Competency

Based Language
Teaching
Topics of this class
1. Background
2. Approach
3. Functional
4. Design
5. Procedure
6. Critism
 01
Background
 Lets booqie down to history
town!
1860 1926 1970 end of 70's

Spencer outlined Bobbitt developed Competency CBE was applied to

the major areas of curricular based education language forming the
human activity he objectives (CBE) emerged. Competency-Based
believed should according to his Educational Language Teaching in
be the basis for analysis of needs movement which wok-related and
curricular required for adults focuses in precise survival-oriented
activities living in America descriptors teaching programs
 CBLT was accepted
Concentrated
Any refugee in the as “the state-of-the-
press for national
US with federal art approach” to
educational K-12 schools
assistance only adult ESL by national
standards (schools framed
offered policy makers and
emerged making with 3 goals and 9
competency- curriculum
the standards standards) were
based programs development leaders
movement. developed

1986 1990 end of 90's 1997

 02
Approach
 Interactional
Seeks to teach language in
relation to social contexts
Language occurs as a
medium of interaction for the
achievement of specific goals
and purposes
The roles and situations
learners need to face can be
accurately predicted so that
language can be taught
accordingly.
Functional
The notion of language can
be inferred from language
function
Precise vocabulary and
structures can be predicted
so that teaching\learning units
can be taught accordingly
Language can be divided into
parts and subparts which can
be taught and tested
incrementally.
Communicative competence.
Seeks to develop functional
communication skills in
learners
 03
Desing
 Syllabus

It uses the teacher´s understanding

of subject matter as the basis for
syllabus planning. It starts with the
field of knowledge, selects concepts,
knowledge and skills for that field
and develops the syllabus around it.
 Assesment
Around the notion Competencies Units of
of competency, consist of a competency:
focus on what the description of Task
student can do essential skills Role
with the language required for Function or
effective learning
performance of a module.
real-world task Vary from
context to context
 Assesment

Element of competency: any attribute of an

individual that contributes to a successful
performance of a task, has meaning
independent of the context and time. E.g.
thinking processes, physical skills, attitudes,
etc.
 Features
Focus on successful
functioning in
Outcomes are made explicit a priori
society
A focus on concrete Continuous and ongoing assessment.
life skills Pretest and posttest to determine the
Task or performance- skills they have, lack, and need to
centered orientation: improve.
What can students do
because of instruction A focus on concrete life skills
Modularized instruction
Language is broken Individualized, student-centered
down into manageable instruction
and meaningful chunks
Advan Specific and practical since
competencies are related to learner’s
tages needs
Student can judge the utility of
competencies
Competencies taught ant tested are
specific and public
Progress of one competency at the
time so the learner can see what has
been learned and what remains to be
learned
 03
Procedure
 according to the Australian Migrant
Education Program
1 2 3
Initial assessment to Competencies are divided into Described competencies in terms of:
measure current four domains: Elements are broken down into
English proficiency Knowledge and learning smaller components and refer to the
level, learning pace Oral essential linguistic features
and social goals Reading Performance criteria that specify
Writing competencies the minimal performance required
Range of variables that sets limits
for the performance of the
competency
Examples of texts and assessment
tasks that relate to the competency
Teach it
12 competencies of general language development at Stage 1 and Stage 2
Stage 3 groups according to their goal focus according to 3 options of
Further study, vocational English, and Community access
Tollefson argues that there are no valid
procedures to develop competency lists for
most programs. Areas which competencies are
needed such as survival, adult living or Critism
functioning proficiently are impossible to
operationalize
s
Reductionist approach: The sum of the
competencies does not always imply the
complexity of the whole
Since there is a socially prescribed knowledge
based on the values of the dominant socio-
economic group, the competency-based
approach prepares the student to fit into the
status quo and maintain class relationships