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ESL Curriculum Development

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Step 5:

Aims, Goals and Objectives of the Course

1. Introduction

Of al the components of an ESL Course development, Aims,Goals and Objectives posses center

stage.

Since the terms are interpreted differently by course developers,confusion may arise as to what I

mean when I use these terms in my proposed course, CALL Course for English Languag

Teachers.

Aims are overarching and broader statemens regarding the purpose of a course.Goals and

Objectives are narrower in scope in comparison with aims of a course.

Goals are determined by the information gathered during the needs analysis phase of course

development process. Goals are general statements about what must be accomplished in order to

attain and satisfy students’ needs. Objectives are precise statements about what content or skills

the learners must master in order to attain aparticular goal. They state how the goals will be

achived in a certain timeframe. Goal and Objectives are closely related.Fr eaxh goal of a

course,there are two to three (any number,depending upon the nature of the course)

objectives.Ideally,objectives of a course must be SMART. That is ,objectives must be

•S-specific •M-measureable •A-achieveable •R-realistic •T-time-frammed

Goals decide the selection and sequencing of teaching materials of a course while bjectives lay

the foundation for the organization of teaching activities.

2. Aims, Goals and Objectives of CALL Course

In the CALL Course, the goals are the general statements that provide guidelines, focus, and

general purposes for teaching. The objectives are statements of more specific purposes; they

address observable outcomes, are the basis for activities, and are the building blocks of goals.

Based on the needs and situation analyses, the following aims, goals and objectives have been

identified as essential to my CALL Course. For each general goal,three to four objectives have

been enlisted.

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3. Aims

CALL Course aims at the following:

To create awareness among learners (College teachers) about the utility and effectiveness of

computer and web-based technology in language teaching

To enlighten learners on how to use various web-based applications (CALL Tools) for their

professional development (ELT)

To show the learners ways and means as to how to integrate computer technology in

language teaching

4. Goals & Objectives

Goals have been set in the light of the needs and situational anlyses. For each goal ,a set of

related objectives has been stated.

4.1 Goal 1 : To train learners on the use of various CALL Tools

Objectives

At the completion of cALL Course,learners shuld be able to

Aim This is an advanced course in computer-assisted language learning that aims to introduce the principles underpinning the use of technology in language teaching and learning at college and university level in Pakistan. The course helps participants design technology-based activities in the English syllabus by learning about the commonly used CALL softwares, integrating CALL into curriculum, and developing CALL related materials/activities. Objectives After completing the course, the participant will be able to: demonstrate understanding of the CALL paradigm incorporate the CALL scope and options into curriculum apply the CALL based techniques to enhance linguistic competencies of the learners design and author teaching material using CALL softwares embed audio and video files in learning activities present activities in the digital medium that incorporate the linguistic and technological frames develop assess

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The course we want to develop, for the first year students of the Post Graduate College

Mansehra, is English Reading Course for Academic Purposes. After analyzing the situational

constraints, the needs of the students and setting principles for the course, now we are in a better

position to state the aim(s), goals and objectives of our reading course.

The terms goals and objectives, are sometimes confusing for readers. Goals are, as stated by

Brown, 1995a, the general statements about what must be accomplished in order to attain and

satisfy students’ needs. On the other hand, he defines objectives are the precise statements about

what content skills the students must master in order to attain a particular goal. Nation (2000)

says, goals decide why a course is being taught and what the learners need to get from it. In

simple words we can say that aims and goals are the general purpose of the course—what is the

course about and what information does it want to convey. Goals are more specific than aims.

Aims and goals are gathered from needs and situational analysis. Similarly objectives are the

outcomes of the goals or we can say that objectives are the result of a course or the change it

brings in students.

After the needs analysis we came to know that our students lack fluency in reading, reading

strategies and techniques, reading comprehension, sufficient vocabulary, high motivation and

interest in reading. They just want to pass the exam and get good grades. Their needs include

reading strategies, sufficient vocabulary and to enhance their motivational level in reading.

Furthermore, the situational analysis helped us in identifying the internal and external strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities and threats to our course. On the basis of the needs and situational

analysis and principles of the course we are going to set the aim(s), goals and objectives for our

reading course.

The course aims to focus on the students reading comprehension skills, their reading fluency and

increasing the motivational level and interest of the students in reading. The course will present

many reading strategies and techniques in order to help the students to be good L2 readers and

get fluency in reading. Moreover, the course will present many vocabulary items so that the word

power of the students is strengthened.

The goals and objectives of the course are presented in bulleted form below.

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The Goals of the Course

The course will help the students to:

Learn different reading strategies and techniques and develop reading skills.

Be fluent readers in the target language.

Increase the comprehension level in reading.

Boast their motivation and interest in reading.

Improve the word recognition skills.

Enjoy reading in the target language.

Develop vocabulary.

Read extensively.

Be independent learners.

Enhance oral reading.

Objectives of the Course

The course will prepare students to:

Know and use the different reading strategies and techniques.

Be strategic readers.

Develop their receptive skills (reading).

