Curriculum  design  and  development:  
Principles  and  Procedures  of  Materials  
Development  
 

Dr.  Khalid  AlGhamdi  

kalghamdi@ksu.edu.sa  
@dr_kalghamdi  
In  this  presentation    

• Approaches  to  Language  Teaching  

• Wri=ng  your  term  paper:  Q  &  A  
Approaches  to  Language  Teaching  
 
• Direct  (natural)  approach:  

• is   a   method   of   teaching   language   directly   establishing   a   direct   or  

immediate   associa=on   between   experience   and   expression,  
between  the  English  word,  phrase  or  idiom  and  its  meaning  through  
demonstra=on,   drama=za=on   without   the   use   of   the   mother  
tongue.  

• Aims  of  direct  method:  

 
1.  Direct  method  aims  to  build  a  direct  rela=on  between  experience  
and  language,  word  and  idea,  thought  and  expression  
2. This  method  intends  for  students  to  learn  how  to  communicate  in  
the  target  language  
3.  This  method  is  based  on  the  assump=on  that  the  learner  should  
experience  the  new  language  in  the  same  way  as  he/she  
experienced  his/her  mother  tongue  
• Techniques:    
 
1. Ques=on/answer  exercise  –  the  teacher  asks  ques=ons  of  any  
type  and  the  student  answers.  
2. Dicta=on  –  the  teacher  chooses  a  grade-­‐appropriate  passage  and  
reads  it  aloud.  
3.  Reading  aloud  –  the  students  take  turn  reading  sec=ons  of  a  
passage,  play  or  a  dialogue  aloud.  
4. Student  self-­‐correc=on  –  when  a  student  makes  a  mistake  the  
teacher  offers  him/her  a  second  chance  by  giving  a  choice.  
5. Conversa=on  prac=ce  –  the  students  are  given  an  opportunity  to  
ask  their  own  ques=ons  to  the  other  students  or  to  the  teacher.  
This  enables  both  a  teacher-­‐learner  interac=on  as  well  as  a  
learner-­‐learner  interac=on.  
6. Paragraph  wri=ng  –  the  students  are  asked  to  write  a  passage  in  
their  own  words  
Principles:  

1. Classroom  instruc=ons  are  conducted  exclusively  in  the  target  language.  

2. Only  everyday  vocabulary  and  sentences  are  taught  during  the  ini=al  phase;  
grammar,  reading  and  wri=ng  are  introduced  in  intermediate  phase.  
3. Oral  communica=on  skills  are  built  up  in  a  carefully  graded  progression  
organized  around  ques=on-­‐and-­‐answer  exchanges  between  teachers  and  
students  in  small,  intensive  classes.  
4. Grammar  is  taught  induc=vely.  
5. New  teaching  points  are  introduced  orally.  
6. Concrete  vocabulary  is  taught  through  demonstra=on,  objects,  and  pictures;  
abstract  vocabulary  is  taught  by  associa=on  of  ideas.  
7. Both  speech  and  listening  comprehensions  are  taught.  
8. Correct  pronuncia=on  and  grammar  are  emphasized.  
9. Student  should  be  speaking  approximately  80%  of  the  =me  during  the  lesson.  
10. Students  are  taught  from  incep=on  to  ask  ques=ons  as  well  as  answer  them  
• Imagine  you  are  going  to  design  a  lesson  based  on  the  direct  
method,   what   considera=ons   will   you   make?   (   we   will   try   to  
do  the  same  ac=vity  with  all  of  the  approaches)  
 
10  minutes  class  ac=vity    
Use  all  resources  available  (internet,  mobiles,  books  etc)    
 
Look  for  :  
•  Diana  Larson-­‐Freeman  
• Mar=  Anderson    
• Douglas  Brown  
• David  Nunan    
• The  Content  –based  instruc=on    approach:  
• The  focus  of  a  CBI  lesson  is  on  the  topic  or  subject  majer.  
During  the  lesson  students  are  focused  on  learning  about  
something.  This  could  be  anything  that  interests  them  from  a  
serious  science  subject  to  their  favorite  pop  star  or  even  a  
topical  news  story  or  film.  They  learn  about  this  subject  using  
the  language  they  are  trying  to  learn,  rather  than  their  na=ve  
language,  as  a  tool  for  developing  knowledge  and  so  they  
develop  their  linguis=c  ability  in  the  target  language.  This  is  
thought  to  be  a  more  natural  way  of  developing  language  
ability  and  one  that  corresponds  more  to  the  way  we  
originally  learn  our  first  language.  
• How  to  teach  using  the  CBI  approach:    
 
