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DESIGNING AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE SYLLABUS
FOR TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS
IN INDONESIA
Abid
Surel: abid@ung.ac.id
ABSTRACT
This article aims at describing a sample of a syllabus design for teaching
General English at the Department of Primary School Teacher Education in
a university in Indonesia. The design is developed within the framework of
relevant theories, such as syllabus design, language teaching and assessment.
The syllabus focuses on the introduction of English language grammar. It is
expected that the design can help the students of the department (henceforth
refers to pre-service teachers or PSTs) to prepare themselves when enrolling
into other English coursework units in the following semesters, as well as to
teach English at the primary school levelin their future career as English
language teachers.
Keywords: English Language, Syllabus, Teacher Education
INTRODUCTION of the department (henceforth refers
It is generally believed that to pre-service teachers or PSTs) to
teaching is closely related to cognitive prepare themselves when enrolling
activity. In language teaching, for into other English coursework units in
instance, the activity involves the the following semesters, as well as to
acquisition of correct grammar which teach English at primary schools in
assist learners to achieve proficiency their future careers as teachers.
in the target language. Farrel (2005)
suggests that learning grammar is CONTEXT TO SYLLABUS
essential because it helps learners to DESIGN
use appropriate grammar in speaking This coursework unit syllabus
and writing. Although there has been is designed for the 1st year PSTs of
an assumption that teaching grammar the Department of Primary School
can lead to monotonous and Teacher Education at a university in
unexciting classroom, it remains Indonesia, who pursue bachelor
essential for language teachers to degree to become teachers at the
build a strong linguistic foundation to primary school level in the future.
help learners understand how The major aim of this unit is to
language is used. prepare the PSTs to attend other
For this purpose, this article, coursework units inthe following
therefore, aims to inform a sample of years of their studies, namely English
syllabus design for teaching General Studies and English Teaching at
Englishat the Department of Primary Primary School. It teaches them the
School Teacher Education in a basic knowledge of English grammar
university in Indonesia. It is expected by in corporating two other skills,
that the design can help the students such as speaking and writing where
Lecturer at the Department of English Education FSB UNG
329
Abid: Designing an English Language Syllabus ..
teacher can measure the progress of investigate what learning needs they
students’ English language grammar have. In fact, as Harahap (2015)
acquisition. Through speaking and perceives, learners are complex
writing, the PSTs may practice the individuals with various ways of
linguistic forms they learn. This learning styles and approaches. Thus,
General English unit, which takes 100 to address this concern, a series of
minute lesson, is delivered once a procedures are carried out at the
week for the duration of sixteen beginning of the course which involve
teaching weeks. ‘collecting, organizing, analysing, and
There are approximately 30- reporting the information collected’ to
35 PSTs in the class at the department examine the PSTs’ learning needs
where the majority of them are young (Richards, 2001, p. 63). Information
learners, aged 18 to19 years old. is obtained using an ‘achievement
These PSTs, who are assumed to be test’ (Richards, 2001, p. 62), such as
beginners English language learners, paper-based test and questioners. The
are from similar linguistic type of questioner used is open
backgrounds, i.e. they speak the same questions (Richards, 2001). The
first language (L1), Indonesian. results of the needs analysis show that
Therefore, lecturers can teach the the majority of the PSTs are
English language using both L1 and beginners language learners. Thus, to
L2, considering that many of these achieve the aims and objectives of
PSTs are passive English users, so the this course, it is important to assist the
use of L1 is necessary. Burns (1992) PSTs toimprove their basic English
contends that the use of LI in grammar and develop it through some
language classrooms may help constructive speaking and writing
learners, particularly low proficient activities.
ones, build confidence in learning the In brief, this General English
target language. unit aims to prepare PSTs to attend
The use of textbooks in the other English language units where
department is recommended, but more advanced grammatical forms
lecturers are given the opportunity to and teaching practices are the learning
develop learning materials or to focus of the units because after
utilise created materials (Richards, completing their university studies the
2001), either by adopting or PSTs are expected to be able to teach
combining materials from a variety of English at the primary school level.
resource and highly encouraged to use After following this unit, the PSTs is
other teaching resources, such as expected to:
computer and OHP. Furthermore, this 1. gain an understanding of basic
institution provides funds for knowledge of English language
designing course materials. This is a grammar, which includes
worthy incentive for lecturers to be pronoun, parts of speech,
more creative in designing materials count/non-count noun, simple
for teaching. present tense, simple past tense,
Because learners have present continuous tense, past
different needs, it is necessary to
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ESJ VOLUME 7, NO. 3, DESEMBER 2017
continuous tense, simple future language teaching has been embraced
tense and modals. by some concerned educators, such as
2. be able to carry out simple Asselin (2002) and Fitch (2001).
