BENEMERITA UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE PUEBLA

FACULTAD DE LENGUAS DE LA BUAP

MAESTRIA EN LA ENSEANZA DEL INGLES
A program analysis based on Markees
(2002) (CATI) projects negotiated model of
curricular innoation from one co!ort of a
"ublic #niersity at "uebla$
Curriculum Design
%IC$ &I%'A(') "A%MA %A(A
)T)*) 200+
1
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
I. Sociocultural cont!t
In institutional terms, the common framework of languages is one cohort of a research-
oriented Language faculty at a Public University in central Mexico, which hosts students
from different backgrounds and ages throughout diverse under-graduate and graduate
programs !his cohort was created within an ecological perspective which seeks to enhance
global communication through integrated learning skills of an L" #$nglish and %rench& It
also promotes the ac'uisition of an L" through applying the communicative approach
(ence, this essay will only be involved with the $nglish program which consists of four
proficiency levels) two basic and two pre-intermediate %or the constraints of this paper, I
shall only cope with the fourth level of the pre-intermediate phase which is going to be
analy*ed through the +ollege and the +enter for ,dvanced !echnologies and Innovation
#+,!I& pro-ect.s negotiated model of curricular innovation proposed by Markee #"//"& 0see
appendix ,1 !he following 'uestion will try to be answered) to what extent are the three
levels of planning #strategic, tactical and operational planning& discernible in the way this
specific program organi*es foreign language instruction2 %urthermore, to what extent does
the model of curriculum design used by this cohort either encourage or discourage the
negotiation of syllabus content between different participants2
II. T" CATI #ro$ct%& n'otiat( )o(l o* curricular inno+ation
Markee #"//"& holds the view that program implementation process might be analy*ed
through his 3negotiated model of curricular innovation. #applied as the +,!I pro-ect& based
on +andlin.s #4567& two folded basic model) 8strategic #or curriculum& planning and
tactical #or syllabus&9 #p ::& (e also adds a third aspect that is 3the operational planning.
which in turn draws on teacher day to day praxis In addition, +andlin #4567& ;ewey
#454/& <tenhouse #45:=& cited in Markee #"//"& posit that 8the +,!I pro-ect.s ideology
draws on a critical, negotiated approach to pedagogy9 #p::& ,ccording to Markee, in the
rationale given for the +,!I pro-ect four reasons are given for using the $<L courses as a
laboratory for curricular innovation) #4& the 'uality of $<L instruction would be enhanced
and !eaching ,ssistants would develop expertise in curriculum development that would be
professionally useful to them in their subse'uent careers> #"& this solution addressed faculty
and !eaching ,ssistant dissatisfaction with the 'uality of these courses that existed before
2
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
the +,!I pro-ect was instituted> #?& it facilitated the development of banks of in-house
materials that were specially tailored to meet the $<L needs of international students> #7& it
offered pro-ect participants opportunities to understand the process of educational change
II., Strat'ic Plannin'
Markee #"//"& argues that 8strategic curricular planning is the responsibility of the pro-ect
director or change agent, who supplies knowledge about 0@1 0the suggested teaching
approach1 to teachers and gives the pro-ect its overall direction9 #p:5> my additions& (e
also posits that 8the pro-ect director.s responsibilities include) #4& specifying the pro-ect.s
aims, goals and criteria for evaluation> #"& identifying the change strategies used to
implement the pro-ect.s aims and goals> #?& stating the purposes and the content of the
pro-ect.s $<L instruction> #7& clarifying the developmental function of the pro-ect.s banks
of in-house materials> #=& naming the attributes that affect the implementation of 0@1 0the
suggested teaching methodology1 in the pro-ect> #A& laying out the characteristics of 0@1
0the +ommunicative Language !eaching and !ask-Based ,pproach19 #p6/> my additions&
In this context curricular innovation seems to be promoted by the managerial staff
#coordinators and the director& with the purpose of implementing top-down decisions
%urthermore, they decide upon the language approach teachers are going to work with
following bureaucratic establishing protocols #for a complete description see <antos, "//=&
-.,.- T" #ro$ct%& ai)&. 'oal&. an( critria *or +aluation
!his evaluation is based on <tenhouse #45:=&, +racknell and Cednall.s #456A& adapted
Pro-ect %ramework 8which is widely used by ,merican, ,ustralian, $uropean and United
Dations aid agencies9 #Markee, "//"> p6/& It can spell out a program.s aims and
ob-ectives and also sketch the criteria used for evaluation in a single, integrated package
#see table 4& In a similar vein, ,lderson #455"& states that 8this pro-ect framework can help
language teaching professionals to understand the conse'uences of their decisions
0managerial top down implementation1 and actions 0operational component19 #p6/> my
additions& !able 4 consists of two parts !he first part sets out the Program.s aims,
ob-ectives and outputs as hierarchically organi*ed statements that range from the general to
the specific !he second consists of inputs re'uired to achieve the program.s aims,
3
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
ob-ectives and outputs !he third one copes with important assumptions taken by the stake
holders 0directors, teachers and students1 based on operational issues #,lderson, 455"&
,.Pro$ct
&tructur
-.In(icator o*
ac"i+)nt
/.Man& o*
+ri*ication
0.I)#ortant a&&u)#tion&
!o comprehend
the functional and
grammatical
differences of
simple tense and
future
!o pose 'uestions
about the possible
conse'uences of
determined actions
!o look after the
ecology
,lthough the ob-ective seems a mixture of
functional structural content, it only deals
with grammar Cegarding point ", the
indicator of achievement is rather vague and
imprecise Cegarding point ?, student might
be involved in talking about how to care for
the ecology in a communicative or task based
activity I might argue that it depends on the
teacher.s operational planning #<aslow
E,scher, "//A&
!o identify cause
and effect clauses
in conditional
sentences
!o apply these learnt
structures to the
analysis and solution
of problematic
situations
!o look after the
ecology
Dumber 4 is structural> but number " seems
to promote functional and notional issues as
the student might use 4
st
, "
nd
or ?
