Curriculum and Material Development in the eyes of EFL Context.

1. Curriculum and Material Development in EFL Context

How Do We Define Curriculum?

• Curriculum is that which is taught at school.
• Curriculum is a set of subjects.
• Curriculum is content.
• Curriculum is a sequence of courses.
• Curriculum is a set of performance objectives.
• Curriculum is all planned learning for which the school is responsible.
• Curriculum is all the experiences learners have under the guidance of the school.

John Delnay (1959)

How To make Our Students Easier to Comperehending Our Teaching Materials?

Teaching Methodology:

1. GTM
2. Direct Method
3. Audio Lingual Method
4. The Silent Way
5. Suggestopedia
6. Community Language Learning
7. TPR
8. Communicative Approach

Grammar Translation Method

• Focus on Grammar, Vocabulary (Translation)
• Students expected able to read literature written in the target language.
• To support this, students need to learn grammatical rules and vocabulary of target language

Direct Method

• Focus on Speaking and Reading
• Students expected developed their communicative skills in using the target language communicatively
• Nature of Language
• Everyday spoken language. Culture, history, geography, everyday life of TL speakers.
• Language Learning
• Associate meaning with TL directly

Audio Lingual Method

• Focus on Speaking (Using the target language in repetitive situations)
• Sentence and sound patterns
• Conduct oral drills and pattern practice

Silent Way

• Focus on Communicative skills (being able to use the language for expressing thought, feelings, intentions, and perception)
• Provide the students with opportunities to use their own ability to learn rules of the language.

Suggestopedia

• Focus on Speaking (being able to use a target language/foreign language for everyday communication)
• The process of learning how to use FL can be accelerated through tapping the learner mentals power.
• Emphasise on building students attitudes in using FL.

Community Language Learning

• Focus on Speaking (being able to use the target language communicatively)
• In this method students should be intellect and feelings respected
• Teachers need to understand and accept whole condition of students
• Teacher should help the students confidents in using FL

Total Physical Response

• Focus on Listening comprehension and Speaking
• Initially the teacher is the director of all the students’ behavior.
• Students speaking skill can be enchanced through providing them with extensive opportunities to listen their teacher speaking.

Communicative Approach

• Focus on Communicative competence ( being able to use the target language appropriately according to existing social context)
• Ability to communicate in second language/TL
• Use information gaps, role-plays, games
• Group and pair work is stressed
• Authentic material use is encouraged

2. Curriculum and Material of EFL In Indonesia

Indonesia has implemented 9 curricula.

1. 1950                     g. 1984               
2. 1958                     h. 1994               
3. 1962                      i. 2004
4. 1968                      j. 2006 –
5. 1975                         till now    

1950 and 1958 Curricula

Both are well known as old curricula implemented similar approaches to TEFL which focus  teaching materials much on English grammar.

The main difference: 1958 curriculum contains list of items to be taught.

1975 Curriculum

This curriculum is intended to increase the quality of education nationally. It focuses the teaching materials on the efficiency of teaching learning process (contextual). The teacher is advised to follow the sequential order of topical material found in curriculum. This curriculum also recommended the types of test such as formative, summative, placement and diagnostic tests.

1984 Curriculum

This curriculum recommends English as compulsory subject to be taught at senior high schools. It applied methodological and communicative approaches in learning process, but English skills such as reading, listening, speaking and writing are not integrated.

1994 Curriculum

It also used methodological and communicative approach as that of 1984 curriculum, but English skills such as reading, listening, speaking and writing are integrated and it has one common objective for all programs, namely the students must have both the willingness and ability to use English, especially reading, speaking and writing essays.

2004 Curriculum (CBC)

CBC was introduced to replace 1994 curriculum. CBC is designed based on students’ need and students’ basic capabilities and teaching materials are made based on students’ competences. The learning outcomes in CBC are clearly defined with reachable and measurable working standard.

2006 Curriculum (SBC/KTSP)

By 2006, the 2004 curriculum was modified and changed into School- Based Curriculum (SBC). This curriculum is developed from standard of content by schools based on their context and potentiality. The syllabus is developed by a teacher or group supervised by department of education.

Characteristics of 2006 Curriculum (SBC)

1. Emphasizing students’ competences.
2. Orienting learning outcomes and diversity.
3. Using genre approaches in the learning process.
4. Emphasizing its evaluation on the learning process or attaining certain competence.
5. Using special terms such as Standard of Competence, Basic Competence, indicator and Core Materials.

No	TEFL Components	Cur. 1950- 1958	Cur.1962- 1968	Cur,.1984-1994	Cur. 1984- 1994	Cur.2004
1.	Objective of TEFL	Reading oriented	Reading oriented	Reading ability	Reading ability	Oral & written product
2.	Contents of TEFL	Grammar oriented	Grammar oriented	Reading  & structure	Reading & grammar	Reading
3.	Methods of TEFL	Grammar translation	Grammar translation	Eclectic method	Competence approach	Com. Based Approach
4	TEFL Evaluation	Grammar translation	Grammar translation	Structure oriented	Reading & grammar	Reading, listening and writing

3. School-Based English Language in Context
School-Based English Language Curriculum in Elementary School

To develop communicative competence in limited spoken language accompanying action in school context and generating awareness about the nature and importance of English to improve nation’s competitiveness in global society.

School-Based English Language Curriculum in Junior High School

a. To develop communicative competence in spoken and written language to reach functional literacy

b. To generate awareness about the nature and importance of English to improve nation’s competitiveness in global society

c. To develop students’ understanding about the relationship between language and culture.
School-Based English Language Curriculum in Senior High School

a. To develop communicative competence in spoken and written language to reach functional literacy.

b. To generate awareness about the nature and importance of English to improve nation’s  competitiveness in global society.

c. To develop students’ understanding about the relationship between language and culture.

School-Based English Language curriculum in Vocational High School

a. Acquiring knowledge and basic skills of English language to support competence acquisition of program-related skills.

b. Implementing the knowledge and skills acquisition of English language to communicate both orally or written at intermediate level.

Reference: 

Hartoyo. 2011. Curriculum & Material Development: Theory and Implementation. Semarang:Pelita Insani.