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Foreign
Language Curriculum Organization
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In designing foreign
language (FL) curricula an important but often overlooked concern is effective
organization. Many FL programs give careful thought to linguistic content and sequencing,
and instructional materials and activities, but they neglect those factors that relate to
the structure and processes for implementing the curriculum. Matters as basic as physical
space, classroom temperature, number of students, or time of day can also make a major
difference in the way a teacher conducts a class and in the way the learners receive
instruction. These are some of the concerns relating to the organizational dimension in FL
curriculum planning.
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The organizational dimension
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Bellon and Handler (1982)
identify three areas of curriculum organization:
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- resources: time; people; instructional materials; facilities, and
equipment.
- organizational process: the interactional network of the resources
serving the curriculum.
- program units within the organization: all the other
extra-curricular programs within the institution to support the goals of the curriculum.
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The "fit" of
these three organizational concerns with the goals and objectives of the curriculum is
crucial to its successful implementation.
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Resources: A
curriculum cannot operate without resources. The amount and kind of resources available
are important, but especially important is the way they are allocated and used. Take time,
for example. An intensive FL curriculum may allocate more time for beginning learners and
less time for advanced learners. A daily schedule might have beginning learners in class
for six hours while the intermediate learners may attend for four hours and the advanced
for only two. If the class schedule has been set based on curriculum goals, time will be
allocated effectively. But if the decisions for scheduling have been based on the
availability of teachers or classroom space or on some other factor unrelated to the goals
and objectives of the curriculum, then the schedule may not be supportive of learning.
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In many FL programs, the
assignment of teachers to classes is one of the most challenging considerations in
resource allocation. Many teachers who have been with a program for several years expect
the privileges of seniority. These privileges can lead to their teaching the more
desirable classes while new teachers are given the left-over classes. If teacher
assignments are made based on seniority and not learners' needs, then the curriculum may
be weakened by low morale and feelings of alienation among teachers and students.
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The use of facilities,
like the scheduling of instruction or the assignment of classes, is also an example of
resource allocation. Often the assignment of classroom space is based on seniority,
personal influence, or favoritism rather than need. Consider senior teachers who request
and are assigned specific classrooms that are bothered by less outside noise, have better
acoustics, better chairs, better lighting or closer proximity to the teachers' offices.
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Other examples that might
influence the success of a curriculum include the selection of instructional materials,
and the availability and use of out-of-class resources and other support services. Money
is also a major resource to adequately compensate the teachers and administrators for
their time and effort.
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Organizational
Processes: Organizational processes refer to the way that resources interact
together to support the curriculum. Three basic processes can be identified:
communication, monitoring, and decision making.
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1. The communication
process includes the mode of communication and its flow within a program. Optional means
of communication may entail posting messages on bulletin boards, distributing individual
copies of messages through an internal (possibly electronic) mail system, and sharing
information orally during meetings or between class breaks. The different modes of
communication-oral and written-are usually present to some degree in every program, but
the size of the program usually dictates the extent to which each is used.
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Flow of communication
refers to the direction of communication in a program. The two major options for
communication are vertical (from top to bottom or from bottom to top) and horizontal
(teacher to teacher or student to student).
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To illustrate the
importance of communication for the successful implementation of a curriculum, imagine an
intensive FL program in which teachers and administrators primarily use an Oral mode for
communication. In this program, teachers are told their teaching assignments, and given
their teaching schedules during staff meetings. Teachers are expected to communicate with
each other in a horizontal direction to keep informed. With this kind of communication
process, there is the ever-present possibility for incorrect information being spread.
Obviously, this system is inadequate for large programs, and it can be a serious weakness
even in small ones.
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Another example is a FL
program that distributes paper messages to all program participants. Not only is the
distribution of paper expensive and contrary to conservation practices, the amount of
paper can be so overwhelming that participants do not take note of high-priority messages.
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Curriculum planners need
to be aware of the options for communication within a program in order to design the most
effective process of communication among its members.
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2. The monitoring process
entails a continual and systematic review of course implementation to determine how well
the modification of curriculum goals meets the needs and expectations of the learners.
Curriculum planners who wish to provide a learner-centered curriculum will devise
processes for systematically revising the curriculum through regular monitoring and
evaluation. This process might include frequent surveys of student and staff opinions,
analysis of test scores, and review of instructional materials.
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3. The decision-making
process refers to how decisions are made, who is involved in making them, and who
implements them. In many FL programs, decision-making is equated with the administrative
staff. While it is their task, it should not be done without input from the various
participants in the curriculum. The more input that decision-makers have from teachers,
students, secretarial support, parents/fee payers, and personnel in related programs, the
more effective the decisions will be.
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Program units within
the organization: In most FL curricula, and especially in intensive programs,
there are several skill-based units. For example, intensive FL programs may have reading,
writing, or listening programs. Some may have culture and study-skills programs and
special-purposes programs, designed to teach the vocabulary and grammatical structures
associated with a specific vocational area.
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The way these programs
interact is of great importance to the effective achievement of curriculum goals. If
priority is to be given to one or more programs, decisions should be based on the overall
goals of the program, and not be the result of aggressive or weak leadership styles of the
responsible administrators. Duplication can be avoided if the programs are planned in
accordance with the overall curriculum goals and objectives.
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Communication among the
different program units is another requirement for the success of a curriculum. Open
communication among teachers and administrators involved in the different programs can
help a FL curriculum achieve integrative goals. Open communication, encouraged by
regularly scheduled meetings or discussions, workshops, and class visitations, can also
instill feelings of cooperation rather than rivalry among teachers, administrators, and
even students.
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Systematically planning an effective organizational dimension
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In order to assess the
organization of an existing curriculum or plan for the effective operation of a new one,
curriculum planners need to follow a systematic process. This article has identified and
discussed the major considerations: the resources, processes, and programs within the
curriculum. A systematic process for assessing and planning effective operations would
include a thorough review and analysis of these major features.
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A suggested model for
assessing and/or planning effective foreign-language curriculum organization includes the
following steps:
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1. Review the curriculum
goals and objectives.
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2. Determine how to
collect data in each area below:
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- resources
- processes
- programs
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3. Collect and analyze the
data.
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4. Determine the
procedures needing modification.
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5. Develop a system for
frequent monitoring of the organizational concerns for the continual improvement of the
curriculum. In order to follow the suggested model, curriculum planners should encourage
participation from a number of teachers, administrators, and other support staff.
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In the next step, the
curriculum planning team should determine what kinds of data should be collected and how
they should be gathered. Options for data collection include such direct methods as
interviewing, observing, and holding discussions; indirect methods may call for reviewing
and analyzing documents, observing the communication processes, and analyzing the goals
and objectives of various skill-based programs within the overall program. The data
collection activities should cover resources, processes, and programs.
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Once the data are analyzed
and interpreted, plans for effective and efficient organization should be designed and
implemented. The final step of the model is the development of a system for frequent and
systematic monitoring of the various organizational concerns.
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Effective organization is
important for the design and development of an FL curriculum. As can be seen from the
examples provided in this article, systematic organization underlies the successful
implementation of a curriculum. If FL curriculum planners develop unity of purpose among
all participants, they can capitalize on all available capabilities to allow participants
to pursue personal goals while contributing even more to the program.
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John R. Aydelott teaches in the MA in TEFL Program at the
American University in Cairo. His experience includes teaching and curriculum planning in
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt. |
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Return |
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- Bellon, J. J. and J. R. Handler. 1982. Curriculum development and
evaluation: A design for improvement. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
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