Planning Goals, Defining

Objectives and Learning

Outcomes
 Determining goals
Key assumptions:
Ø People are generally motivated to pursue
specific goals
Ø The use of goals in teaching improves the
effectiveness of teaching and learning.
Ø A course will be effective to the extent
that its goals are sound and clearly
described
— Most of the language courses describe
their goals in terms of aims and objectives
— The term “goal” and “aim” are used
interchangeably to refer to a description
of general purposes of a curriculum/
course.
— “Objective” is to refer to a more specific
and concrete description of purposes
 Aim Statements
— Aim statement Ž statement of a general
change that the course seeks to bring about in
learners.
— The purpose of aim statements:
◦ To provide a clear definition of the purpose of the
course
◦ To provide guidelines for teachers, learners, and material
writers
◦ To help provide a focus for instruction
◦ To decide important and realizable changes in learning
 Aim Statements
— Aim statements are generally derived
from information gathered during a needs
analysis.
— Aim statements reflect the ideology of
the course and show how the course will
seek to realize it.
Examples of aim statements
The aim statements of teaching English at the
primary level in Singapore:
Our pupils learn English in order to:
§ Communicate effectively, in both speech and
writing, in everyday situations to meet the
demands of society
§ Acquire good reading habits to understand, enjoy
and appreciate a wide range of texts, including
the literature of other cultures
§ Develop the ability to express themselves
imaginatively and creatively
§ Acquire thinking skills to make critical and
rational judgments
— Negotiate their own learning goals and evaluate
their own progress
— Acquire information and study skills to learn the
other subjects taught in English
— Cope effectively and efficiently with change,
extended learning tasks and examinations
— Acquire knowledge for self development and for
fulfilling personal needs and aspirations
— Develop positive attitudes toward constructive
ideas and values that are transmitted in oral and/or
written form, using the English language
— Develop a sensitivity to, and an appreciation of,
other varieties of English and the culture they
reflect
Aim statements of a business
English course
— To develop basic communication skills for
use in business contexts
— To learn how to participate in casual
conversation effectively with other
employees in a work place
— To learn how to write good business
letters
Note in writing aim statements
— It is important to describe more than simply
the activities that students will take part in.
— The following are NOT good aim
statements:
◦ Students will learn about business letter writing
in English
◦ Students will study listening skills
◦ Students will practice composition skills in English
◦ Student will learn English for tourism
 Aims should focus on changes in the
learners
— Student will learn how to write effective
business letters for use in the hotel and
tourism industries
— Students will learn how to listen well in
conversational interactions and how to
develop better listening strategies
— Students will learn how to communicate
information and ideas creatively and effectively
in writing
— Students will be able to improve their English
for purposes of tourism
Activity
Rewrite the following aim statements so
that they describe changes in learners
1. Students will study English grammar
2. Students will learn pronunciation and
vocabulary
3. Students will listen to authentic materials
4. Students will write reports and emails.
https://padlet.com/htmphuong/lvrszze32w1zzzik
GROUPWORK

Please go back the the needs assessment

findings from the interview on medical
doctors and write at least 3 aim statements
for the English course you are going to
design for them.
 Writing objectives

— Objectives describe what the aim seeks to

achieve in terms of smaller units of learning
— They provide a basis for organization of
teaching activities
— They describe learning in terms of
observable behavior or performance
 Writing objectives
Examples:
— Aim
Students will improve their understanding of
lectures given in English
— Objectives:
◦ Students will be able to follow an argument or a
theme of a lecture
◦ Students will learn how to recognize the
following aspects of a lecture:
– Cause and effect relationship
– Comparisons and contrast
– Supporting details used in persuasive arguments
 Writing objectives - Advantages
Ø Facilitating planning including course planning,
material preparation, textbook selection and
related processes.
Ø Providing measurable outcomes – success or
failure of a program can be measured.
Ø Describing how planning should be
proceeded and doing away subjective
interpretations and personal opinions.
 Writing Objectives - Characteristics
1. Objectives describes the learning outcome.
Objectives can be described with phrases
like: will have, will learn how to, will be able
to, etc.
2. Objective should be consistent with the
aim
3. Objectives should be precise
4. Objectives should be feasible.
 Objective should be consistent
with the aim
Aim:
Students will learn how to write effective
business letters for use in hotel and tourism
industries
Objective:
Students can understand and respond to
simple questions over the telephone

the above objective is not consistent with the aim

 Objectives should be precise
Example:
Student s will know how to use useful conversation
expressions

A more precise objective would be:

Students will be able to use conversation expressions

for greeting people, opening and closing
conversations
 Competency-based program
outcomes
— An alternative to the use of objectives in
program planning is to describe learning
outcomes in terms of competencies
— CBLT focuses on the outcomes of learning
— Traditional language planners focus on the
content of teaching
— CBLT link instruction to measurable
outcomes and performance standards
Examples of competencies
— Topic: shopping
◦ Read a limited number of basic signs
◦ Ask the price of items
◦ State basic food needs
◦ State intention to purchase items
◦ Request correct change when incorrect
change is received
◦ Ask for food using common weights and
measures
Examples of competencies
— Topic: Job seeking skills
◦ Can inquire about an employment
opportunity
◦ Can read and interpret advertisements for
employment
◦ Can prepare a job-application letter
Non-language outcome and process
objectives
— Non-language objectives:
◦ Other objectives apart from language related
objectives
◦ Reflecting values related to learner centeredness,
soft skills, cultures, etc.
◦ Example: for an adult immigrant English course in
Australia
– social, psychological and emotional support in a new living
environment
– Confidence
– Motivation
– Cultural understanding
— Process objectives:
◦ Describing learning experiences rather than
learning outcome – the skills learners need to
develop
Ex:
- To conduct classroom discussion in which
learners learn to listen to others as well as to
express their own view
- To encourage children to reflect their own
experiences
- To create new role for the teacher, who becomes
a facilitator rather than an authority
GROUP ACTIVITY

- Review your aim statements for the

English course for medical doctors
working in International hospitals.-
- Write the objectives for these three n
aims statements.
(Including some non-language objectives,
where possible).
- Be prepared to present the course
objectives
Homework (individuals)
- Revise the objectives of the English course
for medical doctors working in International
hospitals, if needed.
- Make a list of content units necessary to
achieve the course objectives .
- Think about the textbook(s) which can help
to mainly deliver those content units
- Think of some key activities and teaching
methods to achieve the objectives of the
course?
- Be ready to present in class next week.