See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/332344435

Online Journal of Education Research Conceptions about Language Syllabus and

Textbook Based Instructions: TEFL Graduate Students in Focus

Article · October 2013

CITATIONS READS

4 999

1 author:

Birhanu Simegn
Bahir Dar University
11 PUBLICATIONS 45 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Birhanu Simegn on 11 April 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 ISSN 2277-0860; Volume 2, Issue 4, pp 66-71; October, 2013.
Online Journal of Education Research
©2013 Online Research Journals

Research Paper

Available Online at http://www.onlineresearchjournals.org/IJER

Conceptions about Language Syllabus and

Textbook Based Instructions: TEFL Graduate
Students in Focus
Birhanu Simegn Chanie (PhD, Asst professor)
Bahir Dar University, Bahir dar, Ethiopia. E-mail: brshgnsh@gmail.com; Tel.: 913313446

Received 13 May, 2013 Accepted 30 October, 2013

Having a well-developed understanding of language syllabus and teaching materials are proven to be
one of the qualities of experts who developed an effective second/foreign language education program.
Designing English language teaching program in our contexts also requires us to have a thorough
understanding of the language syllabus and the roles of teaching materials in the teaching and learning
process. This qualitative study sought to see how student teachers, in teaching English as a foreign
language in MA programs, conceptualize English language syllabus and to assess how they respond to
the use of textbook in classroom teaching. Twelve-second year MA summer students were grouped into
four (three in each group), and they discussed the nature of language syllabus and the role of using
textbooks in actual English language teaching classroom teaching for one hour. The report of each
focus group discussion shows a similar level of conception about language syllabus, indicating a little
understanding of the basic elements of English language syllabus. The student teachers also
suggested inconsistent and unclear positions on the use or importance of using textbooks in the actual
classroom teaching. Hence, the student teachers did not seem to have a well-established conception of
English language syllabus and a firm stand for using textbooks in the actual teaching and learning
process. More exposure on the nature of language syllabus and material development may be needed
for enabling them to design and adapt language syllabi and teaching materials for English language
education.

Key words: English syllabus, instructional materials and textbook based, EFL, teaching.

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The idea of syllabus and curriculum development has a
long history that shares the historical development of
education itself. In the discussion of education, the terms
‘curriculum and syllabus’ have considerable ambiguity
and conceptual overlapping. Stern [1], for example,
referred the word ‘curriculum’, in American educational
context, to the contents of courses or subjects offered in
a certain institution or college, whereas these same
courses or contents were referred to as ‘syllabus’ in
British education system. That is, similar elements of
educational domain have been named differently in
different countries like America and Britain.
Recently, however, there seems to have a common
understanding of both terms, curriculum and syllabus.
The word curriculum has been defined as the overall
contents and aims to be taught and realized in a given
school or institution White [2] syllabus, on the other hand,
has been considered as contents of a particular course or
subject matter. Curriculum, in a broader sense, is
referred to the mission, purpose, design, and
implementation of an education program, while syllabus
is understood as a specification and sequencing of
courses and course contents [3]. Syllabus is, thus, part of
a given curriculum and plays a major role in realizing the

