<aside> 💡 When designing learning objectives for the English language classroom, consider notions as a starting point when developing content objectives (i.e., understandings) (refer to Writing Learning Objectives for English Language Learners).
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The notional-functional syllabus is a language teaching approach that emerged in the 1970s as a reaction to the shortcomings of traditional grammar-focused language instruction. This approach focuses on the communicative functions of language, rather than on its grammatical structure.
The British linguist D.A. Wilkins first proposed the notional-functional syllabus in his 1972 paper "Notional Syllabuses: A Description." In this paper, Wilkins argued that language can be organized into two main categories: notions and functions. Notions are the concepts like time, quantity, and location. Functions are what people do with the language, such as making requests, giving instructions, and expressing opinions.
Wilkins argued that a notional-functional syllabus should be organized around these two categories. The syllabus should start with the most basic notions and functions, and then gradually introduce more complex ones. The syllabus should also be flexible, so that it can be adapted to the needs of different learners.
Many language teaching professionals quickly adopted the notional-functional syllabus, which quickly became one of the most popular approaches to language teaching. However, it has also been criticized for being too theoretical and not providing teachers with enough guidance.
Despite these criticisms, the notional-functional syllabus continues to be an essential approach to language teaching. It has been used to develop several successful language-learning materials, and it continues to be used by many teachers worldwide.
Here are some of the key features of the notional-functional syllabus:
The notional-functional syllabus has been influential in the field of English language teaching, and it continues to be used by many teachers today. It is a valuable approach that can help learners develop the communicative skills they need to use English in real-life situations.
A notional-functional syllabus is a language teaching syllabus organized around notions and functions. Again, notions are the concepts or ideas communicated in language, such as time, place, quantity, and degree; functions are the things that people do with language, such as giving information, asking questions, making requests, and expressing feelings.
A notional-functional syllabus begins by identifying the essential notions and functions for learners to communicate effectively in a given context. For example, a syllabus for teaching English to tourism students might include notions such as places, transportation, food, and accommodation, and functions such as making reservations, giving directions, and describing prices.
Once the notions and functions have been identified, the syllabus specifies the grammatical structures needed to express them. For example, the notion of "place" can be expressed using a variety of grammatical structures, such as prepositions (in, on, at), adverbs (here, there, nowhere), and relative clauses (the place where I live).
The notional-functional syllabus is based on the idea that learners should learn the language they need to communicate effectively in real-life situations. It is also based on the idea that learners should learn the grammar of a language inductively by using it to express notions and functions.
Here are some examples of notions and functions: