What is a syllabus?

Nunan (1988:3) stated, “within the literature, there is some confusion over the terms 'syllabus'
and 'curriculum'.”
According to Brumfit (1984), a syllabus is a delineation of a specific department’s work. It is
arranged in terms of subdivisions describing the works of a special class or group.
The syllabus is time bound, linked to particular objectives, and founded upon a grading that
emerges following the theory of language to be assumed and the administrative needs. It is
flexible in terms of negotiation and adjustment. It is concerned with the teaching of content,
and is an account of it.
Nunan (1988: 6) maintains that ‘a syllabus is a statement of content which is used as the basis
for planning courses of various kinds’.
Robinson (2011) describes syllabus design as the compilation of decisions regarding units and
their sequence of performance. At the lowest level, the syllabus may simply be a reminder or
a list of things to do for the busy teacher who has little classroom planning time. However, a
good syllabus does much more than that. A well-written syllabus could provide a doorway
into the pedagogical beliefs of the teacher (or the course writer).
Syllabus vs Curriculum
Is there a difference?

The word ‘syllabus’ is to be distinguished from the word ‘curriculum’ with which it is very
often confused. In fact, in Northern America, these words are used interchangeably. The
difference between syllabus and curriculum is expressed by Robertson (1971); quoted by
(Yalden, 1983:18) who says: ‘the curriculum includes the goals, objectives, content,
processes, resources, and means of evaluation of all the learning experiences planned for
pupils both in and of the school and community through classroom instruction and related
programs… the syllabus should be viewed in the context of an ongoing curriculum
development process’.

So, according to Robertson, the syllabus is subsumed by the curriculum. Robertson’s view is
shouldered by that of Allen (1984; cited by Nunan, 1988) for whom the syllabus is a
subsection of curriculum whose aim is to specify the units to be taught.

Richards et al. (1992) proposes to consider ‘curriculum’ as having two meanings. If we mean
by this word an educational program, which outlines the ends, the means of implementing the
content, and its assessment, the curriculum acquires its full sense. However, if we mean a
selection and grading of grammatical items, lexical elements, situations, and communicative
functions and meanings for the sake of describing a course of instruction, then the word
curriculum equals the word syllabus.

1
Richards (2001, p. 2) distinguishes a difference in scope in the UK- the curriculum is the
bigger picture. As “the bigger picture”, the curriculum can incorporate three steps: (1) course
planning, (2) materials/methods, and (3) course evaluation (Nunan, 1988, pp. 4–5).
Historically, because grammar-centric teaching has been so popular, syllabus design was
simply the order of the grammar points that would be taught within the framework the
curriculum. However, in the United States, Syllabus and Curriculum often mean the same
thing.

Candlin (1984) suggests that curricula are concerned with making general statements about
language learning, learning purpose and experience, evaluation, and the role relationships of
teachers and learners. According to Candlin, they will also contain banks of learning items
and suggestions about how these might be used in class. Syllabuses, on the other hand, are
more localized and are based on accounts and records of what actually happens at the
classroom level as teachers and learners apply a given curriculum to their own situation.
These accounts can be used to make subsequent modifications to the curriculum, so that the
developmental process is ongoing and cyclical.

More Definitions

Syllabus is seen as an instrument by which the teacher, with the help of the syllabus designer,
can achieve a degree of 'fit' between the needs and aims of the learner (as social being and as
individual) and the activities which will take place in the classroom. (Yalden 1984: 14)
…syllabus is simply a framework within which activities can be carried out: a teaching device
to facilitate learning. It only becomes a threat to pedagogy when it is regarded as absolute
rules for determining what is to be learned rather than points of reference from which bearings
can be taken. (Widdowson 1984: 26)
... curriculum is a very general concept which involves consideration of the whole complex of
philosophical, social and administrative factors which contribute to the planning of an
educational program. Syllabus, on the other hand, refers to that subpart of curriculum which is
concerned with a specification of what units will be taught (as distinct from how they will be
taught, which is a matter for methodology). (Allen 1984: 61)
Since language is highly complex and cannot be taught all at the same time, successful
teaching requires that there should be a selection of material depending on the prior definition
of objectives, proficiency level, and duration of course. This selection takes place at the
syllabus planning stage. (Allen 1984: 65)
Traditionally syllabus design has been seen as a subsidiary component of curriculum design.
'Curriculum' is concerned with the planning, implementation, evaluation, management, and
administration of education programmes. 'Syllabus', on the other hand, focuses more narrowly
on the selection and grading of content.
It was argued that syllabus design was essentially concerned with the selection and grading of
content. As such, it formed a sub-component of the planning phase of curriculum
development.

2
Nunan (1988) stated that a distinction is traditionally drawn between syllabus design, which is
concerned with outcomes, and methodology, which is concerned with the process through
which these outcomes are to be brought about.
He added that recently, however, some syllabus designers have suggested that syllabus
content might be specified in terms of learning tasks and activities. They justify this
suggestion on the grounds that communication is a process rather than a set of products.
A given syllabus will specify all or some of the following: grammatical structures, functions,
notions, topics, themes, situations, activities, and tasks. Each of these elements is either
product or process oriented, and the inclusion of each will be justified according to beliefs
about the nature of language, the needs of the learner, or the nature of learning.
We shall be making constant references to and comparisons between process and product.
What we mean when we refer to 'process' is a series of actions directed toward some end. The
'product' is the end itself. Nunan (1988) made it clear through some examples. A list of
grammatical structures is a product. Classroom drilling undertaken by learners in order to
learn the structures is a process. The interaction of two speakers as they communicate with
each other is a process. A tape recording of their conversation is a product.
References
Kara, S. (2001). The foreign language syllabus: design, evaluation and renewal. ‫مجلة العلوم‬
48-76 ,‫اإلنسانية‬.

Murphy, R. S. (2018). The Concept of Syllabus Design and Curriculum Development: A

Nunan, D. (1988). Syllabus Design. Oxford: Oxford University Press.