rd
conditional
in a communicative or task-based activity I
might argue that number ? is concerned with
sketching a writing or conversational activity
about discussing true or hypothetical
ecological situations
Identify the
simple tense of
most verbs as
well as used to, to
state a habitual
action in past
!o describe past
habitual action of
learner.s childhood
!o describe and
state a point of
view about the
social movements
in the A/.s
Dumber 4 is structural in nature +onversely,
number " encourages learners to talk about
past experiences form their childhood
Dumber ? could be carried out by designing a
task which might involve the analysis of a
specific situation #Martin Luther Fing,
Gietnam war& in the A/s
!o comprehend
the interrogative
structure in
$nglish
!o pose 'uestions
which allow to get
specific info from
past epochs
!o state a point of
view about the
magnitude and
influence of some
social events
Dumber 4 is structural and vague Dumber "
might be frame on a task-based reading
activity which has students solve a -ig-saw
reading about Fennedy.s murder> with a
'uestion and answer follow up Dumber ?
could be carried out similarly #<aslow
E,scher, "//A&
4
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
!o distinguish
passive and
active voices in
sentences
!o apply this
structural knowledge
#heuristics& with the
purpose of
comprehending
process and
procedures of the
target language
!o comprehend
the process,
efforts and facts
to the
consolidation and
development of
an enterprise
Dumber 4 is rather structural Dumber "
seems heuristics since it has learners analy*e
form and meaning within sentences !his is
nevertheless the operational appreciation of
this practitioner Dumber ? might be carried
out through a task-based activity which let
students measure the impact when creating
and developing an enterprise
Identify the
structure of the
perfect tenses
!o comprehend
the uses of
modals within the
content and form
of a sentence
!o describe the late
action of two
se'uence actions in
the past
!o value the
loyalty, friendship
and love
!his ob-ective is structural in nature as well
as point " Cegarding point ?, learner may be
involved in talking about past experiences
dealing with these values, but it depends on
the teacher.s operational planning #<aslow
E,scher, "//A&
,.Pro$ct
&tructur
-.In(icator o*
ac"i+)nt
/.Man& o*
+ri*ication
0.I)#ortant a&&u)#tion&
Gerbs follow by
infinitives andHor
gerunds
-ing E -ed
ad-ectives
!o comprehend
readings and folk
tales which describe
facts in the past
!o value the folk
legends and tales.
importance and
their influence on
people.s lives
Personal
experiences
Dumber 4 is rather structural Dumber " E ?
can be carried out through task-based
activities such as discussing the weeping
woman legend with a follow up description in
writing about specific details
, task based activity such as describing your
own personality or describing of someone
you know well #<aslow E,scher, "//A&
<econd
conditional
Might E would to
state unreal events
;escribe the
dreams E ideal
one possesses
Dumber 4 is rather structural Dumber " E?
can be carried out through task based
activities such as writing an article about
appropriate appearance in your country
andHor narrating a true story about an ethical
choice #<aslow E,scher, "//A&
Present perfect
simple E
continous
!o use the present
perfect to link an
event that began in
the past with the
present
!o describe
emotional or
scholar
experiences
Dumber 4 is rather structural Dumber " E?
might be carried out through a task-based
activity such as writing a movie review page
andHor expressing opinion about violence in
media #<aslow E,scher, "//A&
Identify the
perfect tense
sentences
!wo order two
events
chronologically
!o apply the
present perfect to
se'uence some
Dumber 4 E" are very structural Dumber ?
may be carried out through a task-based
activity such as expressing opinion about
5
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
stories. facts violence in media #<aslow E,scher, "//A&
!able 4
In this vein, Cichards #"//4& posits that 8People are generally motivated to pursue specific
goals> the use of goals in teaching improves the effectiveness of teaching and learning> and
a program will be effective to the extent that its goals are sound and clearly described9
#p44"& ,lbeit this 'uotation> the ob-ectives of this program are likely vague and it might
re'uire lots of effort from the part of a teacher to consolidate them #<tenhouse, 45::&
%urthermore, Dunan #4567& has -ustified Cichards.s #"//4& curriculum development in
language teaching as 8a set of process and procedures which are both systematic and
interrelated9 #p 46& !his set has been 8professional-oriented9 and comprises these
elements) 8needs analysis, 0materials1, ob-ectives setting 0to address the learners needs1,
content and methodology, and evaluation9 #p46> my additions& Cichards also posits that
80c1urriculum development is a more comprehensive process than syllabus design It
includes the processes that are used to determine the needs of a group of learners, to
develop aims or ob-ectives for a program to address those needs, to determine an
appropriate syllabus, course structure, teaching methods, and materials, and to carry out an
evaluation of the language program that results from these processes9 #p "&
-.,./ I(nti*1 t" #ro$ct%& c"an' &trat'i&
,ccordind to Markee #"//"& 8the +,!I pro-ect employs a linkage model of change which
promotes 0@10program development1 by using top down and bottom up strategies of
change on a contingent basis 0see !ext Link 671 !he model is top down in that the pro-ect
director uses authority in two ways) #4& as a faculty member using the hierarchical position
of director 01, #"& as a curriculum specialist, using academic authority to set out the
general parameters within which innovation in the +,!I pro-ect occurs9 #p6:> my
additions& Cegarding the +ommon framework of languages at a Public University in
central Mexico, the pre-intermediate program framed by this paper was coined in the 5/.s
6
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
which in turn was supposed to be a top-down innovation
i
#Proyecto %Inix, 4557-4556> cited
in +atJlogo de programas del !ronco +omKn Universitario BU,P ;L$<, 455=& It is now
consolidated by Modelo $ducativo Minerva #MUM by its captions in <panish& so as to
propose innovation as a permanent issue which might enable students to ac'uire a second
language #<antos, "//=& Learners might then have the necessary skills to interact in