curriculum of a particular education program. It attempts
to define and interpret the philosophy of the curriculum
into detailed elements of teaching and learning [4].
Curriculum and syllabus design has a significant place
in English Language Teaching (ELT). According to
Richards [5], several countries have a unit of language
curriculum development in ministries of education with a
mandate of evaluating and designing national language
curriculum. Language curriculum determines basic
principles of language, language teaching and language
learning; based on these principles the aims, objectives
and learning purposes as well as implementation
programs are drawn. That is, language syllabus is
developed based on the philosophy of the language
curriculum where general and specific objectives,
contents, learning experiences and evaluation
mechanisms of a course or courses can be developed.
Based on the underlying assumptions of the nature of
language and language teaching and learning, there are
various types of language syllabus. The earliest and most
common type of language syllabus is the grammatical
syllabus. This type of syllabus is designed based on the
assumption that language is a system of grammatical
rules and mastering these grammar rules enables
learners to use the language in their communication.
Inputs of the syllabus focus on various grammatical
elements. The other type of syllabus is the lexical
syllabus. It is used widely in ELT, and vocabularies are
assumed to determine learning a language. Thus, listed
lexical items are organized to be taught and learnt. The
skill-based syllabus is also another type of syllabus,
which has been used in many parts of the world. In this
type of syllabus, the micro skills (pronunciation, grammar
and vocabulary) and the macro skills (listening, reading,
speaking and writing) of language are identified and
organized. The functional notional syllabus is still another
type of syllabus that emphasizes on language functions
(e.g., requesting, agreeing, suggesting and complaining),
and a list of language functions is taken as a syllabus.
Content-based syllabus, on the other hand, considers
topics, themes, situation and other academic contents as
the basis for teaching and learning a language. The task-
based syllabus is relatively a recently used type of
syllabus that considers classroom processes as the main
determinant factors for learning a language, and a variety
of tasks and activities are listed for engaging learners in
the classroom. Given these varieties of language syllabus
discussed by different scholars, there are a few areas of
shared understanding on the nature of language syllabus.
That is, the language syllabus usually determines
learning objectives and learning contents in which
teachers, curriculum experts and students, in one way or
the other, involve in the designing process [6].
Generally, various types of syllabi have been used for
effective implementation of language education program.
A well developed language education program, indeed,
Chanie 67
needs not only a well structured and organized syllabus
but also enriched teaching and learning materials and
resources that enable teachers and learners to translate
the syllabus into classroom activities and interactions for
the attainment of intended objectives. Given the dynamic
nature of ELT syllabus design, there is a direct link
between language syllabus and teaching materials.
Teaching materials and resources are basically prepared
based on the given language syllabus that is used for a
particular ELT program. As Nunan [7] notes, practical
instructional processes of a language education program
begins with designing and preparing teaching materials to
be used for actual classroom instructions. The author
further indicates that the already defined goals and
objectives as well as learning experiences in the syllabus
are made tangible with the teaching materials. That is,
the teaching materials bring flesh to the bones of the
syllabus.
The importance of teaching materials for effective
language teaching and learning does not seem to be
contentious. The pointing is selecting and adapting
materials appropriate to an ELT context. According to
Masuhara [8], currently, the abundance of EFL/ESL
textbooks produced by various authors do seem to
reduce the burden of teachers in writing their teaching
materials, the serious challenge is that the teachers must
adapt any commercially produced textbooks based on
the ELT context. Thus, teachers with limited skills and
experiences of designing and adapting teaching materials
will face problems of accommodating the actual teaching
and learning process with the given resources and
textbooks. Another rational behind the need for adapting
teaching materials is the technological advancement and
its effect on our textbooks and instructional pedagogy [9].
For example, because of communication technology
(e.g., internet), language learners could have more
access to various learning resources and they will have
opportunities for practicing independent learning, and
such situation could demand teachers for making their
textbooks accommodate differences in instructional roles.
Therefore, teachers’ role in developing and adapting
teaching materials becomes unabated despite the
technical advancement of instructional materials and
flexible pedagogical orientations. What matters is
capacitating teachers to design and prepare teaching
materials for their own learners. In doing so,
understanding teachers’ capacity and perception of
developing and using language syllabus as well as
teaching materials could be another concern for those
who aspire for establishing effective language education
program. Though there are no adequate research works
on the views of ELT teachers about the language
syllabus and teaching materials, Kenyan teachers’ views
on readymade teaching materials (textbooks) in their
classrooms were reported in 2003. The teachers reported
that textbooks could help learners have the framework of
68 Online J Edu Res
the course they take. They felt that teachers could also
be benefited from using the prescribed textbooks as the
teachers are saved from preparing and developing their
own materials within their busy schedule. However, the
Kenyan teachers noted that the prescribed teaching
materials do not seem to fit the ELT context unless the
textbooks are adapted. There seems to have a scanty of
information about how teachers in Ethiopia perceive the
ELT textbooks and the language syllabus, which
designed for use in secondary schools. Thus, this
assessment of teachers’ views on language syllabus and
on the use of textbooks in classrooms could fill such
information gap.
Objectives of the Study
This study focused on understanding how EFL graduate
students conceptualize language syllabus and how they
respond to the use of teaching materials (textbooks) in
their classroom teaching. The study specifically
addressed the student teachers’ perceptions of English
language syllabus and the use of textbook in their actual
classrooms.
The Research Questions
This study addressed the following questions:
1. How do EFL graduate students define a language
syllabus?
2. What roles of a language syllabus do they think to
have in ELT?
3. How do EFL graduate students rationalize the use of
prescribed textbooks in EFL classrooms?
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The Study Site and Participants
This study was conducted at Bahir Dar University. The
university has begun masters program in Teaching
English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and literature
since 2007. Currently, there are about hundred students
in both programs, TEFL and literature. Majority of the
students were attending the TEFL program, as there are
felt needs of qualified teachers at schools and higher
institutions.
In addition to writing thesis, students in the TEFL
program are required to take courses such as English
language pedagogy, research methods in ELT and
syllabus design and material writing. The main purpose of
syllabus design and material writing course is to enable
students to develop their own teaching materials based
on the teaching and learning contexts they working in.
The students are taking this course in two parts. Part
one, syllabus design and material writing. It focuses on
providing students with basic principles of developing
language syllabus and teaching materials. Part two,
emphasizes to help students develop their capacity for
designing and preparing syllabi and teaching materials.
The course involves them in practical activities such as
evaluation, preparation and development of syllabi and
teaching materials.
Instrument
Data for this study were collected through focus group
discussions with twelve students of TEFL (Teaching
English as Foreign Language). Of the four sections (one
section has fourteen to fifteen students) this study
involved only one randomly selected section of students.
The students have already taken the course, syllabus
design and material writing I as mentioned above. The
total number of student teachers was fifteen, but at the
time of this study, three students were absent. Of the
twelve students, three were females. The participants
were also composed of students having three to twenty
years of teaching experiences at elementary and
secondary schools.
Procedures
The data collection was begun with grouping participants
(students) into four. Each group of three members was
provided with four questions written on a piece of paper.
The questions required students to present and discuss
their conceptions and views on the nature of language
(English) syllabus as well as the use of prescribed
textbook in ELT classrooms. Brief explanations were also
given to each question to help each participant
understand the discussion point. The students, then,
discussed the four questions for one hour and reported
their discussions on a piece of paper. Thematic analysis
and presentation of core concepts were done on the
collected data before the organization of the report.
RESULTS
The findings of this study were organized based on three
thematic areas: conceptions of language syllabus, roles
of language syllabus and views of using the prescribed
textbooks in classrooms.
Conceptions of English Language Syllabus
The participants of each group do seem to have a similar
understanding of a language syllabus, and they reported
their conceptions of language syllabus as follows:
• guide for the teaching and learning of English

