1. Embedding Structure into Function and/or Content Project II Inha TESOL

2. Structure A structural syllabus is a syllabus that has a grammatical progression as its organizing feature. This kind of syllabus is concerned with usage. For example, if you are planning to teach ‘present continuous tense’ today, ‘past tense’ tomorrow, and ‘passive voice’ the next day, you have a structural syllabus.

3. Functions A language syllabus can also be organized according to how the language is used in everyday situations such as: giving advice asking for directions telling stories about the past talking about rules requesting information

4. Example Function: Giving Advice If you were to teach a unit on giving advice, you might include the following items: I think you should... Why don't you... If I were you, I would... You'd better...

5. Note the grammatical complexity of the previous examples. I think you should... (modals, noun clauses) If I were you, I would... (modals, adverbial clauses (if/then) and subjunctive mood) These structures would traditionally be taught to advanced students, yet functionally these are fairly common items.

6. Content-Based A syllabus can also be designed around a particular area such as movies, relationships, the Incas, women’s rights... or whatever! A syllabus that covers the Solar System, Volcanoes, Dinosaurs and Earthquakes is an example of a content-based syllabus. Here the focus is on learning the content without explicitly teaching language.

7. Which syllabus to use? Without proof here (read Brown’s good book if you want to know more), a syllabus organized around function and content is more likely to produce language acquisition because students are naturally concerned with meaning. But it is still possible at times (though not always) to embed structure into a functional syllabus.

8. Examples We Have Covered Structure embedded into function.  Passive voice embedded into the function of talking about rules. (We did a game on the board)  Second conditional embedded into activities centered around hypothetically speaking.  Past continuous embedded into an activity were we interrogated suspects.

9. Structure embedded into content.  Passive voice embedded into a retelling activity on the Incas.  Past continuous embedded into a murder mystery at the Remington family mansion.

10. Examples without any structure: Some examples we studied were purely functional or content-based. There was no structure covered whatsoever. The Franken fish/Franken monkeys retelling activity is one example of that. The Balance animation was another example. Here the focus was on the function of clarification.

11. Your challenge (Project) Working in pairs come up with a 20-30 minute activity that you will teach to the class that embeds a structure from the list I give you into a function or content or both. It can be a retelling activity, a game at the board, a presentation, a listening activity. I don’t care so long as the function or content (or both) has a tight focus and the structure is present.

12. An example of structure: Comparatives Comparatives are often taught at the middle to high school level. smart  smarter big  bigger beautiful  more beautiful happy  happier She is smarter than him. That painting is more beautiful than this one.

13. An example of function: Comparison (traditional comparatives) She is faster than him. He is more intelligent than her. She is funnier than him. (other comparisons) She is as strong as he is. He is not as tall as her.

14. An example of content Korea has undergone many changes since the 1950s.In general, people are more educated and wealthier now. There are fewer people living in the country and not as much hunger and poverty. However, the cities are more polluted and the traffic is much more congested.

15. Possible structures Present continuous Relative clauses Embedded questions Countables/uncountables Comparative adjectives Adverbial clauses (If- then) Present Perfect Simple past tense