international and national professional contexts Devertheless, MUM #"//:& proposes that
the transversal axis
ii
is different from the current operation of the Language framework so
as to let any other faculty either choose to take the four courses #basic and pre-intermediate&
or up to for the certification process
-.,.0 I(nti*1 t" #ur#o&& an( contnt o* in&truction
!his program seems to have a multilayered syllabus which integrates notional-functional
and structural units of analysis It is an integrated-skills course which aims to improve
students. oral and written communication <imilarly, Markee #"//"& holds the view that
8students must be able to communicate successfully via both oral and written media
0@1!hey must be able to communicate through different channels 0@1such as face to face
oral discourse, writing, and electronic mail 0@1 the procedural content of these courses
#ie, the kinds of learning activities with which students engage in their $<L classes& can be
appropriately derived from the academic tasks that students accomplish in their day to day
lives9 #p 66&
Mith the advent of adopting the +ommon $uropean %ramework of Ceference.s #+$%C>
+ouncil of $urope, "//4& descriptors as curricular guide-lines #see appendix B&, spoken
interaction and spoken production are strongly enhanced> face-to-face interaction may of
course involve a mixture of media) spoken, written, audio-visual, paralinguistic 0@1 and
para-textual 0@19 #+ouncil of $urope, p 66& In addition, the +$%C #ibid& suggests
interaction through the medium of written language which includes such activities as) #i&
passing and exchanging notes, memos, etc when spoken interaction is impossible and
inappropriate> #ii& correspondence by letter, fax, e-mail, etc> #iii& negotiating the text of
agreements, contracts, communi'uIs, etc by reformulating and exchanging drafts,
amendments, proof corrections, etc> #iv& participating in on-line or off-line computer
conferences <o far these Program.s ob-ectives are so overwhelming that is difficult for an
7
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
intermediate learner to fully succeed in accomplishing them In the next section I will
discuss how the adoption of materials has permeated the foreign language learning process
in this cohort
-.,.2 T" (+lo#)ntal *unction o* in3"ou& )atrial&
Markee states that 8the decision to use an $<PH$LP inspired course design solution
naturally suggests that teachers should develop in-house materials 0@1 (owever, the
decision to rely mostly on in-house materials is motivated by the more important aim of
promoting teacher development9 #p 65& ,s a matter of fact, the coordinator of this cohort
prefers adopting materials to promoting the development of in-house ones #a top-down
policy& Dot only does this policy apply to the +ommon %ramework of Language #$nglish&,
but it also permeates the other cohorts In the light of these events, a new text-book is being
implemented 8!op Dotch <eries9 by <aslow and ,scher #"//A&> Dunan #4554& hence gives
advice on what appears to be the most common reason for course-book adoption)
8Mhen selecting commercial materials it is important to match the materials with the goals
and ob-ectives of the program, and to ensure that they are consistent with one.s beliefs
about the nature of language and learning, as well as with one.s learners. attitudes, beliefs
and preferences9 #p "/5&
By using Mc;onough and <haw.s #455?& two-stage model for course-book evaluation #see
appendix +& in a recent essay I carried out a thorough evaluation of this textbook I shall
hence retrieve, for the purpose of this paper, two Mc;onough and <haw.s #455?, pp A6-A5&
external characteristics of evaluating a book) how the language has been presented and
organized into teachable units/lessons) there are ten units in both <B and MB and a claim
of A/-5/ hours of class time Are the subjects and contents relevant to your syllabus? !he
!op Dotch contents nearly fit the ob-ectives and goals for this level ,s far as the units of
,nalysis are concerned, a A/ N match is correlated with the contents in the book #used to,
second conditional&, 0the correlations are also indicated in <tenhouse #45:=&, +racknell and
Cednall.s #456A& adapted Pro-ect %ramework analysis on section "4"1
-.,.4 Attri5ut& a**ctin' t" a(o#tion o* ta&635a&( lan'ua' tac"in'
8
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
Markee claims that 8innovation has attributes that either facilitate or inhibit their adoption>
these can be used to analy*e the factors that potentially affect the adoption of task-based
teaching 0@19 #p 65& !his specific program does not explicitly address any approach or
methodology, but it suggests the ac'uisition of communicative competence !hus, teachers
seem to be using eclectic methodologies or in a large extent the methodology that the book
suggests In this vein, <aslow and ,scher #"//A& claim that their particular eclectic method
is one third based on Frashen.s iO4, 8the reason for this is to expose students to the
authentic language they will encounter in the world outside the classroom and to familiari*e
them with it 0@1 Lreat care has been taken to ensure that iO4 language is comprehensible
0@1 Pne of the purposes of including a piece of realia with iO4 language is to teach
students find meaning in texts that contain some unknown language9 #p !xix& Pne third
on the ,udio-lingual method since there is plenty of conversation pair-work through the
units Pne third on the task-based approach since it engages students in negotiating,
problem-solving 3authentic. situations I might argue that it is too much audio-lingual
<aslow and ,scher state that its multilayered syllabus is in accordance with the +$%C #see
appendix ;&
III. Tactical Plannin'
Markee #"//"& argues that 8it is in the model.s tactical level of planning that the teaching
assistants. task-based language teaching syllabus design and materials development
activities are conceptually located If the pro-ect.s model of curricular innovation is to
work, teaching assistants must understand the theoretical principles upon which task-based
language teaching syllabus design and materials development activities are conceptually
located If the pro-ect.s model of curricular innovation is to work, teaching assistants. must
understand the theoretical principles upon which task-based language teaching is founded
!hey must also know how to select texts, grade and se'uence, pedagogical tasks %inally,
they must decide how to select appropriate methodological procedures !his section