• contract between the teachers and learners
• plan of action
• expression of language and learning
• consist of aim, general and specific objectives, content,
methodology and evaluation system
• includes textbooks, teaching materials and teaching
methods
• framework of teaching and learning
• learning outcomes, contents, classroom activities, the
methodologies and instructional materials
Generally, the students seemed to have considerable
understanding of language syllabus. They considered a
syllabus as a comprehensive framework that defined the
purpose, learning experiences and evaluation
mechanisms of a language program. The students,
however, did not appear to see the differences between
the language syllabus and the teaching materials. For
example, one of the major aspects of a language syllabus
they mentioned was inclusion of textbooks and teaching
materials. The teaching materials and textbooks are not
part of any language syllabus. Material designers rather
use the given language syllabus as a basis for preparing
and writing textbooks and other resources of teaching.
Roles of Language Syllabus
The participants seemed to acknowledge the significant
roles of developing language syllabus in language
education program. They thought that language syllabi
could serve as:
• sources of material development (e.g., classroom tasks
and activities)
• bases of adapting the lesson
• indicator of direction
• guide for teaching and lesson planning
• means of identifying the learners capacity problems
• means of enriching the teaching materials (textbooks)
• guide for developing teaching materials
Concisely, the student teachers’ conception of what roles
a language syllabus has in language education program
appears to be acceptable and clear. However, there
seems to be some kind of ambiguity in the above listed
roles. That is, the students did not seem to understand
the essential functions of a syllabus in language teaching
program. For example, they considered the language
syllabus as a base for preparing lessons and identifying
language proficiency of students. In fact, with diverse
socio cultural and economic background of students,
nationally designed syllabi could not have accurate
presumption of students’ language learning capacity, and
in practical terms, the syllabi could not serve teachers as
bases of classroom lesson planning. This is rather the
students’ misconception of the roles the syllabi used in
Chanie 69
the teaching and learning process.
On the other hand, the students acknowledged the
language syllabus as a framework of selecting and
designing teaching materials, as well as classroom
implementation procedures. The students, in this sense,
did seem to conceptualize the essential purposes of
language syllabi. In fact, the students did not explain how
syllabi help teachers select their teaching materials and
classroom procedures.
Teachers’ Views on Using Prescribed Teaching
Materials (textbooks) in Classrooms
The students’ views on the use of textbook in EFL
classrooms are presented in the following way:
• Teachers must use the textbook for their classroom
teaching because teachers would not have similar
capacity and language competence for developing their
own activities.
• Teachers must use the textbook for maintaining the
standard and uniformity of the teaching and learning
process because of the teachers’ limited capacity.
• In situations where teachers can develop their own
materials, they do not need to follow the prescribed
textbook.
• Textbooks should be used because teachers do not
have similar competence to prepare their own teaching
materials, and to enable students pass the national
examination.
• Teachers should not stick to the textbook since there
are problems of activities that cannot address students’
learning needs.
• Teachers should use the textbook to make their lessons
uniform and this can minimize the problems of material
preparation. The textbook is also the source of national
examinations.
Generally, the students’ response to using the textbook in
their classroom teaching reflected two different
dimensions. On the hand one, they said teachers should
directly conduct classroom instructions based on the
prescribed textbook as the student teachers felt the
textbook could maintain uniformity among schools. On
the other, the students suggested teachers to modify the
textbook in classroom instructions as the students
believed the prescribed textbook could not accommodate
students’ learning capacity and interest.
Therefore, the student teachers did not seem to have a
well-defined position on the direct implementation of
prescribed textbooks in schools. However, the students
did seem to focus on maintaining the prescribed
textbooks based classroom teaching because of three
reasons: standardization of curriculum, administration of
national examination, and difficulty of developing or
modifying their own teaching materials.
70 Online J Edu Res
DISCUSSION
Based on the results of the study, the teachers’ mere
conception of a language syllabus and undefined position
for using textbook in classroom instructions could reflect
two major implications. Firstly, the students did not seem
to have more access and exposure of the syllabus they