•  Prepara=on  
• Choose  a  subject  of  interest  to  students.  
• Find  three  or  four  suitable  sources  that  deal  with  different  aspects  of  
the  subject.  These  could  be  websites,  reference  books,  audio  or  
video  of  lectures  or  even  real  people.  
• During  the  lesson  
• Divide  the  class  into  small  groups  and  assign  each  group  a  small  
research  task  and  a  source  of  informa=on  to  use  to  help  them  fulfill  
the  task.  
• Then  once  they  have  done  their  research  they  form  new  groups  with  
students  that  used  other  informa=on  sources  and  share  and  
compare  their  informa=on.  
• There  should  then  be  some  product  as  the  end  result  of  this  sharing  
of  informa=on  which  could  take  the  form  of  a  group  report  or  
presenta=on  of  some  kind.  
• Task-­‐based  instruc=on  approach:  
• Focuses  on  the  use  of  authen=c  language  and  on  asking  students  to  
do   meaningful   tasks   using   the   target   language.   Such   tasks   can  
include   visi=ng   a   doctor,   conduc=ng   an   interview,   or   calling  
customer   service   for   help.   Assessment   is   primarily   based   on   task  
outcome  rather  than  on  accuracy  of  prescribed  language  forms.  

• In  prac=ce:    
• The  core  of  the  lesson  or  project  is,  as  the  name  suggests,  the  task.  
Teachers   and   curriculum   developers   should   bear   in   mind   that   any  
ajen=on   to   form,   i.e.   grammar   or   vocabulary,   increases   the  
likelihood   that   learners   may   be   distracted   from   the   task   itself   and  
become   preoccupied   with   detec=ng   and   correc=ng   errors   and/or  
looking  up  language  in  dic=onaries  and  grammar  references.    
• Outline  of  tasks:  