examines how one teaching assistant interpreted task-based language teaching in his
materials9 #p55& !he +,!I pro-ect is 'uite clearly embedded in a Dorth ,merican context
of implementation In this section, it is argued that the point of telling the story of the +,!I
pro-ect is not to generali*e the solutions that have been developed in this pro-ect - which
9
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
will be highly context-specific - but to develop a grounded understanding of the issues and
problems that are inherent in trying to make educational innovation happen
Markee #"//"& posits that 8good communication among pro-ect participants is a key to
successful curricular innovation9 #see !ext Link 4A4& +onversely, in this program
curricular innovations are top-down implementations which rarely take into account
teachers points of view !eachers. meetings are rarely carried out to openly discuss an
innovation such as the adoption of new materials or the adoption of new standards> in this
vein, teachers might be passive recipients to run a given program
Markee also posits that 8the successful implementation of educational innovations is based
on a strategic approach to managing change9 #see !ext Link 4A"& In this vein, early
adopters are -ust a few groups of teachers implementing the innovation preceded by
innovators #the director.s staff& so as to produce the typical s-shaped curve that describes
the diffusion of innovation ,nother three types of adopter can be superimposed on this
curve) early ma-ority, late ma-ority and laggards I shall hence comment that the $uropean
Language Portfolio.s #$LP& innovation is still in the la*y slope of this curve with two
innovators) the director and the coordinator, one early adopter) the writer of this essayQ ,nd
many laggards as well In a recent essay I outlined the $LP as a proposal of innovation due
to the fact that it could not only enhance the learners. autonomy but it also serves as a
means of carrying a needs analysis (owever, if I were to measure it as a value laden on
this curve I might argue that the innovation is still in its infancy #see appendix $&
IV. O#rational #lannin'
Markee #"//"& posits that 8operational planning is the responsibility of teachers and
students and involves the short-term planning and execution of lessons by teachers !his
level of planning is also a locus of innovation in that teaching involves negotiation between
teachers and learners9 #p"/:& In this vein, lesson plans can be negotiated with learners so
as to implement some activities rather than others Devertheless, in this program teachers
have got a fixed administrative schedule to accomplish determined units in a given time
span !his is not an excuse to avoid innovating though ,s a matter of fact, I might argue
10
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
most of teachers. praxis of this cohort is permeated by different beliefs and theoretical
assumptions according to the complex socio-cultural context we are working with
IV., T" ELP
It has been developed as a pedagogical language learning companion piece to the +$%C
#+ouncil of $urope, "//4& It is designed #i& to encourage the lifelong learning of
languages, to any level of proficiency> #ii& to make the learning process more transparent
and to develop the learnerRs ability to assess hisHher own competence> #iii& to facilitate
mobility within $urope by providing a clear profile of the ownerRs language skills> #iv& to
contribute to mutual understanding within $urope by promoting plurilingualism #the ability
to communicate in two or more languages& and intercultural learning (ence, it consists of
three parts) the Passport, the Language Biography #LB&, and the ;ossier #Little, "//:&
4 !he Passport is used to build up a cumulative record of the owner.s language
learning and intercultural experience ,t its centre is the owner.s own assessment of
hisHher achieved proficiency in L"H%Ls, undertaken on the basis of the so-called
self-assessment grid
" !he LB provides a reflective accompaniment to the ongoing process of learning and
using L"H%Ls, and engaging with the cultures associated with them It supports the
setting of learning targets and the process of self-assessment by expanding the
descriptions of proficiency in the self-assessment grid into checklists of
communicative tasks
? !he ;ossier is the least defined part of the $LPSin many models it consists of no
more than an empty table of contents for the owner to fill in Its purpose is to
provide a space in which $LP owners can show what they can do in the various
languages they know and illustrate their intercultural experience, usually in written
text but sometimes also in audio andHor video recordings In some implementations
the dossier is also a place where owners keep materials relevant to their current
learning> for example, vocabulary or grammatical rules they know they need to
11
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
master, plans and drafts of pro-ects they are working on, and newspaper or
maga*ine articles that are relevant to their learning goals
0.- T" ELP a& a curricular inno+ation
I shall hence argue that I have already implemented three waves of innovation research by
applying the $LP as a pedagogical tool with some learners of the fourth pre-intermediate
phase at the Psychology %aculty to record their language experiences #including the mother
tongue& in the passport section> to make them aware of the different learning styles and
strategies they can use in order to succeed in most language tasks within the Language
Biography section> to collect pieces of their own language pro-ects ranging from simple
ones such as postcards or pen-pal letters to essays describing a point of view about the
global warming or another interesting topic within the dossier ,s I stated, the first wave
with young adult students within this cohort showed that some of them re-ected at first this
tool> but as Markee argues the innovation process is slow at first and 8if a critical mass of
between =N and "=N of potential users adopt, the innovation will take off and become self
sustaining9 #Cogers, 455=> cited in Markee, "//"> p=:& !hus, my students were gradually
assimilating the innovation as they were trained to use this pedagogical tool according to
the <-shaped curve of diffusion proposed by Markee #"//"& and based on +ooper #456"&
0see table " below1 (ence I had some early adopters which were motivated students with a
