In this guide
Cambridge Veritas · Original TESOL self-study resources
Understand the idea
A syllabus can organise grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, functions and skills. Select language because it supports a communicative goal and is manageable for the learners. Covering a grammar heading is not the same as enabling a learner to use it.
What you will practise
- Explain the key idea in “Selecting language for a syllabus” using a concrete example.
- Choose a teaching response that fits the learner and the purpose.
- Identify evidence you could collect to evaluate that response.
A closer look at the teaching
A communicative objective gives the syllabus a reason to combine language and skills. Work backwards from the final performance: what information must learners understand, what must they say or write, and what language will make that possible? Select a manageable set and plan a chance to reuse it beyond a controlled exercise.
Language analysis helps a teacher explain how a message is constructed and why it is appropriate in its context. Begin with a whole example rather than a list of labels. Examine the intended meaning, the pattern and the spoken form, then decide which features learners need for the task. The resulting explanation should help someone interpret or create a message. Terminology is useful when it makes that decision clearer, not when it replaces the explanation.
In the classroom
A unit aims to help learners arrange a meeting.
Before choosing an activity, identify what the learner needs to understand or communicate. Separate the language demand from other demands such as reading instructions, managing equipment or speaking to a large group.
A teaching sequence you can adapt
Use these stages as a starting point for this topic. Keep the language goal visible, and change the support when learner responses show a different need.
- 01
Establish who is communicating, the situation and the message or action being attempted.
- 02
Identify the relevant pattern, word choices and pronunciation features in a clear model.
- 03
Compare an alternative or contrasting example to reveal what changes in meaning, form or appropriacy.
- 04
Ask learners to interpret or construct a new contextual example and explain the choice.
Use the end task to check whether the selected language supports the intended communication.
A common mistake to avoid
Do not treat a sequence of grammar headings as a complete description of what learners will be able to do.
When reviewing the activity, distinguish what you observed from what you inferred. Use the task outcome and a fresh example to decide whether another explanation, a different scaffold or more independent practice is needed.
Adapt it for your learners
Make the task accessible.
Use a short model, colour or spacing to show the target pattern, and simple questions about meaning.
Extend the thinking.
Present two plausible interpretations and ask learners what additional context would help them decide between them.
Keep the intended outcome consistent when comparing responses. Record which support was available so you do not confuse a supported performance with the same task completed independently.
Try it, then compare.
Take a moment to make your own decision. Compare your reasoning with the example, then adapt it for a teaching context you know.
Try it in a teaching context
Choose language and skills that support this outcome.
Your questions, answered.
What is a common mistake with Selecting language for a syllabus?
Do not treat a sequence of grammar headings as a complete description of what learners will be able to do.
How can I check whether the teaching worked?
Use the end task to check whether the selected language supports the intended communication.
How can I support learners who find the task difficult?
Use a short model, colour or spacing to show the target pattern, and simple questions about meaning.
How can I add a useful extra challenge?
Present two plausible interpretations and ask learners what additional context would help them decide between them.
Quick revision
- The key idea: A syllabus can organise grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, functions and skills.
- The context to remember: A unit aims to help learners arrange a meeting.
- A useful next step: Choose language and skills that support this outcome.
For your teaching portfolio: keep a brief plan, a note of what learners actually did and one change you would make next time. Use anonymous examples.
Take the module self-checkSources and authorship
This module maps to the supplied syllabus PDF, Introduction to analysing language (6 pages). The study notes, examples, application tasks and self-checks on these pages are original Cambridge Veritas resources.
View the supplied PDF ↗ · Publication reference: source chapter
Written by Cambridge Veritas. Updated .
Use these resources for preparation and reflection. Browser self-check results are for personal study and do not award a qualification or replace observed teaching practice.