• Pre-­‐task  
In  the  pre-­‐task,  the  teacher  will  present  what  will  be  expected  of  the  students  in  
the  task  phase.  The  instructors  may  also  present  a  model  of  the  task  by  either  
doing  it  themselves  or  by  presen=ng  picture,  audio,  or  video  demonstra=ng  the  
task.  
• Task  
During  the  task  phase,  the  students  perform  the  task,  typically  in  small  groups,  
although  this  is  dependent  on  the  type  of  ac=vity.  And  unless  the  teacher  plays  a  
par=cular  role  in  the  task,  then  the  teacher's  role  is  typically  limited  to  one  of  an  
observer  or  counselor—thus  the  reason  for  it  being  a  more  student-­‐centered  
methodology.  
•  Review  
If  learners  have  created  tangible  linguis=c  products,  e.g.  text,  montage,  
presenta=on,  audio  or  video  recording,  learners  can  each  other's  work  and  offer  
construc=ve  feedback.  If  a  task  is  set  to  extend  over  longer  periods  of  =me,  e.g.  
weeks,  and  includes  itera=ve  cycles  of  construc=ve  ac=vity  followed  by  review,  
TBLL  can  be  seen  as  analogous  to  a  project-­‐based  instruc=on.    
Types  of  tasks:  
• Informa4on-­‐gap  ac4vity,  which  involves  a  transfer  of  given  informa=on  from  one  person  to  
another  –  or  from  one  form  to  another,  or  from  one  place  to  another  –  generally  calling  for  
the  decoding  or  encoding  of  informa=on  from  or  into  language.  One  example  is  pair  work  
in   which   each   member   of   the   pair   has   a   part   of   the   total   informa=on   (for   example   an  
incomplete   picture)   and   ajempts   to   convey   it   verbally   to   the   other.   Another   example   is  
comple=ng  a  tabular  representa=on  with  informa=on  available  in  a  given  piece  of  text.  The  
ac=vity  ooen  involves  selec=on  of  relevant  informa=on  as  well,  and  learners  may  have  to  
meet  criteria  of  completeness  and  correctness  in  making  the  transfer.  
• Reasoning   gap   ac4vity,   which   involves   deriving   some   new   informa=on   from   given  
informa=on  through  processes  of  inference,  deduc=on,  prac=cal  reasoning,  or  a  percep=on  
of   rela=onships   or   pajerns.   One   example   is   working   out   a   teacher's   =metable   on   the   basis  
of   given   class   =metables.   Another   is   deciding   what   course   of   ac=on   is   best   (for   example  
cheapest   or   quickest)   for   a   given   purpose   and   within   given   constraints.   The   ac=vity  
necessarily   involves   comprehending   and   conveying   informa=on,   as   in   informa=on-­‐gap  
ac=vity,   but   the   informa=on   to   be   conveyed   is   not   iden=cal   with   that   ini=ally  
comprehended.  There  is  a  piece  of  reasoning  which  connects  the  two.  
• Opinion   gap   ac4vity,   which   involves   iden=fying   and   ar=cula=ng   a   personal   preference,  
feeling,   or   aptude   in   response   to   a   given   situa=on.   One   example   is   story   comple=on;  
another   is   taking   part   in   the   discussion   of   a   social   issue.   The   ac=vity   may   involve   using  
factual   informa=on   and   formula=ng   arguments   to   jus=fy   one's   opinion,   but   there   is   no  
objec=ve   procedure   for   demonstra=ng   outcomes   as   right   or   wrong,   and   no   reason   to  
expect  the  same  outcome  from  different  individuals  or  on  different  occasions.  
• Communica=ve  language  teaching:  
• is  usually  characterized  as  a  broad  approach  to  teaching,  rather  than  
as  a  teaching  method  with  a  clearly  defined  set  of  classroom  
prac=ces.  As  such,  it  is  most  ooen  defined  as  a  list  of  general  
principles  or  features.  One  of  the  most  recognized  of  these  lists  is  
David  Nunan's  (1991)  five  features  of  CLT:  
1. An  emphasis  on  learning  to  communicate  through  interac=on  in  
the  target  language.  
2. The  introduc=on  of  authen=c  texts  into  the  learning  situa=on.  
3. The  provision  of  opportuni=es  for  learners  to  focus,  not  only  on  
language  but  also  on  the  learning  process  itself.  
4. An  enhancement  of  the  learner’s  own  personal  experiences  as  
important  contribu=ng  elements  to  classroom  learning.  
5. An  ajempt  to  link  classroom  language  learning  with  language  
ac=vi=es  outside  the  classroom.  
Classroom  ac=vi=es:    
• Classroom  ac=vi=es  used  in  communica=ve  language  teaching  include  
the  following:  
• Role-­‐play  
• Interviews  
• Games  
• Language  exchanges  
• Surveys  
• Pair-­‐work  
• Learning  by  teaching  
• Informa=on  gap  

However,  not  all  courses  that  u=lize  the  Communica=ve  Language  

approach  will  restrict  their  ac=vi=es  solely  to  these.  Some  courses  will  
have  the  students  take  occasional  grammar  quizzes,  or  prepare  at  home  
using  non-­‐communica=ve  drills,  for  instance.    
Community  language  learning:  
• in  which  students  work  together  to  develop  what  aspects  of  a  
language  they  would  like  to  learn.  It  is  based  on  the  
Counseling-­‐approach  in  which  the  teacher  acts  as  a  counselor  
while  the  learner  is  seem  as  client  and  collaborator.    
• The  CLL  emphasizes  the  sense  of  community  in  the  learning  
group,  it  encourages  as  a  vehicle  of  learning,  and  it  considers  
as  a  priority  the  students'  feelings  and  the  recogni=on  of  
struggles  in  language  acquisi=on.  There  is  no  syllabus  or  
textbook  to  follow  and  it  is  the  students  themselves  who  
determine  the  content  of  the  lesson  by  means  of  meaningful  
conversa=ons  in  which  they  discuss  real  real  messages.  
Notably,  it  incorporates  transla=on,  transcrip=on,  and  
recording  techniques.  
 
