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Allwrigt, D. 1983. Classroom-Centred Research on Language Teaching and

Learning: A Brief Historical Overview. In: TESOL Quarterly, vol.17/2. 191-205.

Brown, D.J. 2001. Using Surveys in Language Programs, CUP, Cambridge.

Brown, D.J., Rodgers, T. 2002. Doing Second Language Research, OUP, Oxford.

Hutchinson, T., Waters, A. 1987. English for Specific Purposes: a Learning

Centred Approach, CUP, Cambridge.

Johnson, R. K. 1989. A Decision-Making Framework for the Coherent Language

Curriculum. In: R. K. Johnson (ed.) The Second Language Curriculum.
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Johnson, K. 1996. Language Teaching and Skill Learning. Oxford: Blackwell

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Komorowska, H. 2005. Programy nauczania w kształceniu ogólnym i w

kształceniu językowym. Fraszka Edukacyjna, Warszawa.

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Richards, C.J., Nunan, D. 1990. Second Language Teacher Education. Cambridge:

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Richards, J. C. 2002. Themes of Teaching in Language Teaching. In: J.C. Richards,
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vol. 37/3, July. 251-255.

Maria Stec
University of Silesia, Poland

Abstract:
The paper presents the research project on early language education. The project is based on a
triangulation of stages and instruments. The aim is to describe early language education in Polish
primary schools and analyse a selected number of English syllabuses in terms of the effective syllabus
design, implementation and evaluation.

Key words: children, syllabus design, implementation and evaluation.

Syllabus Design, Implementation and Evaluation

in the Context of Early Language Education
Teaching foreign languages to YL (young learners) should involve
realistic decisions in terms of the classroom instructions. It is assumed that all the
processes associated with syllabus design, implementation and evaluation are a
challenge for professional education including early language education.

2
1. Research aims and questions
Two aims were targeted in the research project: the first was to describe
the nature of early language teaching and the second was to analyse a selected
number of English syllabuses. The following questions direct the project:
a) What are the factors that direct the process of syllabus design?
b) What are the factors that direct the process of syllabus implementation?
c) What are the factors that direct the process of syllabus evaluation?
2. Research scheme
The three-stage project was designed to investigate syllabus design,
implementation and evaluation including the triangulation of stages, instruments
and time as interviews were administered in the beginning of the semester,
observations in the middle and evaluations in the end of the semester (cf.
Allwright, 1983:193; Brown and Rodgers, 2002:243). The first stage of the study
concentrated on the main tendencies in the contemporary syllabus design: 3
syllabuses were selected and analysed during the interviews at the beginning of the
semester. The objective was to describe syllabus selection, foreign language
education in Polish primary schools and teachers’ qualifications for teaching
English to YL. The second stage of the study concentrated on syllabus
implementation during English lessons in primary education at the middle of the
semester. Each lessons was recorded on an observation sheet which included the
background and detailed information such as lessons’ aims, time, stages, types of
interactions, content, procedures plus comments on course book adaptation and
teaching/learning processes. The whole observation study was performed during 45
lessons to identify the most common patterns of syllabus implementation.

The third stage of the study concentrated on syllabus evaluation carried

out by inside evaluator (IE) and outside evaluators (OE) at the end of the semester,
3 English syllabuses were evaluated, which had been selected for the project. First,
an IE (an English teacher) was asked to evaluate a particular syllabus answering a
global list of questions and then an OE (the author of the project) followed the
same procedure. Only later all the results were compiled together and the
comparative study was recorded.
A sample of syllabuses for the project was selected according to the
following set of criteria: practical consideration (accepted by Polish Ministry of
Education and implemented in Polish primary schools); relevance to primary
schools (situation in Polish integrated primary education); needs of YL; guidance
for teachers (both non-native and native teachers of English); up-to-date
methodology (syllabuses designed within the last 10 years) (cf. Williams,
1983:251-255). As a result, a system of coding the respondents’ names was
introduced and an anonymous label to each syllabus (SP1, SP2, SP3) primary
school and teacher was given respectively. The investigation started in September
2007 and lasted till February 2008.
3. Syllabus design
The initial aims were to investigate teachers’ qualifications and experience
for teaching YL, English language education in primary schools and describe the