had been using at their work place. Even, the graduate
course (syllabus design and material development part I)
they took previously did hardly expose them the major
tenets of language syllabus and materials design.
Nevertheless, on the contemporary conception of
language syllabus, the most important element is learning
objectives; and if teachers have the capacity to design
their own strategies and evaluation mechanisms, mere
lists of learning objectives could be a meaningful syllabus
of a language education program. That is, in order to
achieve the required or stated objectives in the syllabus,
students and teachers could choose their own way out
based on the existing resources and materials. Then, the
teachers with a good grasp of language syllabus could
determine or select the instructional methodology and
learning experiences that they need to have for helping
students achieve the stated objectives. Therefore,
understanding the core component of the language
syllabus not only enables teachers to be flexible and
effective in addressing contextual constraints of the
teaching and learning process but also make the
teachers become more independent and active
participant in the instructional process. Similarly,
acknowledging the importance of conceptualizing a
syllabus, Ur [10] notes that teachers’ use or non-use of a
syllabus as a basis for materials development merely
depends on individual teacher’s personality and
willingness to exert more effort. Generally, it seems
imperative to suggest that teachers could consider the
existing syllabus for ensuring effective teaching and
learning process other than saving themselves from hard
working and tiredness. That is, the focus of making
decisions on using or not using syllabi must be students’
effectiveness in handling their learning. Secondly, the
teachers tended to be not only less concerned about the
effectiveness of textbook based instruction in students’
learning outcomes but also hardly know whether the
textbook used instruction has an effect on students’
success. In other words, the teachers seemed to be more
concerned with maintaining school routines that do not
consider students’ success. The teachers’ concern could
be finishing each unit of the textbook and reporting it to
their immediate supervisor. This research finding seems
to confirm the findings of a case study [11] in Thailand
that showed diverse views of textbook-based teaching.
Accordingly, some participants acknowledged the role of
textbook for facilitating English learning, and some others
condemned using textbooks as they thought it was waste
of time. Still a few participants partially recognized
textbooks for supplementing other materials.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Understanding the teachers’ conceptions of language
syllabus and roles of textbooks in ELT context was the
primary objective of the study. The teachers reflected
their views in the form of group discussion. Thus, based
on their responses, two major conclusions are drawn.
First, the teachers do not seem to a develop
understanding of what really involves in designing a
language syllabus and how it is going to be used in a
particular language education program. That is, the
characterizations of language syllabus by the participant
teachers lack some form of clarity. For example, they
considered language syllabus as a ‘contract between
teachers and students, framework of teaching and
learning, and guide for lesson planning’. The student
teachers do not seem to have a conception of language
syllabus and its roles in the practical classroom teaching
and learning process. Secondly, the student teachers’
perception of textbook based or non-textbook based
lessons seems to be ambiguous. On the one hand, they
tend to acknowledge the use of prescribed textbooks in
teaching and learning process. On the other, the student
teachers seem to suggest the importance of adapting the
textbook and supplementing it with other additional
materials. Thus, they do not seem to have a firm stand on
the use or non-use of textbooks in classroom teaching.
Base on the findings, the following recommendations
were forwarded:
1. The student teachers should invest much more time
and effort in conceptualizing the essence of language
syllabus and the basic rationales behind developing and
implementing a syllabus based language education
program.
2. The student teachers must try to contextualize the
theoretical principles of syllabus and material
development to their own day-to-day professional
practices or teaching. That is, having a sheer memory of
theories about material design and preparation could not
help them produce a workable curriculum for language
education program.
3. The teachers’ awareness about material design and
development should go beyond understanding a mere
principle of selecting and producing teaching resources.
They need to have a good sense of criticality and
reasoning power for adapting the textbook according to
their teaching contexts.
Acknowledgement
I am very much indebted to the graduate program
students who participated in the study, as well as to the
anonymous reviewers whose contributions helped in
 Chanie 71