clear tendency of learning autonomy

,dopted and taken from Mitten, +asteneira, Brenes, Preciado, !apia, <Jnche* #"//:&
In this vein, ,-*en.s #4554& !heory of Planned Behavior has also had far-reaching
implications for language curriculum development #Fennedy, ;oyle, and Loh, 4555> Long,
12
nno!a"ors#$arl%
ado&"ers
$arl% 'a(ori"%#La"e
'a(ori"%
Laggards
, of adopters -!o implement innoation
oer a speci.c time period often form a
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
455:& !he problem, according to ,-*en, is that regardless of what strategy for innovation is
used, predicting how people will respond to the innovations can be fraught with peril ,
central tenet of his !heory of Planned Behavior proposes that a key to better understanding
how people will organi*ationally respond to innovations is through a discovery of the true
intentions of key stakeholders #see appendix %& !hese intentions were clearly stated
showing that using the $LP may increase learners. autonomy #Little, "//:& so as to begin a
second wave, that of an early ma-ority ,s the time went on little by little learners were
getting ac'uainted with the $LP and its sections !hey were in turn enacting little
resistance towards the innovation at this stage , third wave then began with late ma-ority
accounting for the 5/N of the class and only 4/N of laggards Unfortunately, the
innovation continues being a proposal over the desk of my coordinator and the $LPs which
have been generously provided by an editorial #Pearson& are dusting on the coordination.s
bookshelf
0./ M1 #i&t)olo'ical &tanc
In my view, the $LP can help developing various aspects of the paradigm shift
iii
in $L! as
described by Tacobs and %arrell #"//4&, including the following) #i& Learner autonomy is
supported by the fact that learners can set their own ob-ectives with the aid of self-
assessment checklists> #ii& +urricular integration can be fostered through production of the
;ossier> #iii& , focus on meaning is adopted throughout checklists> #iv& other tools for
assessment might be developed for young adults and the author of this essay is going to
take part in the pro-ect as a member of a teacherRs pilot group to test materials> #v& !he
concept of the teacher as a Rco-learnerR is an important one for work with the $LP, notably
when new paths are followed !his might be illustrated by an example) grammar
progression, an important term for most language programs and textbooks, does not occur
in the $LP neither is any grammatical progression described Pver and above that, it can be
assumed that the $LP will play a role of increasing importance for foreign language
teaching and learning in $urope #likely welcomed in Latin ,merica, according to Little,
"//:& ,t present, the number of validated portfolios has raised to ?/ covering $urope from
Ireland to Cussia and from <weden to Italy according to the +ouncil of $uropeRs $LP
website #+ouncil of $urope "//4&
13
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
2 Conclu&ion
,s the improvement of a program is an ongoing process #Markee, "//"& it should be
remarked that the life span of this one is about to change MUM #"//:& is trying a
constructivist approach> in this vein, the present program falls behind (owever, new
materials and the $LP innovation must be run ,daptations of the +$%C descriptors which
thoroughly match our specific socio-cultural context need to be run as well In the light of
these events, different versions of the $LP ought to be developed to match specific
classroom.s necessities to foster learners. autonomy
!hroughout this essay I attempted to answer two 'uestions) #i& to what extent are the three
levels of planning #strategic, tactical and operational planning& discernible in the way this
specific program organi*es foreign language instruction2 ,s we have already seen through
the different subheadings of this paper the strategic component reveals that this program
was a top-down innovation proposed by Proyecto %Inix in the 5/s with a multilayered
syllabus #functional and structural& Devertheless, any evidence of needs analysis andHor
meetings with teachers was not available for this practitioner, -ust the program itself
Cegarding the tactical plane, the +,!I pro-ect was proposed and clearly defined as a Dorth-
,merican innovation which could be used as a model to contrast against this program In
this vein, I argued that teachers seem to follow their own idiosyncratic methodology that
might be an eclectic one, although the program is suggesting a communicative approach
which integrates the four skills, the goal and specific ob-ectives seem rather vague I then
analy*ed the contents of the syllabus according to <tenhouse #45:=&, +racknell and
Cednall.s #456A& adapted Pro-ect %ramework matrix I also argued that teachers are rarely
asked to give their point of view within the process of curricular innovation !his produces
passive recipients that enactHcarry out top-down decisions from directors and coordinators
<imilarly, Markee #"//"& argues that 8in terms of understanding the key elements of the
+,!I pro-ect, and which of these elements can be reproduced in other contexts of
implementation 0@1 the point of studying the +,!I pro-ect 0@1 is to gain a grounded
14
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
understanding of the problems that are involved in managing curricular innovation9
#p44/&
,s far as the operational plane is concerned, the daily teachers. praxis was framed within a
spectrum of different beliefs and theoretical assumptions I also argued that innovation
might occur I suggested piloting the $LP as a pedagogical tool which might promote
learners. autonomy I hence presented an action research pro-ect I carried out with my
psychology students which were involved in the different stages of the innovation.s
evolution as stated by Markee.s <-shape graph !he innovation was successful within this
context I then proposed to spread this innovation over other early adopters +onversely, the
$LP proposal still lies on the coordination.s desk
!o what extent does the model of curriculum design used by this cohort either encourage
or discourage the negotiation of syllabus content between different participants2 I might
argue that I could not obtain all the necessary information #needs analysis, specific
documents of teachers. meetings, the curriculum designers. point of view& from the
different stake holders so as to reach a valid conclusion about the effectiveness of
communication among them Idiosyncratically, I might claim that any possible change
