Curriculum Resource Evaluation

  Procedures and Principles for using the resource in a K-6 school setting For the resources in Gibbons' (2015) book to be used effectively in a classroom setting, there are several procedures that would need to be in place. When viewing curriculum design, Nation & Macalister (2009, p. 138) suggest that "curriculum design is best viewed as a process like writing where the curriculum design could begin at any of several places - needs analysis, materials writing, selection of principles, goals... etc." For most teachers a needs analysis of the students cannot be made first until they have time to know the students. Nation & Macalister (2009) acknowledge that problems with curriculum design include having limited preparation time for a largely unknown environment. Nation & Macalister (2009) suggest models of curriculum design that can be used to help teachers decide what to include. In Table 9.1 Nation & Macalister (2009, p. 137) compare the Language Design ...

  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 ...