3
process of syllabus and course book selection for YL. The major aims of the
research study was to describe the most important factors that guide syllabus
design.
For the purpose of the interview, a list of questions was designed and
divided into two parts and five sections. The first part of the interview: Foreign
language education in the primary schools served as the introduction to the study
and consisted of A, B and C sections:
 Section A titled: Respondent’s qualifications and background included 5
questions referring to the respondents’ experience in teaching English, their
linguistic preference in terms of learning skills.
 Section B titled: English language teaching included 7 questions regarding
their teaching conditions, priorities and problems in teaching YL: a number of
English lessons per week, a number of YL, a type of classroom facilities and
resources available for English lessons.
 Section C titled: Syllabus and course book selection included 5 questions
relating to criteria and selection of English syllabuses, course books and extra
materials plus information on the most popular procedures for their
implementation.
The second part of the interview concerned the questions about syllabus
design and was titled: Foreign language syllabus design – description and
selection and consisted of A and B sections.
 Section A titled: Syllabus description included 27 questions about: imprint,
syllabus assumptions and curriculum statement, syllabus users, syllabus objectives,
implementation conditions, syllabus content, procedures and strategies, teaching
materials, procedures of assessment and standard criteria plus additional elements.
 Section B titled: Foreign language syllabus design, implementation and
evaluation in the context of YL served as the summary of the interview and
included the questions concerned with: syllabus selection, design, implementation
or evaluation as the most interesting part for the respondents; syllabus selection,
design, implementation or evaluation as the most difficult part for the respondents;
YL’ continuity of language education in the next stages of school-instruction.
The sample consisted of four respondents who implemented 3 English
syllabuses in the primary schools in the region of Silesia. The interview was
conducted in Polish and English. The respondents were asked to reflect on the
syllabuses implemented in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. Each interview was recorded
and lasted about 60 (up till 80) minutes as the additional comments were welcomed
from the respondents. Consequently, the possible patterns of syllabus design were
grouped into specific categories.
4. Syllabus implementation
The second stage of the project was based on the data obtained during the
observation study. The major aim of the observation study was to describe the most
important factors of syllabus implementation in the primary education classroom 1.

1
The observation study was supported by syllabus guides, which directed teachers in English syllabus
implementation, and served as a kind of the map for each lesson. There was one syllabus recommended

4
A lesson observation sheet was designed in two parts: a general and a detailed one.
The general part served as the introduction to each lesson and listed 10 items:
Date, Lesson time, Teacher, Class, Number of the learners, Syllabus, Syllabus
guide and Course book applied, Lesson topic and Aims. The detailed part gathered
the details about English syllabus implementation and was in the form of the chart
composed of 5 sections: Syllabus Implementation, Content, Procedure, Course
Book Adaptation and Comments.
For the purpose of this project YL were divided into three groups 2. The
proper investigation focused on the implementation of the selected English
syllabuses respectively in the 1 st, 2nd and 3rd grades. It was the direct observation of
syllabus implementation during 15 lessons in the classroom and the on-the-spot
examination of the syllabus guides (in relation to a particular lesson). Then, 45
lessons were recorded during the whole study. Consequently, the patterns of
syllabus implementation were grouped into categories.
5. Syllabus evaluation
The major aim of the evaluation study was to describe the most important
factors of syllabus evaluation in the context of early language education.
As for an instrument of the study, a checklist of the questions was
designed totalling 18 global criteria 3 for syllabus evaluation. The instrument
entitled: Foreign language syllabus evaluation: a global checklist was composed
of 50 questions. The answers available here were restricted to yes/no/I do not know
option plus extra comments and remarks, and the maximum score reached 50
positive yes/ negative no responses. The checklist includes the following questions
about: syllabus rationale, syllabus assumptions, syllabus availability, syllabus
context and user definition, syllabus objectives and scope, syllabus
implementation, syllabus content and coverage, syllabus practicality, educational
validity, standard requirements and assessment, syllabus appropriateness, syllabus
innovations, syllabus sufficiency, syllabus learner support, syllabus flexibility,
syllabus layout and organization, syllabus linkage and teacher support.