#innovation& in curriculum-syllabus design is a top-down process which is imposed rather
than negotiated by educational authorities In short, it is a top-down administrative process,
although some teachers are promoting some bottom up innovation
Markee accurately posits that 8the +,!I pro-ect has developed an empirically based
methodology to illuminate how teachers interpret policy made at the strategic level of
curricular planning and how they implement these decisions through a process of
adaptation and modification at the tactical level of syllabus planning and at the operational
level of planning9 #p 44/& More adaptation is needed in the light of the MUM
implementation so as to appropriately revise and propose new tendencies in curricular
innovation
iv

REFERENCES
15
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
,-*en, I #4554& !he theory of planned behavior Organizational Behavior and Human
Decision Processes =/, 4:5-"44
,lderson, + #455"& Luidelines for the evaluation of language education In + ,lderson
and , Beretta #$d&, valuating !econd "anguage ducation #pp ":7-?/7&
+ambridge) +ambridge University Press
BU,P-Modelo Universitario Minerva #"//:& structural #urricular Puebla) BU,P
+andlin, + #4567& <yllabus design as a critical process In +T Brumfit #$ds&, $eneral
nglish !yllabus Design #pp "5-7A& $L! document 446 Pxford) PergamonH
British +ouncil
BU,P- ;L$< #455=& #atalogo de programas del %ronco #om&n 'niversitario Puebla)
BU,P
+ooper, C #456"& , framework for the study of language In C L +ooper #$ds&,
"anguage spread( !tudies in di))usion and social change #pp =-?A&
Bloomington) Indiana University Press and Mashington, ;+) +enter for
,pplied Linguistics
+ouncil of $urope, #"//4& #ommon uropean *ramewor+ o) ,e)erence )or "anguages(
"earning- teaching- assessment +ambridge) +ambridge University Press
+racknell, B and Cednall, T #456A& De)ining objectives and measuring per)ormance in
aid projects and programs London) Pverseas ;evelopment ,dministration
;ewey, T #454/& How we thin+ Boston, mass) (eath
Tacobs, T and %arrell, ! #"//4& Paradigm <hift) Understanding and Implementing +hange
in <econd Language $ducation %eaching nglish as a !econd or *oreign
"anguage- . #"&, 4-4?/ In electronic format at http)HHwww-
writingberkeleyeduH!$<L-$THe-4:Htochtml
Fennedy, +, ;oyle, P, and Loh, + #4555& 0ploring change in nglish language
teaching Pxford, UF) Machmillan (einemann
16
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
Little, ;#"//:& Language learner autonomy) some fundamental considerations revisited
1nnovation in "anguage "earning and %eaching #4&4, 47U"5
Long, C #455:& Investigating and responding to student attitudes and suggestions for
course improvement %he "anguage %eacher "4#4/&, "?-"5
Markee, D #"//"& 2anaging #urriculum 1nnovation Dew Vork) +ambridge University
Press
Mc;onough, T and <haw, + 7455?& 2aterials and 2ethods in "% Pxford) Blackwell
Dunan, ; #4567& %he "earner3centered curriculum/ Dew Vork) +ambridge University
Press
Dunan, ; 74554& "anguage %eaching 2ethodology London) Prentice (all
Cichards, T + #"//4& #urriculum development in language teaching Dew Vork)
+ambridge University Press
Cogers, $ #455=& %he di))usion o) innovations London) MacmillanH %ree Press
<antos, , #"//=& Propuesta de 2etodolog4a para Desarrollar un Ambiente 1nteractivo de
Aprendizaje 5A1DA6 ;ocumento no publicado, Puebla, MIxico
<aslow, T and ,scher, , #"//A& %op 7otch 8 UF) Longman
<tenhouse, L #45:=& An introduction to curriculum research and development London)
(einemann
Mitten, M +asteneira, ! Brenes, M Preciado, P !apia, C <Jnche*, G #"//:& $xploring
innovation processes in a public university in central Mexico 29%!O" :;
#"&, 7:-=A
APPENDI8 A
17
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
,dopted from Markee #"//"&
APPENDI8 B
18
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
(eception Interaction "roduction
%istening (eading /poken Interaction 0ritten
Interaction
/poken "roduction 0ritten
"roduction
C2
)a!e no di*cul"% in
unders"anding an%
+ind o, s&o+en
language- .)e")er
li!e or /roadcas"-
e!en .)en deli!ered
a" ,as" na"i!e s&eed-
&ro!ided )a!e
some "ime "o ge"
,amiliar .i") ")e
accen".
can read .i")
ease !ir"uall% all
,orms o, ")e
.ri""en language-
including a/s"rac"-
s"ruc"urall% or
linguis"icall%
com&le0 "e0"s suc)
as manuals-
s&ecialised ar"icles
and li"erar% .or+s.
can "a+e &ar"
e1or"lessl% in an%
con!ersa"ion or
discussion and )a!e a
good ,amiliari"% .i")
idioma"ic e0&ressions
and collo2uialisms. can
e0&ress m%sel, 3uen"l%
and con!e% 4ner s)ades
o, meaning &recisel%. ,
do )a!e a &ro/lem can
/ac+"rac+ and
res"ruc"ure around ")e
di*cul"% so smoo")l%
")a" o")er &eo&le are
)ardl% a.are o, i".
can e0&ress
m%sel, .i")
clari"% and
&recision-
rela"ing "o ")e
addressee
3e0i/l% and
e1eci!el% in an
assured-
&ersonal- s"%le.
can &resen" a clear-
smoo")l%53o.ing
descri&"ion or
argumen" in a s"%le
a&&ro&ria"e "o ")e
con"e0" and .i") an
e1ec"i!e logical
s"ruc"ure .)ic) )el&s
")e reci&ien" "o no"ice
and remem/er
signi4can" &oin"s.
can .ri"e clear-
smoo")l% 3o.ing
"e0" in an
a&&ro&ria"e s"%le.
can .ri"e com&le0
le""ers- re&or"s or
ar"icles- .)ic)
&resen" a case
.i") an e1ec"i!e
logical s"ruc"ure-
.)ic) )el&s ")e
reci&ien" "o no"ice
and remem/er
signi4can" &oin"s.
can .ri"e
summaries and
re!ie.s o,
&ro,essional or
li"erar% .or+s.
C1
can unders"and
e0"ended s&eec)
e!en .)en i" is no"
clearl% s"ruc"ured
and .)en
rela"ions)i&s are
onl% im&lied and no"
signalled e0&lici"l%.
can unders"and
"ele!ision
&rogrammes and
4lms .i")ou" "oo
muc) e1or".
can unders"and
long and com&le0
,ac"ual and
li"erar% "e0"s-
a&&recia"ing
dis"inc"ions o,
s"%le. can
unders"and
s&ecialised
ar"icles and
longer "ec)nical
ins"ruc"ions- e!en
.)en ")e% do no"
rela"e "o m% 4eld.
can e0&ress m%sel,
3uen"l% and
s&on"aneousl% .i")ou"
muc) o/!ious searc)ing
,or e0&ressions. can
use language 3e0i/l%
and e1ec"i!el% ,or social
and &ro,essional
&ur&oses. can
,ormula"e ideas and
o&inions .i") &recision
and rela"e m%
con"ri/u"ion s+il,ull% "o
")ose o, o")er s&ea+ers
can &resen" clear-
de"ailed
descri&"ions o,
com&le0 su/(ec"s
in"egra"ing su/5
")emes- de!elo&ing
&ar"icular &oin"s and
rounding o1 .i") an
a&&ro&ria"e
conclusion
can e0&ress
m%sel, in clear-
.ell5s"ruc"ured
"e0"- e0&ressing
&oin"s o, !ie. a"
some leng"). can
.ri"e de"ailed
e0&osi"ions o,
com&le0 su/(ec"s
in an essa% or a
re&or"- underlining
.)a" consider "o
/e ")e salien"
issues. can .ri"e
di1eren" +inds o,
"e0"s in a s"%le
a&&ro&ria"e "o ")e
reader in mind.
