meer detail spesifiseer as wat tot nou toe die geval was, en wat produkelemente bevat om sommige van die praktiese beperkings te akkommodeer, die doelstelling van kommunikatiese vaardigheid waarskynlik die beste kan realiseer.