Posted by Elaine Coleman (212.150.87.42) on December 19, 2000 at 20:56:13:
In Reply to: Outlines, Questions, and Answers posted by Jean Vermel on December 10, 2000 at 10:17:46:
A Talk to Parents: Why a New Curriculum?
1 . In recent years the importance of English as the major language in the world has been clearly established and this is reflected in the emphasis placed on its importance by the education authorities and by the high local demand for English as a foreign language.
English is the language of international communication in fields such as trade, tourism, higher education and research and the electronic media. It is considered one of the most valuable assets of a plurilingual Israeli citizen.
Therefore it is imperative to aim for the highest achievable standards of excellence for the teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Israeli schools.
The growing awareness of the importance of this goal led to a reconsideration of the way in which English is taught in schools.
2. These considerations gave rise to the initiative to review the curriculum of 1988 in the light of changing circumstances, needs and expectations.
When the previous curriculum was written, it could be safely assumed that for the vast majority of Israeli pupils, their main exposure to English took place in school and started in the fourth or fifth grades. Accordingly, a major part of the curriculum took the form of a list of structural items (grammar and vocabulary) which would provide the pupils with a useful basic control of the language.
However, these conditions no longer apply. An increasing number of pupils have extensive exposure to English before beginning formal English instruction, through the various media, computers, travel and contact with family and visitors from abroad.
There is therefore a need for a more flexible, less arbitrary form of curriculum based on a different approach which could accommodate the variety and diversity of English learners entering the school system.
After extensive investigation of curricular modals used in other countries, the Curriculum Committee devised a model which incorporates principles that have been refined in recent efforts by national education systems to devise higher standards of excellence in foreign language teaching.
3 . The new curriculum of 1998 confirms the national need to set standards in the four domains of language learning in order to equip pupils with the knowledge of English required in the modern world.
These domains are four different but interrelated areas of language ability and knowledge.
The new curriculum sets standards which define a cumulative body of knowledge and a set of competencies in each domain that are the basis for quality education.
Standards describe what pupils should know and be able to do at different levels. There are two kinds of standards. Content standards describe what pupils should learn, know and be able to do at a particular level. Performance standards define how pupils demonstrate their proficiency in the knowledge and skills they have acquired.
4 . A standard- based curriculum is helpful to the entire school system:
teachers, learners, parents and administrators.
Standards help the school and the teachers set goals and draw up a plan of action for meeting these goals. They help, but do not dictate, in the selection of teaching materials and methods, allocation of time and resources, coordination of what is taught at different stages and levels, and methods of assessment. They ensure consistency in demands and assessment.
Standards also express clearly to the learners and to parents the expectations and requirements of the school regarding progress and achievement. They generate a success oriented learning environment.
5.The new curriculum implements a new approach to both teaching and assessment that reflects the recent move from the behavioral view of learning to that of cognitive learning theories and the constructivist view of knowledge acquisition.
Traditional curricula determine the content matter that pupils are required to know and the purpose of testing is see if they have learned that specific knowledge.
The new curriculum adheres to the broad goals established by TESOL that include personal, social and academic uses of English with a view to ensuring that all students achieve in English the language competence needed for academic success and life in a literate culture.
Thus, assessment is not seen as an accumulation of isolated facts and skills but rather the pupils’ ability to use and apply their knowledge of the language in meaningful, real life situations. It is regarded as an integral part of the teaching-learning process and includes both formative and summative assessment. Through the use of benchmarks to indicate levels of achievement, the standards-based curriculum aims to provide pupils and parents with useful information about pupil performance and progress.
6. The new curriculum is written in accordance with current foreign language learning research and theory and conforms to today’s understanding of the nature of language, language learning, human development, and pedagogy.
The new curriculum is based on principles, derived from the major findings of international research into the process of foreign language learning.
e.g. Language is functional.
Language processes develop interdependently.
Language acquisition is a long term process that occurs through meaningful
use and interaction.
Language learning is facilitated:
1 . when pupils have maximum exposure to the target language and opportunities to use it.
2 . when pupils build on their prior language and world knowledge.
3 . when pupils are conscious of how they learn and how to develop better ways of learning.
4 . when pupils see the usefulness of what they are learning, feel challenged within the range of their possible performance, and feel that they are making progress.
5 . when pupils are allowed personal choice in tasks, encouraged to experiment without fear of errors, and have opportunities to learn by doing.
6 . when pupils interact, share and work together and develop a positive self image in the target language.
Similar principles underlie the guidelines for promoting effective language teaching such as a supportive, success-oriented, and language-rich environment that encourages pupil autonomy and provides a diversity of stimuli, opportunities for peer interaction, and ongoing feedback.