 
• Ac=vi=es  when  using  community  language  learning:    
• 1.  Transla4on.  Learners  form  a  small  circle.  A  learner  whispers  a  message  or  meaning  he  or  
she  wants  to  express,  the  teacher  translates  it  into  (and  may  interpret  it  in)  the  target  
language,  and  the  learner  repeats  the  teacher's  transla=on.  
• 2.  Group  Work.  Learners  may  engage  in  various  group  tasks,  such  as  small-­‐group  discussion  
of  a  topic,  preparing  a  conversa=on,  preparing  a  summary  of  a  topic  for  presenta=on  to  
another  group,  preparing  a  story  that  will  be  presented  to  the  teacher  and  the  rest  of  the  
class.  
• 3.  Recording.  Students  record  conversa=ons  in  the  target  language.  
• 4.  Transcrip4on.  Students  transcribe  ujerances  and  conversa=ons  they  have  recorded  for  
prac=ce  and  analysis  of  linguis=c  forms.  
• 5.  Analysis.  Students  analyze  and  study  transcrip=ons  of  target  language  sentences  in  order  
to  focus  on  par=cular  lexical  usage  or  on  the  applica=on  of  par=cular  grammar  rules.  
• 6.  Reflec4on  and  observa4on.  Learners  reflect  and  report  on  their  experience  of  the  class,  
as  a  class  or  in  groups.  This  usually  consists  of  expressions  of  feelings  -­‐  sense  of  one  
another,  reac=ons  to  silence,  concern  for  something    to  say,  etc.  
• 7.  Listening.  Students  listen  to  a  monologue  by  the  teacher  involving  elements  they  might  
have  elicited  or  overheard  in  class  interac=ons.  
• 8.  Free  conversa4on.  Students  engage  in  ´free  conversa=on  with'  the  teacher  or  with  other  
learners.  This  might  include  discussion  of  what  they  learned  as  well  as  feelings  they  had  
about  how  they  learned.  
• Since  a  CLL  course  evolves  out  of    the  interac=ons  of  the  
community,  a  textbook  is  not  considered  a  necessary  
component.  A  textbook  would  impose  a  par=cular  body  of  
language  content  on  the  learners,  thereby  impeding  their  
growth  and  interac=on.  Materials  may  be  developed  by  the  
teacher  as  the  course  develops,  although  these  generally  
consist  of  lijle  more  than  summaries  on  the  blackboard  or  
overhead  projector  of  some  of  the  linguis=c  features  of  
conversa=ons  generated  by  students.  Conversa=ons  may  also  
be  transcribed  and  distributed  for  study  and  analysis,  and  
learners  may  work  in  groups  to  produce  their  own  ma-­‐terials,  
such  as  scripts  for  dialogues  and  mini-­‐dramas.  
Term  paper  
• What  is  the  goal  of  your  term  paper?  
The  primary  goal  of  your  term  paper  is  for  you  to  develop  your  
research  skills.  It  is  also  an  exercise  for  your  wrijen  and  cri=cal  
skills.  In  postgraduate  studies  you  must  develop  a  sense  of  
independence  from  your  teachers.    
 
How  to  write  your  term  paper?  
Similar  to  any  project  you  may  have  had  developed,  look  for  a  
topic  that  interest  you  within  the  field  of  material  design  or  use  
the  suggested  =tles.    
• Abstract:  in  300  words  or  so,  sum  up  your  researched  =tle,  what  
have  you  looked  at  (  or  going  to  look  at  if  presented  before  
approval).    
 
• Introduc=on:    
• What  is  the  issue  or  problem?  
• Present  relevant  background  (  terms,  concepts)  
• Explain  the  focus  of  your  paper  
• What  is  your  organiza=onal  plan  
• Body:  
• Literature  review,  what  is  current  thinking,  findings,  approaches  to  the  
problem.  

• Conclusion:  
• What  is  your  voice  
• What  can  we  conclude  (  if  we  read  only  the  conclusion  we  should  
understand  your  research).  
  
 
 
 
 
Q&A  
  
 
 
 
 
Thank  you