SITUATIONAL SYLLABUS

CONTENT
Definition of Situational Syllabus
Theoretical assumption
Components
The Process of Situational Syllabus
The Product of Situational Syllabus
Advantage
Disadvantage
Conclusion
 ?
Syllabus
DEFINITIONS
A situational syllabus
is often defined as one in which the
contents are organized according to
situations in which certain language is
likely to be employed

(Richards, et al, 1985:260; Ur, 2000:178; Schulz,

2005).
 THEORITICAL ASSUMPTION

Language is always used in context, never in isolation and the choice

of linguistic forms are restricted by social situations.
(Dr. Andrew Finch, EFL Syllabus Design ,2008)

The situational syllabus is based on the communication situations. It

selects, organizes, and presents language items according to
situations. For instance :

In the classroom At the bank at the airport

 COMPONENTS
(Situational Syllabus)
AIMS to prepare learners for future situations where they might use the language
OBJECTIVES to learn grammar, build vocabulary and develop four basic skills in particular situations

other reasons instead of knowledge

1. Affective Cultivation
NON-LANGUAGE
e.g.: confidence, high motivation and interest
OUTCOMES
2. Learning Strategy
e.g.: cultural understanding, thinking skill and interpersonal skill
Knowledge
a collection of real or imaginary situations, which are always chosen according to the following factors
 Communicative needs
 Language items involved
 The learners’ interest
LEARNING
 Cultural differences
CONTENTS
Topic
those the students can talk about in a certain situation
Language items
vocabulary or structure related to the communication in a situation
Skill : speaking, writing, listening
taking part in the activities, through
o choral imitation,
o Elicitation (role play)
IMPLEMENTATION
o substitution drilling and
o question-answer drilling,
hence, students grasp the basic principles to communicate in a situation
Oral or written test and performance
EVALUATION
(mastering some vocabulary and structures, students get to communicate in different situations)
The Process of Situational Syllabus Design
Dr. Andrew Finch, 2008, “EFL Syllabus Design.”

Listing situation professional

Teacher

Analyzing and matching

the situation with the daily life of students

Creating in conversation
based on the situation

Appendix
The Product of Situational Syllabus

Product in syllabus design is mainly concerned with

what students are expected to learn; or in other words,
the objectives of the syllabus.

The main priority in product of situational syllabus is

communicative competence
 Wilkins (1976) ADVANTAGES

 Motivating learners
Learner-centered not subject-centered.
It takes account of the learner and his needs

Concrete contexts: learners learn language structures within those

contexts thus making it easier to visualize and then remember
 Advantage 2

Improving
communicative
competence

Language teaching begins with

the spoken language, and
material is taught orally before
it is presented in written forms
 Advantage 3

Enhancing inductive ability

Though the conversation (dialogue)
students are expected to
understand the application of
structure and vocabulary indirectly
in a conversation.
 Disadvantage 1 Wilkins (1976)

Syllabus can not include all the

situations in the real life
A situational syllabus will be limited for
students whose needs were not
encompassed by the situations in the
syllabus

Physical situational setting doesn’t

necessarily predict the language
forms that will be used
Disadvantage 2

Artificial dialogues can not be used in natural

language
Language as practiced in the classroom and language
as spoken in the real world can be quite different

Grammar items and structures are not arranged in

a systematic way
The sequencing of situations was generally random,
making it impossible to grade the structures without
falsifying the situations
 CONCLUSION

“useful as a situational syllabus

may be in certain circumstances……
it does not offer a general solution to problems of syllabus design.”
(Wilkins)
Appendix Dr. Andrew Finch, 2008, “EFL Syllabus Design.”

NON-LANGUAGE
AIMS OBJECTIVES LEARNING CONTENT IMPLEMENTATION EVALUATION
OUTCOME

A. Conversation
The students The students will Affective IN THE CLASSROOM
will learn how be able to Cultivation
to practice practice simple e.g.: confidence, high Asti : Good morning, Zaki. Imitation,
conversation conversation in motivation and Zaki : Good morning, Asti. (teacher read aloud Oral Test
in the the classroom interest Asti : Any homework today? the conversation) Written Test
classroom Zaki : I don't know for sure. Just ask Madya. Performance
Learning Strategy Asti :Madya, is there any homework? Elicitation,
e.g.: cultural Madya: We have Math homework. (teachers allow
understanding, Zaki : Have you finished it, Madya? students to do role
thinking skill Madya: Not yet. play with mate)
and Asti : Let's do it together.
interpersonal
skill B. Expressions: Question-answer
Good morning drilling
Any homework today? ( teachers can take role
I don’t know for sure to ask question or
We have Math homework student are allowed to
Have you finished it? ask answer-question
Let’s do it together with their partners

Process of designing
 Conclusion 2

In closing, it is a great importance to note that

“no single type of syllabus is appropriate for all

teaching settings”

This is due to the fact that

We can choose a syllabus to implement

must be based on all present investigation and valuable
insights to create a language program and course.