EDU 555

ARTICLE REVIEW

Language Curriculum
Development from a Complex
Nonlinear System Perspective.
Prepared by:
Siti Hajar Binti Md LaZim
Prepared for:
Mr. Mohamad Hisyam Ismail

(2013743885)

Authors

Issue

Source

Content

Hassan Soleimani & Majid

Ghelichied
Language curriculum
development can also be
considered as a complex
nonlinear system.
Jurnal Pendidikan Malaysia
39(2)(2014): 125 131
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/83
89/1/Chap6.pdf
The features of the complex
nonlinear system and its
application in language
curriculum development.

S
U
M
M
A
R
Y

agree that language curriculum

development can be considered
as a complex nonlinear system
Compare and contrast the
linear and nonlinear system in
curriculum development.
The correlation in the features
of the complex non linear
system and language
curriculum development.

POINT 1: The complex nonlinear system of

curriculum development has some
commonalities in the features with the
linear system.
The linear and nonlinear approaches have
agreed on some components of both
system that should be included in
Needs analysis Formulation of
curriculum development. (Nation & goals &
objectives
Macalister,2010)
Contain the same
Environment
Content
elements in
Context Analysis
Evaluation
curriculum
development.

POINT 2: The features of the complex

nonlinear system is similar to the
language curriculum development.

as cited in Hassan (2014), there are 12

common characteristics of the complex
theory and in the process of second
language acquisition (SLA) as follows:

(Larsen&Freeman,1997)

 POINT 3: Curriculum development is

dynamic, complex and nonlinear; learner
inter-language development is dynamic
phenomenon.
In real life, acquiring second language is a
subjective process. They make sense of
the language by identifying patterns and
they connect and store the patterns that
work.
Each individual experiences distinct social
and psychological phenomenon.
Learning in the natural environment was
not linear. It was situational.

 These interactions are dynamic whereby the

change in one could cause change in the
other.
The range of connection is in any action is tied
into the web of connections to multiple
systems.
The learning output becomes the input of the
next cycle.
The dynamism of SLA is seen in the ever
changing character of learners internal L2
grammars. It is complex because a multitude
of interacting factors are involved in the SLA
process. (Anne, Knox,2011).

 POINT 4: Complex nonlinear system is open, selforganizing, feedback sensitive and adaptive so
thus the language curriculum development.
The acquisition of the second language is constantly
changing and reacting to the feedback it receives; it is
an open system, and gives it both impetus and order. (Mallow,
2002).
For example, fossilization can impact ones proficiency in SLA.
The SLA process is open; there is continuous input and the
interlanguage system is self-organizing. This means that
there is restructuring in the interlanguage.
Conditions also proposes that minor changes at a process may
result in different and unpredictable outcomes. (Teimourtash &
Shakouri, 2014)

Figure 1
Relationship between the components in
language curriculum development

Conclusion
Nevertheless, it is important to
realized that every system has its
flaws. Thus, there is no single
efficient way of developing the
curriculum.
Therefore, future language teachers
and language learners should plan
for the complexity and
unpredictability of the language
curriculum.
Good teachers or even good
curriculum designers are like jazz
musicians responding and

References
Anne Burns John., S. Knox. (2011). Classrooms as Complex Adaptive
Systems: A Relational Model. The Electronic Journal for English
as A Second Language. Volume 15 (1).
Hassan Soleimani, Majid Ghelichied. (2014). Language Curriculum
Development from a Complex Nonlinear System Perspective. Jurnal
Pendidikan Malaysia, 39(2)(2014): 125 131.
Hassan Soleimani , Farnaz Farrokh Alaee. (2014). Complexity Theory
and CALL Curriculum in Foreign Language Learning . International
Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature. Vol. 3 (3).
Nima Shakouri, Morteza Teimourtas, Mojtaba Teimourtash. (2014)
Chaos/Complexity Theory in Language Learning:An Ideological Look.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies. Vol. 4, No. 7, pp. 15031510.
Seyyed Hassan Seyyedrezae. (2014). The Application of
Chaos/Complexity Theory in Classroom Teaching, Task Design and
Lesson Planning. Journal of Language Sciences and Linguistics. Vol.,
2 (2), 27-32, 2014.
Wilson, B. G., Jonassen, D. H., Cole, P. (1993). Cognitive Approaches to
Instructional Design. The ASTD handbook of instructional
technology. New York: McGraw-Hill.