22
can unders"and
e0"ended s&eec)
and lec"ures and
,ollo. e!en com&le0
lines o, argumen"
&ro!ided ")e "o&ic is
reasona/l% ,amiliar.
can unders"and
mos" 67 ne.s and
curren" a1airs
&rogrammes. can
unders"and ")e
ma(ori"% o, 4lms in
s"andard dialec".
can read ar"icles
and re&or"s
concerned .i")
con"em&orar%
&ro/lems in
.)ic) ")e .ri"ers
ado&" &ar"icular
s"ances or
!ie.&oin"s. can
unders"and
con"em&orar%
li"erar% &rose.
can in"erac" .i") a
degree o, 3uenc% and
s&on"anei"% ")a" ma+es
regular in"erac"ion .i")
na"i!e s&ea+ers 2ui"e
&ossi/le. can "a+e an
ac"i!e &ar" in discussion
in ,amiliar con"e0"s-
accoun"ing ,or and
sus"aining m% !ie.s.
can .ri"e
le""ers
)ig)lig)"ing ")e
&ersonal
signi4cance o,
e!en"s and
e0&eriences.
can &resen" clear-
de"ailed descri&"ions
on a .ide range o,
su/(ec"s rela"ed "o
m% 4eld o, in"eres".
can e0&lain a
!ie.&oin" on a "o&ical
issue gi!ing ")e
ad!an"ages and
disad!an"ages o,
!arious o&"ions.
can .ri"e clear-
de"ailed "e0" on a
.ide range o,
su/(ec"s rela"ed "o
m% in"eres"s. can
.ri"e an essa% or
re&or"- &assing on
in,orma"ion or gi!ing
reasons in su&&or"
o, or agains" a
&ar"icular &oin" o,
!ie..
21
can unders"and ")e
main &oin"s o, clear
s"andard s&eec) on
,amiliar ma""ers
can unders"and
"e0"s ")a" consis"
mainl% o, )ig)
,re2uenc%
can deal .i") mos"
si"ua"ions li+el% "o arise
.)ils" "ra!elling in an area
.)ere ")e language is
can .ri"e
&ersonal le""ers
descri/ing
e0&eriences and
can connec" &)rases
in a sim&le .a% in
order "o descri/e
e0&eriences and
can .ri"e
s"raig)",or.ard
connec"ed "e0" on
"o&ics- .)ic) are
19
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
regularl% encoun"ered
in .or+- sc)ool-
leisure- e"c. can
unders"and ")e main
&oin" o, man% radio or
67 &rogrammes on
curren" a1airs or
"o&ics o, &ersonal or
&ro,essional in"eres"
.)en ")e deli!er% is
rela"i!el% slo. and
clear.
e!er%da% or (o/5
rela"ed language.
can unders"and
")e descri&"ion o,
e!en"s- ,eelings
and .is)es in
&ersonal le""ers
s&o+en. can en"er
un&re&ared in"o
con!ersa"ion on "o&ics
")a" are ,amiliar- o,
&ersonal in"eres" or
&er"inen" "o e!er%da% li,e
8e.g. ,amil%- )o//ies-
.or+- "ra!el and curren"
e!en"s9.
im&ressions. e!en"s- m% dreams-
)o&es : am/i"ions.
can /rie3% gi!e
reasons and
e0&lana"ions ,or
o&inions and &lans.
can narra"e a s"or% or
rela"e ")e &lo" o, a
/oo+ or 4lm and
descri/e m%
reac"ions.
,amiliar- or o,
&ersonal in"eres".
A2
can unders"and
&)rases and ")e
)ig)es" ,re2uenc%
!oca/ular% rela"ed
"o areas o, mos"
immedia"e &ersonal
rele!ance 8e.g. !er%
/asic &ersonal and
,amil% in,orma"ion-
s)o&&ing- local
geogra&)%-
em&lo%men"9. can
ca"c) ")e main &oin"
in s)or"- clear-
sim&le messages
and announcemen"s
can read !er%
s)or"- sim&le
"e0"s. can 4nd
s&eci4c-
&redic"a/le
in,orma"ion in
sim&le e!er%da%
ma"erial suc) as
ad!er"isemen"s-
&ros&ec"uses-
menus and
"ime"a/les and
can unders"and
s)or" sim&le
&ersonal le""ers
can communica"e in
sim&le and rou"ine "as+s
re2uiring a sim&le and
direc" e0c)ange o,
in,orma"ion on ,amiliar
"o&ics and ac"i!i"ies.
can )andle !er% s)or"
social e0c)anges- e!en
")oug) can;" usuall%
unders"and enoug) "o
+ee& ")e con!ersa"ion
going m%sel,.
can .ri"e s)or"-
sim&le no"es and
messages
rela"ing "o
ma""ers in areas
o, immedia"e
need. can .ri"e
a !er% sim&le
&ersonal le""er-
,or e0am&le
")an+ing
someone ,or
some")ing.
I can use a series of
phrases and sentences to
describe in simple terms
my family and other
people, living conditions,
my educational background
and my present or most
recent -ob
can .ri"e a series
o, sim&le &)rases
and sen"ences
lin+ed .i") sim&le
connec"ors li+e
and<- /u"< and
/ecause<.
