ASSIGNMENT
EDU 09.2- Theoretical Base of English Education-II
Difference between
Curriculum and Syllabus
Curriculum
Curriculum
is the crux of the whole educational process. Without curriculum, we cannot
conceive of any educational endeavour. School curriculum of a country, like its
constitution, reflects the ethos of that country. The term curriculum is
derived from the Latin word ‘currere’ which means path. In this sense curriculum
is the path through which the student has to go forward in order to reach the
goal envisaged by education. Usually the term curriculum is understood to mean a
group of subjects prescribed for study in a particular course. But curriculum
is not confined to this narrow concept. The curriculum should in no way be
considered as synonymous with courses of study . The courses of study list much of the content to be learnt and indicate
some of the major activities but these form only part of the curriculum. Curriculum
should be considered as a broad-based term encompassing every aspect concerning
the study of the course. It is now considered as the totality of experiences to
which a pupil is exposed within the boundaries of the school and outside.
Arthur Cunningham defined curriculum as:
“Curriculum
is a tool in the hands of an artist (teacher) to mould his materials (pupils) according
to his ideals (objectives) in his studio (school).”
In
brief, curriculum is the means of achieving the goals of education. It includes
all those experiences, activities and environmental influences to which the
student is exposed during his educational career, for the purpose of realising
of a variety of anticipated goals.
Syllabus
A
syllabus is the specification of the work of a particular department especially
schools and colleges, organized in subsections, defining the work of a
particular class or group. It is time bound and specifies a starting point and
an ultimate goal. It is a document of administrative convenience, which is
negotiable and adjustable. It can only specify what is to be taught, but not
what is to be learnt. A language teaching syllabus involves integration of a
subject matter (what to talk about )and a linguistic matter (how to talk about
it). Syllabus is the actual matter that makes up teaching. To design a language syllabus is
to decide, what gets taught in what order. The theory of language teaching
method and theory of learning plays an important role in determining the kind
of syllabus to be adopted. The designing and selection of languages syllabus
must be made consciously.
Difference between Curriculum and
Syllabus
Curriculum
is not merely syllabus, because the latter is only verbal, book oriented and
theoretical, while the former is not. Syllabus is much more specific, and it
provides the details of the study, the hierarchical order of presenting the
content, etc. It forms the basis of writing text books, preparing teacher’s guide and planning lessons.
Syllabus places more stress on the specific learning materials to be
internalised. On the other hand, the scope of curriculum is much broader and
deeper, for it comprehends every aspect of the educand’s life, seeks o satisfy
all his requirements and aspires to develop every aspect of his personality.
Hence, the syllabus can be considered as part and parcel of the curriculum, but
the two terms should not be treated as synonyms. In addition to what is
prescribed in the syllabus, the curriculum includes various kinds of
co-curricular and extra-curricular activities as well as the various aspects of
the educational environment. In fact, it includes all learning experiences that
would lead the learner to the anticipated goals of education.
Reference
·
Kohli, A.L. Techniques
of Teaching English. New Delhi : Dhanpat Rai Publishing Company, 1999.
·
Prasad, Janardan. Advanced
Curriculum Construction. New Delhi: Kanishka Publishers, 2004
·
Rao,V.K. Principles
of Curriculum. New Delhi: A.P.H Publishing Corporation, 2005
·
Shamsi, Nayyeer. Modern
Teaching of English. New Delhi: Anmol Publication Pvt.Ltd.,2004
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