improving the article. [9] Littlejohn A. The analysis of language teaching materials: inside the
Trojan Horse. In Tomlinson B. (Ed.), Materials Development in
Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
REFERENCE [10] Ur P. A Course in Language Teaching. Cambridge University
Press, 2003. http://www.cambridge.org
[1] Stern H. Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1983. [11] Srakang J, Jansem A. A Study of Teachers’ Perceptions toward
Using English Textbooks: A Case Study of 10th Grade English
[2] White R. The ELT Curriculum.USA: Cambridge University Pres. Teachers in Maha Sarakham Province. FLLT Conference Proceedings
by LITU Issue, 2012; 2: 1.
[3] Graves K. Designing Language Course. Canada: Heinle and Heinle,
2000.

[4] Dubin F, Olshtain E. Course Design: Developing Programs and

Materials for Language Learning, Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1997.

[5] Richards J. Curriculum Development in Language Teaching.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

[6] Nunan D. Language Teaching: Syllabus Design. Oxford: Oxford

University Press, 1988.

[7] Nunan D. Language teaching methodology: A textbook for teachers.

Prentice Hall (New York). 1991.

[8] Masuhara H. What do teachers really want from course books? In

Tomlinson B. (Ed.), Materials Development in Language Teaching.
Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress, 1998.

View publication stats