Developing Syllabus
Developing Syllabus
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 2
DISCUSSION
A. What is Syllabus?
B. Different Types of Syllabus
1. Syllabus Design
Wilkins (1976) made the classic distinction between synthetic and analytic syllabuses in
the language classroom.
a. Synthetic Syllabus Design
Synthetic approaches to syllabus design characterize many traditional or conventional
language courses and textbooks. The actual units according to which synthetic syllabuses
are organized vary. Structural, lexical, notional and functional, and most situational and
topical syllabuses are all synthetic (Long and Crookes, 1992, 1993; Long and Robinson,
1998). There are some characteristics in synthetic approach as follows:
a) Synthetic syllabuses divide language into small units.
b) A grammar based approach (common in the past) is an example of a synthetic
syllabus. Here the whole of the language is divided into separate grammar points
and successive lessons focus almost entirely on the grammar points.
c) The learners task in a synthetic syllabus is to synthesize the separate language
items together to form a picture of the whole language.
Synthetic syllabuses, also called "focus on forms" in Long and Robinson (1998),
however, have been criticized for major problems, which include:
1) absence of needs analysis;
2) linguistic grading;
3) lack of support from language learning theory;
4) ignorance of learners' role in language development;
5) tendency to produce boring lessons, despite the best
6) efforts of highly skilled teachers and textbook writers;
7) production of many more false beginners than finishers