Learn the target language through reading.

Excel in their academics and in future studies.

Comprehend passages from newspapers and read short stories or other books.

Be independent and autonomous learners and readers.

Be fluent readers with comprehension skills.

Read for a variety of purposes (read extensively in future).

Value reading as a means of learning and enjoyment.

Acquire a large amount of vocabulary.

Paraphrase short passages orally.

REFERENCES

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Brown, J. D. (1995). The Elements of Language Curriculum: A Systematic Approach to Program

Development. New York: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

Chan, Victoria (2001). Determining Students’ Language Needs in a Tertiary Setting. English Teaching Forum, Vol. 39 (3), 16-27.

Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for Specific Purposes: A learning-centered

Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nation, Paul (2000), Designing and Improving a Language Course, English Teaching Forum, Vol. 38, 2-11.

Nation, I.S.P. & Macalister, J. ((2010). Language Curriculum Design. New York: Routledge.

Nunan, D. (1989). Hidden Agendas: The role of learner in program implementation. In R.K. Johnson (Ed.), The Second Language Curriculum (Pp. 176-186). NY: Cambridge University Press.

Step 5:

Aims, Goals and Objectives of the Course

This course seeks to support college-aged international students in their acquisition of

communication skills in English. Students in this course have the need to improve their language

skills, critical thinking skills, management of affective factors, communicative skills, and

performance skills. This class is specifically designed to address those needs. In this proposal,

the goals are the general statements that provide guidelines, focus, and general purposes for

teaching. The objectives are statements of more specific purposes; they address observable

outcomes, are the basis for activities, and are the building blocks of goals. Based on the needs

and situation analyses, the following goals and objectives have been identified as essential to this

course.

A. Aim: 1. This course aims to help ESL students improve their communication skills in English,

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through the use of role-play, script-writing, and improvisation.

B. Goals: 1. Language Skills: Students will listen and read for details, and improve comprehensibility in speaking and writing, for the purpose of communicating to an audience in English. a. Objectives: i. Students will be able to: 1. read drama scripts in English 2. understand main ideas and details in different kinds of dramatic scripts 3. improve listening comprehension of different types of spoken texts – for main ideas, details and speakers’ attitudes and emotions 4. speak on a given topic for an extended period of time in an improvisation 5. speak clearly enough (pronunciation, stress, intonation) to be understood by classmates and audience 6. write dramatic scripts for different purposes and audiences 7. formulate, express and defend individual ideas and opinions in an improvisation 8. develop and use language learning strategies for all language skills

2. Critical Thinking Skills: Students will learn how to think critically in order to successfully participate in dramatic impromptu improvisations. a. Students will be able to i. acquire thinking skills to make critical and rational judgments ii. interpret input and understand inferences in a dramatic script or improvisation

3. Affective Factors: Students will learn how to manage affective factors that can inhibit or enhance their English language proficiency. a. Students will be able to i. cope effectively and efficiently with change, extended speaking tasks, and unplanned, impromptu speaking ii. develop positive attitudes toward constructive ideas and values that are transmitted and dramatized in oral and/or written forms iii. develop confidence in their ability to speak English spontaneously

4. Performance: Students will learn how to perform in English a. Students will be able to perform in front of an audience in a complex culminating task b. Students will be able to manipulate body movements and facial expressions to convey appropriate emotion and meaning in dramatizations

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5. Communicative: Students will develop communicative skills in English a. Students will be able to i. formulate, express and defend individual ideas and opinions when working on dramatic productions ii. speak and perform on a given topic for an extended period of time iii. participate in pair and group dramatizations on a variety of topics iv. acquire good speaking and listening habits to understand, enjoy, and appreciate dramatic texts v. understand extended input (from reading and listening to dramatic scripts) and respond (in speaking) appropriately vi. communicate (through speech and writing) effectively, in both imaginary and everyday situations, to meet the demands of society vii. develop the ability to express themselves imaginatively and creatively

More specific than goals. They state how the goals will be achieved in a certain timeframe.

Objectives should be SMART: S—Specific M—Measurable A—Achievable R—Realistic T—Time-framed

Define programme goals and objectives of the instructionThe goals should provide a clear definition of the purpose of the programme; they should be a guideline for you, the students and the organization requesting your services.

You can establish these goals in terms of extension or diversification of communicative language competences, or in terms of the enrichment of strategies, or in terms of the fulfilment of tasks. They are determined by the information you gathered during the needs analysis.

Some examples of goals are:

To be able to write effective business reports To build up students' confidence and provide them with language resources to participate

in business meetings

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To use the language flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes.

Objectives result from an analysis of the goals into their different components. They are statements of more specific purposes. Ideally, these objectives should meet SMART criteria:

Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time bound - limited to a certain period of time

The objectives lay the foundation for the organization of the teaching activities, so they simplify the course planning, the selection and preparation of material. Following the examples above, goals and objectives can be described:

Goal:

To be able to write effective business reports

Objectives:

To be able to write a report which develops an argument systematically with appropriate highlighting of significant points and relevant supporting detail.