for the same group of learners by a particular publishing house. However, there were various course
books and each course book had a different syllabus guide.
2
These were the 1st grade learners: who entered the schooling system, simultaneously developed the
knowledge of L1 and L2 having (or not having) previous experience with learning English; the 2 nd grade
learners: who had some learning experience in English; the 3 rd grade learners: who had considerable
learning experience with integrated primary education subjects and English. The investigation focused
on YL – who in this research study mean those between 6/7 and 11/12 year olds. The individual
differences and abilities were not considered here as they were perceived as the mixed-ability classes
but with similar age characteristics.
3
These criteria had been derived from published literature (cf. Hutchinson and Waters, 1987:96-105;
White, 1988:48; Johnson, 1989:232; Weir and Roberts, 1994:40-151; Richards, 2001:10; Seliger and
Shohamy, 2001:173; Komorowska, 2005:41-42, 48-50) and the author’s experience in the filed.

5
 Two types of evaluators4 participated in the research study. An insider –
English teacher working with a particular syllabus (the practitioner coded as IE)
and an outsider – the author who was investigating the process (the theoretician
coded as OE). To obtain the data some compromise was dictated by costs, time and
logistics. Therefore, in the course of the research, the insiders’ participation and the
outsider’s jetting in jet and out5 (cf. Alderson, 1992:25) in terms of dates, visits and
implementation of tools were planned independently. Finally, the very process of
syllabus evaluation was reviewed 6 for the audience at four levels: front-end,
formative, implementation and summative evaluation (cf. Weir and Roberts,
1994:35-39; Stufflelbeam, McCormick, Brinkerhoff and Nelson, 1985 after
Richards, 2001:298).
The checklist was conducted in Polish and English in June 2007 and
distributed among four English teachers (the inside evaluators) in three primary
schools in the Silesia region and one outside evaluator. It generally took a period of
one week to get the checklist back. Then, the results obtained from the checklists
were recorded and compiled on the one chart. The process involved a precise
identification of feedback from the inside and outside evaluations. Consequently,
the principles of syllabus evaluation were grouped into specific categories.
6. Interpretation of the study results
The interpretation of the results derived from the interviews, the
observations and checklists led to the following remarks:
1. The nature of English language learning/teaching in primary school is
described through:
 teachers’ experience: teachers have a degree either in primary education or in
English teaching, they rarely have degrees both in teaching YL and English;
 priorities in teaching YL involve: the teacher-learner(s) relationship, the
development of a positive attitude to English, teaching vocabulary, pronunciation,
receptive skills plus exposure to English through games; the difficulties in teaching
YL include: an insufficient number of grammar constructions included in
syllabuses, difficult teaching conditions such as overlarge groups of YL; limited
number of English lessons; time limits for covering a syllabus; YL’ difficulties
with reading comprehension, building sentences, learning skills and problems with
paying attention during lessons;

4
Namely, the respondents were asked to evaluate the selected syllabuses on their own at home;
comment on the questions and represent a range of viewpoints on the matter; bring the results in a week
time or earlier (only in the case of the difficulties with comprehension of the questions, a clarification
was provided). No participants of the project had privileged access to the data before the end of the
study. Results from the inside and outside evaluations were collected separately and later complied,
recorded and presented together on the same chart. Reports were available only to those participants
whose work they represented.
5
Referring to the term the JIJOE: the Jet-In-Jet Out Expert introduced by Alderson and Scott, which is
concerned with an evaluator-outsider coming from time to time to observe and evaluate issues only for
a limited period of time (cf. Alderson, 1992:285).
6
The review revealed remarks in 13 categories that will be discussed in another paper.