English conversation and to write Fitch (2001) argues that adults want
about simple topics, such as to follow rules and ‘often want to
introducing one self, describing know the nature of the errors they are
people and plans. making’ when learning a language.
3. be able to give and understand Indeed, Asselin (2002) contends that
simple instructions using English standard grammar of target language
in English classrooms. enables language learners to improve
4. demonstrate the use of a range of the way they communicate using the
vocabulary items that are useful language.
in simple English conversation in In order to foster learners’
the classroom context. ability in communicating, Graves
(2000) suggests that when
CONTENT OF SYLLABUS ‘conceptualizing the content’ of
Read (2003) suggests that in syllabus teacher can combine learning
language learning, it is essential to focuses because the general objective
consider what students have done of teaching a language is how learner
before and what they will do in the slearn and use the language being
future. Because the PSTs have had learnt. Therefore, this syllabus also
previous English language knowledge highlights the importance of
but many of them show low English developing learners basic speaking
proficiency as indicated in learners’ and writing skills because they may
need analysis, it might be necessary to need these skills when they attend
review what they have learnt. In fact, other English language classes, i.e.
Schultz (1999) as cited in Landis, et. English Teaching at Primary School
al (2010) suggests that learners’ where they are required to performa
experience in language learning help microteaching practice.
them participate actively in their To design the content of this
further learning. Therefore, re- syllabus, a simple to complex
building their basic English grammar approach (Richards, 2001) is selected.
foundation and speaking skill enables Richards (2001) states that in this
them to engage effectively in other approach, materials to be presented
English language units. are organised by difficulty level, i.e. a
On the basis of the above sequence from simpler to more
consideration, a structural syllabus is complex. Therefore, the PSTs are
selected to develop this course. introduced to simple present tense,
According to Graves (2000) the focus modals, and present continuous tense
of structural syllabus is on how in the first six weeks prior to mid-
learners can master ‘the grammar of term test because these are considered
the language’. It covers, for example, less difficult for them to understand.
‘how words are classified and ordered Then, after the mid-term test, the
to form phrases’ (Graves, 2000, p. PSTs learn future tense and past tense
44). In fact, focusing on grammar in
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Abid: Designing an English Language Syllabus ..
which are assumed to be rather reminds PSTs that they can use
demanding. simple present tense to describe about
their routines. Accordingly, in the
DISCUSSION ON SAMPLE OF second activity, PSTs are exposed to
ACTIVITIES the form of this tense by asking
The majority of activities in questions that indicate habitual
this course are predominantly actions, such as Do you work every
designed using the combination of day? and Do you wear uniform?.
pedagogical and real world Besides, PSTs might often use
approaches (Richards, 2001) to interrogative statements in their future
improve PSTs’ understanding on microteaching practice as alternative
English language grammar by prompts for opening classroom
incorporating speaking and writing activities.
activities as media for measuring and Second, these two activities
developing PSTs’grammatical forms address the core assumption of this
acquisition. Richards (2001) suggests unit, i.e. that the acquisition of correct
that pedagogical activities nurture grammar assists learners to achieve
learners’ ability in mastering proficiency in the target language
knowledge they learn, while real (Herschensohn, 1990) and that
world activities provide learners with learning grammar guides learners to
activities that are useful in their life. It speak and write grammatically in the
is expected that the combination of target language (Farrel, 2005). In the
these two approaches can help first activities, the PSTs learn how
lecturers develop a wide range of simple present tense is formed,
activities which do not only foster including the affirmative, negative
PSTs’ linguistic mastery, but also and interrogative statements. After
allow them to utilise the activities as that, the PSTs engage in an activity
models that may assist them in where they practice asking questions
interacting using English in particular using interrogative sentence and
given contexts. subsequently using affirmative and
The sample of activities in this negative statements to introduce
syllabus are formulated in a way that someone’s occupation at the end of
meet the goals of the unit, beliefs and the activity. The stages in these two
context. First, the unit that includes activities (arranging words, practicing
these activities discusses simple asking questions, and describing
present tense with verbin which the occupation) can enhance the PSTs’
main goal is to enable PSTs to ability in understanding English
understand and use simple present language grammar as well as apply it
tense to describe people and routines. in spoken or written communication
This is also part of this coursework in a given context.
units objectives. Referring to the first Third, these activities are
activity, lecturers introduce the tense developed by considering the context
through the use of adverbs of of language learners. These PSTs are
frequency, such as always and categorised into beginner level. Thus,
usually. The use of these adverbs to help them understand the lesson,
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