1. For example in relation to the activity of " understanding lectures " referred to above, aims and objectives such as the following can be described: Aims: Students will learn how to understand lectures given in English Objectives: Students will be able to follow an argument, theme or thesis of a lecture. Students will learn how to recognize the following aspects of a lecture: Cause and effect relationship Comparisons and contrast Premises used in persuasive arguments Supporting details used in persuasive arguments 2. 42. Objectives describe a learning outcome Objectives should be consistent with the curriculum aim Objectives should be precise Objectives should be feasible 3. 43. In writing objectives, expressions like will study, will learn about, will prepare students for are avoided since they do not describe the result of learning but rather what students will do during a course. Objectives can generally be described with phrases like will have, will learn how to, will be able to. 4. 44. Only objectives that clearly serve to realize an aim should be included. For example, the objective below is unrelated to the curriculum aim. Since the aim relates to writing business letters, an objective in the domain of telephone skills is not consistent with this aim. Either the aim statement should be revised to allow for this objective or the objective should not be included. Aim: Students will learn how to write effective business letter for use in the hotel and tourism industries. Objective: The student can understand and respond to simple questions over the telephone. 5. 45. Objectives which are vague and ambiguous are not useful. This is seen in the following objective foe a conversation course. Students will know how to use useful conversation expressions. A more precise objective would be: Students will use conversation expressions for greeting people, opening and closing conversations. 6. 46. Objectives should describe outcomes that are attainable in the time available during a course. The following objective is probably not attainable in a 60 hour English course: Students will be able to follow conversations spoken by native speakers. The following is a more feasible objective: Students will be able to get the gist of short conversation in simple English on Topics related to daily life and leisure. 7. 47. The course designers' full responsibility is that of setting not only broad, general goals but also specifying objectives which are made accessible to all those involved with the program. 1. A curriculum contains a broad description of general goals by indicating an overall educational-cultural philosophy which applies across subjects together with a theoretical orientation to language and language learning with respect to the subject matter at hand. A curriculum is often reflective of national and political trends as well. 8. 48. A Model L2 Curriculum An educational cultural viewpoint Syllabus A – AUDIENCE LEVEL (Beginners, interned) Diagram 1: The relationship of a curriculum to the syllabus which draw from it. 9. 49. 2. A syllabus is more detailed and operational statement of teaching and learning elements which translate the philosophy of the curriculum into a series of planned steps leading towards more narrowly defined objectives at each level. An important reason for differentiating between the two is to stress that a single curriculum can be the basis for developing a variety of specific syllabuses which are concerned with logically defined audiences, particular needs, and intermediate objectives. (Dubin and Olshtain 1986) 10. 50. Since the curriculum is concerned with a general rationale for formulating policy decisions, it combines educational-cultural goals with language goals. For example, an overall educational approach could focus on one of the following major goals: 1. A behavioristic orientation considers the human species to be passive organism, reacting to external, environmental stimuli; 2. A rational-cognitive orientation considers the human