6
 conditions of English teaching vary from grade to grade and two lessons 7 of
English are assigned to 1 st grade, one lesson is 2 nd and to 3rd grades; the number of
YL ranges from 10 to 30 in one group; the standard set of facilities includes a
course book, a CD-player, flashcards and a DVD-player; teachers usually work for
1–4 hour(s) a week with YL;
 syllabus selection is directly linked with course book selection which is
selected at face value with the respective syllabus accepted by authorities; syllabus
selection is based on the three criteria: functional language, educational standards
suggested by EU organisations and types of course books recommended by
publishing houses; teachers’ preparation for syllabus implementation involves
reading a syllabus, a syllabus guide, a course book, result schedules plus the
comparison of the guide with the course book.
2. The process of syllabus design is directed at least by 10 factors identified in
the research study and includes: clear imprint, theoretical assumptions and
curriculum statement, teachers and YL, objectives, implementation conditions,
content, integration of skills, procedures and strategies, standard criteria and
procedures of assessment plus teaching materials.
In particular, the respondents’ indicated the most important factors for
English syllabus selection, design, implementation, evaluation and function:
 syllabus selection: teacher’s knowledge of syllabuses available, of YL’
abilities and needs plus processes of holistic child development are intrinsic for
syllabus selection in primary schools;
 syllabus design: teacher’s experience and understanding of children’s needs,
skills and difficulties in learning foreign languages at this age are the most
important aspects for syllabus design; it is also linked to a teacher-writer’s
knowledge of syllabus design in terms of procedures;
 syllabus implementation: teacher’s creativity and prior preparation for
teaching English to YL, the teacher’s knowledge of English syllabuses plus
children’s abilities, talents and difficulties are intrinsic for syllabus implementation
in primary schools;
 syllabus evaluation: the syllabus analysis and assessment, and the testing of its
effectiveness plus comparing the results achieved with those recommended are the
most important aspects for syllabus evaluation in primary schools;
 syllabus function: the syllabus function in teaching foreign languages to YL is
recognised by English teachers in terms of the supporting and guiding role; it is the
instrument that creates the level of content; syllabus function depends on the
teacher’s experience and approach to this document.

7
Presently two lessons of English in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades are obligatory in Poland.

7
3. The process of syllabus implementation8 is directed by 5 factors identified in
this study and includes: lesson aims, content, procedures, syllabus users (teachers,
learners) and teaching materials. The most difficult issue is associated with
pressure to cover the whole English syllabus or course book in one school year.
4. The process of syllabus evaluation is directed by 18 important factors
identified in this research study and includes: syllabus rationale; syllabus
assumptions; syllabus availability; syllabus context and user description; syllabus
objectives and scope; syllabus implementation; syllabus content and coverage;
syllabus practicality; educational validity; standard requirements and assessment;
syllabus appropriateness; syllabus innovation; syllabus sufficiency; syllabus
learner support; syllabus flexibility; syllabus layout and organization; syllabus
linkage, and teacher support.
7. Conclusions
Teaching foreign languages to YL may continually surprise and offer new
perspectives on the foreign language instruction and classroom practice. The most
essential skill needed in this context is the translation of this knowledge into real
preparation of lessons and a foreign language teacher can be a (co)author, a
director and an evaluator of syllabuses: s/he designs (or selects) a foreign language
syllabus, implements it in the primary classroom and evaluates its effectiveness.

8
Issues that are usually controlled by English teachers in syllabus implementation include: variety and
amount of lesson content; lesson pace; motivation of YL to participate in English lessons; relationships
within the class. Issues that are difficult to control include: YL’ abilities and disabilities, their previous
experiences with English; their knowledge of the world; an imposed syllabus or course book; a school’s
policy of teaching English; classroom size and facilities; the number of lessons per week and the
number of learners.