Curriculum Resource Evaluation

  Issues with the CLT approach to language teaching According to Bax (2003, p. 278), the CLT approach has neglected the context in which language teaching takes place. Instead, Bax (2003) believes that there needs to be a context approach to language learning, which incorporates students’ attitudes and cultural expectations. This should come first above the teaching method according to Bax (2003). The CLT approach may also not be appropriate for all English language learners. Alsed (2018, as cited in Alkhirbash, 2023, p. 1312), claims that “adopting CLT is a challenge for EFL teachers mainly because of its Western origins and that the method clashes with many local EFL contexts and cultural settings.” Alkhirbash (2023, p.1312) states that “learners, cannot achieve sociolinguistic competence,as long as the environment does not enhance communication practice in social contexts.” Bax (2003, in Alkhirbash, 2023) suggests using the Context Approach instead, which prioritises the context...

  What is Communicative Language Teaching and Communicative Competence? Effective teaching approaches should be based on sound pedagogical principles and should be research based. A language teacher can use a variety of teaching methods and techniques based on the individual needs of the students. There is no absolute method or technique that should be used, as the learner’s needs are diverse and the learner uses language for a variety of purposes. In the curriculum resource, the Communicative Language Teaching approach is adopted. According to Savignon (2007, p. 250), Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) was based on “a functional understanding of language (what language does rather than merely what it says). " Savignon (2007, p. 209) stated that “the essence of CLT is the engagement of learners in communication in order to allow them to develop their communicative competence.” Furthermore, Savignon (2007, p. 210) proposes that, “when two or more languages come together, two or ...

 The relevance of and the teaching principles used in the Gibbons' (2015) curriculum resource, will be viewed. According to Nation & Macalister (2009), when designing a language teaching curriculum, principles that are based on research and theory should be addressed. The principles should allow for flexibility according to the learning conditions. Nation (2007) proposes that four strands for learning language should be included in a language learning course and given equal time, with every activity including one of the four strands. Gibbons' (2015) book supports the inclusion of activities that give equal time to the first two strands. The third strand of language-focused learning and fourth strand of fluency proposed by Nation (2007), are incorporated in the activities of the first two strands in Gibbons' (2015) book. The first strand Nation (2007) proposes is meaning-focused input, or listening and reading. This includes activities using a large quantity of familiar ...

  The resource that I have chosen Gibbons' (2015) book ,  is based on the Systematic Functional Approach to language learning and embraces the Communicative Language Approach.  Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) arose in Europe and the USA in the 1970s and spread around the world. It moves away from learning language structures, to the importance of language functions and communication. The focus in this approach is on the learners and their individual needs.   Gibbons (2015, p. 229) states “language is best learned through meaningful use in a variety of contexts, and the whole curriculum can be viewed as a resource for language development.” Furthermore, Gibbons (2015, p. 231) notes the important role of teachers and that “individual teachers can and do make a difference to children’s lives.” Gibbons' (2015) book is divided into eight chapters which includes chapters on the four areas of language learning: speaking, writing, reading and listening. She suggests ac...

The curriculum resource that I analysed is the book Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning, Teaching English Language Learners in the mainstream classroom (Gibbons, 2015), which is the second edition of this book. The main stakeholders in keeping up the book are classroom teachers, EAL/D teachers, and the students themselves.  The author Gibbons (2015), taught TESOL courses at the University of Technology, Sydney and is now an Adjunct Professor at the University of NSW. Gibbons (2015) has also worked as an EL consultant for teachers and has worked in several countries overseas. She has published five books on ESL teaching. Gibbons' books have influenced the way EAL/D is taught in NSW public schools and her ideas are cited in the NSW Department of Education EAL/D advice for schools (2020) document. In the second edition of this book, Gibbons (2015) updates the practical ideas which can be used in the rmainstream classroom, by the regular class teacher. The book shows how scaffo...

I began my teaching journey in 1988, when I began a Bachelor of Arts degree at The University of Sydney. I completed this degree in 1990 with a double major in English and Psychology.  Whilst completing my studies, I was given the opportunity to conduct weekly English tutoring lessons to a local Japanese family. I also recorded myself reading passages from a text in English provided by the family, so that they could hear the local Australian accent, rather than the American accent used in their English teaching course. I enjoyed this work immensely. In 1991 I did voluntary work at a local primary school in Sydney, as I decided that teaching may be a possible career option. On a weekly basis, I assisted Year 2 students who were experiencing reading difficulties, with reading and writing tasks. From this experience, I remember the feeling of satisfaction that I felt from helping these students to improve in their literacy skills and the realisation that teaching was the career that I...