Curriculum is...

As we already know, it is difficult to know the real definition of curriculum. In order to clarify what is the meaning of this word, let’s see how different authors have defined it.

In the Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, (Richard J.C., Platt J., & Platt H, 1992), curriculum is defined as an educational programme, which states:

a)    The educational purpose of the programme (the ends)

b)    The content, teaching, procedures and learning experiences which will be necessary to achieve this purpose (the means)

c)    Some means for assessing whether or not the educational ends have been achieved.

With this kind of definition we can get confused, but let’s see what Dubin and Olshtain (1986) said about what curriculum is. They said that a curriculum must contain a short description of general goals. It has to indicate an overall educational-cultural philosophy which must be applied across subjects “together with a theoretical orientation to language and language learning with respect to the subject matter at hand. “They also said that a curriculum is often reflective of national and political trends.

Other authors such as White say that “…a curriculum refers to the totality of content to be taught and aims to be realized within one school or educational system.” Hirst (1969) claims that curriculum is “…the programme of activities…the course to be run by pupils in being educated.” However, Kerr (1968) defined curriculum as “…all the learning which is planned and guided by the school.” Then while Kerr refers to the activities themselves, Hirst refers to the programme of the activities.

According with Nunan, we can study “the curriculum” taking in account different perspectives. The first one is when we can look at curriculum planning. It means a decision to identify learner’s need and purposes. You have to establish goals and objectives,, select and grade content, organize appropriate learning arrangements and learner groups, select, adapt, or develop appropriate materials, learning tasks, and assessment and evaluation tools. He says that we have another alternative in curriculum; it is curriculum “in action.” It means the study of the ways the curriculum planners choose the development of the planning phase becoming an action and the observation of the teaching/learning process.

Another perspective is related with the evaluation and assessment. It means we are going to try to find out what students have learned and failed to learn as a result of what curriculum planners thought were the best elements to include in the instruction. Also, this takes into account what if the curriculum plan has been successful and what if it has failed, and perhaps to make changes to improve things in it.

We can use the term curriculum design to refer to a process that involves aims, methods and materials which are specified in the plan, taking into account future intentions or existing practices.

Finally we have what Allen (1984) said, “…curriculum is a very general concept which involves consideration of the whole complex of philosophical, social and administrative factors which contribute to the planning of an educational program.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Brown, J. D. (1995). The Elements of Language Curriculum. Boston; Heinle & Heinle.

Dubin, F., & Olshtain, E. (1986) Course Design. Cambridge; Cambridge University Press

Nunan, D. (1991) Syllabus Design. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Richard J.C., Platt J., & Platt H. (1992) Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. U.K: Longman.

White, R. V. (1998). The ELT Curriculum. Cambridge: Blackwell.