A1
can recognise
,amiliar .ords and
!er% /asic &)rases
concerning m%sel,-
m% ,amil% and
immedia"e concre"e
surroundings .)en
&eo&le s&ea+ slo.l%
and clearl%.
can unders"and
,amiliar names-
.ords and !er%
sim&le sen"ences-
,or e0am&le on
no"ices and
&os"ers or in
ca"alogues.
can in"erac" in a sim&le
.a% &ro!ided ")e o")er
&erson is &re&ared "o
re&ea" or re&)rase
")ings a" a slo.er ra"e o,
s&eec) and )el& me
,ormula"e .)a" ;m
"r%ing "o sa%. can as+
and ans.er sim&le
2ues"ions in areas o,
immedia"e need or on
!er% ,amiliar "o&ics.
I can write a short,
simple postcard, for
examples sending
holiday greetings I
can fill in forms with
personal details, for
example entering my
name, nationality and
address on a hotel
registration form
can use sim&le
&)rases and
sen"ences "o
descri/e .)ere li!e
and &eo&le +no..
can .ri"e sim&le
isola"ed

&)rases
and sen"ences.
20
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
APPENDI8 C
21
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
APPENDI8 D
22
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
APPENDI8 E
23
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
Inno+ation Inno+ation9 t" ELP
A &u''&t( tool *or #ro)otin' inno+ation. It i& &#lit u# on t"r &ction&9 ,:
t" #a&&#ort; -: t" Lan'ua' Bio'ra#"1 7LB:; t" (o&&ir.
<"o Actor&=
&ta6"ol(r&
A(o#tr&9 En'li&" tac"r.
I)#l)ntr&9 tac"r.
Clint&9 &tu(nt&.
R&i&tr&9 &tu(nt&
Su##lir&=c"an' a'nt&9 tac"r= En'li&" coor(inator.
<"at
Ara7&: o* c"an'
An inno+ation >"ic" in+ol+& #ro)otin' &tu(nt& &l* autono)1 to
&1&t)aticall1 6# an account o* t"ir larnin' in&i'"t& t"rou'"out t"r
(i**rnt #art& o* a #ilot( #ort*olio.
<"r
Socio3cultural cont!t
T" inno+ation >a& accuratl1 )a&ur( accor(in' to t" Mar6%& &3&"a# o*
+alu la(n &ta'& o* inno+ational (+lo#)nt at t" Co))on Fra)>or6 o*
Lan'ua'& at a Pu5lic Uni+r&it1 in Cntral M!ico.
<"n
Di**u&ion rat
Inno+ator&=arl1 a(o#tr&9 ?@A.
La''ar(&9 ,@A.
<"1
Attri5ut& o* t" inno+ation
T" ELP i& a co)#anion (+ic o* t" CEFR >"ic" i& 5in' a(o#t( 51
&+ral co"ort& o* t" Lan'ua' Facult1. Littl 7-@@B: &tron'l1 ar'u& t"at i&
u&( to #ro)ot larnr& &l* autono)1 >"ic" i& u&( >i(l1 t"rou'"out
Euro#. C al&o &tat& t"at )i'"t 5 >lco)( in Latin3A)rica a& a tool o*
&l* rcor(in' L- larnin' **ort&.
Co>
I)#l)ntation )o(l
B1 ncoura'in' &tu(nt& 6# trac6 o* t"ir larnin' **ort& t"rou'" (i**rnt
+r&ion&=la1 out& o* t"i& #ort*olio
Co))nt& T"i& >a& a #r&onal inno+ation 5a&( on )1 t"ortical un(r&tan(in' o* t"
#lurilin'uali&) in Euro#. It >a& run >it" P&1c"olo'1 &tu(nt& o* t" *ourt"
l+l o* t" En'i&" Co))on Fra)>or6 o* Lan'ua'& at t" Pu5la%& Pu5lic
Uni+r&it1. It &ucc(( a& a tool to n"anc larnr& autono)1 >"ic" in turn
rn(r( !cllnt r&ult& >it"in t"i& 'rou# in an action r&arc" &tu(1.
A(a#t( *ro) <ittn. Ca&tnira. Brn&. Prcia(o. Ta#ia D SEnc"F 7-@@B:
APPENDI8 F
24
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
APPENDI8 G
25
Lic. Gildardo Palma Lara
Not&
26
i
se propuso la creaciWn de un !ronco +omKn Universitario #!+U& con cursos de naturaleza interdisciplinaria y compleja
<ue desarrollar4an en el estudiante procesos de pensamiento cr4tico y anal4tico- tambi=n incentivar4an la creatividad y la
apropiaci>n de )ormas mucho m?s )le0ibles de pensar acerca de c>mo concebir el mundo- lo <ue ayudar4a a los egresados
a seguir aprendiendo durante toda su vida pro)esional/ #+atJlogo de programas del !ronco +omKn Universitario BU,P
;L$<, 455=&
ii
$ste currXculo presenta tres componentes) 4 M,!$CI,< ;$ %PCM,+IYD L$D$C,L UDIG$C<I!,CI, <e orientan
al cumplimiento de ob-etivos bJsicos para el desarrollo del e-e transversal en forma de materia con crIditos, entre las cuales
pueden ser obligatorias y optativas> " $<+$D,CIP< ;$ ;$<,CCPLLP <e orientan por los ob-etivos particulares del e-e
transversal y se concretan mediante la reali*aciWn de eventos acadImicos, ambientes institucionales y actividades tutorales>
? ,+!IGI;,;$< ID!$LC,;PC,< <e orientan por los ob-etivos particulares del e-e transversal y se concretan
integrados a materias del currXculum correlacionado +aptan crIditos integrados en las materias disciplinarias del currXculo
correlacionado #Modelo Universitario Minerva> p??&
iii
!he Tacobs and %arrell.s #"//4& 3Paradigm shift in second language education. which defines eight typical fields of
change #see appendix L&
i!
2@@@ >or(&