To evaluate different ideas or solutions to a problem. To have a sufficient range of language to be able to give clear descriptions, express

viewpoints and develop arguments. To have a good range of vocabulary for matters connected to their field and most general

topics. To be able to vary formulation to avoid frequent repetition.

Goal:

To build up students' confidence and provide them with language resources to participate in business meetings

Objectives:

To be able to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction, and sustained relationships with English speakers quite possible without imposing strain on either party.

To be able to highlight the personal significance of events and experiences, account for and sustain views clearly by providing relevant explanations and arguments.

To be able to use phrases and expressions to state and ask for opinion, interrupt and handle interruptions, ask for and give clarification, delay decisions, emphasize a point, summarize what has been said, end the meeting.

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In this case you won't be able to state a measurable objective concerning "building up students' confidence". You can perceive it, but not measure it.

The Common European Framework provides a common basis for the explicit description of objectives.

ConclusionDesigning business English programmes is a complex task, but by following certain steps we will be able to do so. In this part of the article we have discussed the significance of understanding the language needs of our students and how we can find that out. We have also looked at how we can define the goals and objectives of the programme. In the second part of the article, we will look at syllabus design in more depth.

Learning Goals and Objectives

Learning Goals

1. Ability to read, and think critically, and to write well.2. Ability to analyze texts.3. Familiarity with persuasion, argumentation, and rhetoric as they appear in literary as well

as non-literary texts4. Familiarity with literary and critical theories5. Familiarity with the work of writers, literary styles, genres, forms and periods6. Familiarity with library and online research.

Learning Objectives

Our objectives represent the teaching aims of the faculty in English. They may be mapped onto courses, pending an individual instructor's approval. All instructors are free to determine which of these objectives is consistent with their particular course content and pedagogical approach.

I. Undergraduate literature II. Undergraduate creative writing

III. Undergraduate publishing studies IV. Graduate literature V. Graduate creative writing

I. Learning Objectives in UG literature1. Students should demonstrate an ability to write critically and analytically.2. Students should demonstrate familiarity with issues of literary style.

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3. Students should demonstrate familiarity with issues of critical theory.4. Students should demonstrate familiarity with issues of literary genre and poetic

form.5. Students should demonstrate familiarity with issues of literary history.6. Students should demonstrate a deep engagement with the work of a single

significant author.7. Students should persuasively employ primary and/or secondary sources, with

proper acknowledgment and citation, as they contribute to a critical essay’s thesis.8. Students should demonstrate familiarity with the history and structure of the

English language.9. Students should demonstrate familiarity with texts in their cultural context.

II. Learning Objectives in UG Creative Writing1. Students' work should demonstrate clarity of expression.2. Students should demonstrate an ability to understand and express ideas through or

in dialogue with literary forms.3. Students should be conversant with the structural concerns related to beginnings,

middles, and ends.4. Students' work should demonstrate a sophisticated awareness of syntactical

possibilities.5. Students' work should employ elaboration: taking an initial idea and building on

it, through examples, metaphors, and other literary tropes.6. Students' work should demonstrate a tone of authority, a voice that invites the

reader to listen and attend respectfully.7. Students' work should demonstrate originality–the ability to entertain

unconventional speculations or formal innovations.8. When critiquing their own or each other's work, students should be conversant

with the fundamental terminology of the craft appropriate to the genre.9. Students' work should demonstrate a grasp of character, motivation, and credible

dialogue.III. Learning Objectives in Publishing Studies

1. Students should be able to trace the history of the book and of book publishing from the ancient world to modern publishing.

2. Students should demonstrate the ability to edit, copyedit, and proofread manuscripts.

3. Students should be able to prepare a comprehensive marketing plan for a book idea of their own development, specifying how each element that is appropriate is tailored to their book idea.

IV. Learning Objectives in Graduate Literature1. Students should demonstrate an ability to write cogently and persuasively about

literary texts.2. Students should demonstrate familiarity with one or more literary traditions,

periods, or genres.3. Students should demonstrate an understanding of one or more diverse critical

perspectives available in the field of literary studies.4. In research papers, students will demonstrate the ability to engage with and,

ideally, to contribute to relevant current scholarship.

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5. Students should demonstrate deep engagement with and understanding of the work of a single significant author.

6. Students should demonstrate an interpretive engagement with the ideologies in a literary text.

V. Learning Objectives in Graduate Creative Writing1. Students' work should demonstrate knowledge of the strategies and forms of

poetry, along with their recurrence in literary history.2. Students' work should demonstrate facility with such poetic elements as prosody,

diction, persona and an understanding of lineation, stanza pattern, and rhetorical strategy.

3. Students' work should reflect a developed sense of character, plot, narrative, theme, and voice.

4. Students' work should employ the conventions and possibilities of the personal essay, the memoir, and the philosophical meditation, among other literary forms.

5. Students' work should reveal an understanding of credible character and plot structure within the context of the stage.

6. Students' work should demonstrate originality–the ability to entertain unconventional speculations or formal innovations.

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