The notional / functional approach
The Notional Functional Approach - based on speech act theory which categorizes the social purpose of utterances within given settings
The term "notional syllabus" embraces any strategy of language teaching that derives the content of learning from an initial analysis of the learner's need to express three different kinds of meaning:
The three different types of meaning the learner needs to express are:
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Functional (i.e. the social purpose of the utterance)
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Modal (the degree of likelihood)
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Conceptual - the meaning relations expressed by forms within the sentence (categories of communicative function)
Sample question:
Is it at all possible to grade a language course purely on notional / functional criteria. How far do any two of the language courses you know which are based on structural grading meet notional / functional demands?
Below are the stuctures that you graded before. What functions can you ascribe to them and in what order would you teach them in a functionally oriented course.
1. To be + noun - Introductions; asking personal information 2. Possessives - possession; your name/his name 3. Prepositions of place -stating position/destination 4. Present Continuous - Describing actions; stating destinations / future reference
5. Pronoun objects - ordering/offering/naming 6. Can - possibility/request/ability knowledge. 7. Present Simple + ing - Getting/giving information; jobs; habits; likes/dislikes 8. Do you Qs - Asking for information: job/hobbies/likes
9. Present Simple (neg) - dislikes 10. Q-word + do you - habits/routines/timetables 11. Adj/adv - describe manner 12. Comparison of adverbs - comparison 13. Have/have got - possession/description 14. Present Perf - interest in past events / state experiences.
D. A. Wilkins' "Notional Syllabuses"
Ways of structuring courses reflect different underlying approaches to language learning. In "Notional Syllabuses" [Oxford 1976], Wilkins questioned the synthetic approach, which had been a feature of many language syllabuses in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Synthetic language teaching - some shortcomings
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The typical aim is to teach a new linguistic structure. Methods include explanation of rules, paradigms, contextualization in dialogues, series of analogous sentences designed to promote inductive learning. The content of synthetic syllabuses is a limitation and ordering of linguistic forms.
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Failure to prioritize vocabulary relevant to learners' communicative needs, started the questioning of the synthetic approach. The kind of criteria used in vocabulary selection needed were questionable. Lexical & grammatical criteria for selecting and grading language can complement one another or they can conflict - A highly desirable lexical item may cause grammatical difficulties (How do you do?)
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Is language learning complete when the content of a grammatical syllabus has been mastered i.e. after you've covered the subjunctives? Clearly not. Forms are taught because they are there rather than because they are of value to the learner - Failure to relate form to meaning. There isn't a one-to-one relationship between form and meaning.
Some questions concerning different designs of language syllabus:
Why does language developed through a "grammatical syllabus" fail to measure up to communicative needs?
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