International conference at Institut Supérieure des langues vivantes de Tunis, Tunis
Annual International Conference of
The Tunisian Association of Young Researchers (TAYR)
In coordination with
Tunisian Association of Language Assessment and Evaluation (TALAE)
On
Syllabus Design and Assessment in Tertiary Education:
Teaching and Assessing Language, Literature, and Culture Studies
27 and 28 October 2017
A syllabus is an expression of opinion on the nature of language and learning; it acts as a guide for both teacher and learner by providing some goals to be attained. At its simplest level a syllabus can be described as a statement of what is to be learnt. It reflects language and linguistic performance. This is a rather traditional interpretation of syllabus focusing on outcomes rather than process. However, a syllabus can also be seen as a « summary of the content to which learners will be exposed » (Yalden.1987). It is seen as an approximation of what will be taught and that it cannot accurately predict what will be learnt A language teaching syllabus involves the integration of subject matter and linguistic matter.
To design a syllabus is to decide what gets taught and in what order. For this reason, the theory of language underlying the language teaching method will play a major role in determining what syllabus should be adopted. Theory of learning also plays an important part in determining the kind of syllabus used. For example, a syllabus based on the theory of learning evolved by cognitive code teaching would emphasize language forms and whatever explicit descriptive knowledge about those forms. A syllabus based on an acquisition theory of learning, however, would emphasize unanalyzed and carefully selected experiences of the new language.
The choice of a syllabus is a major decision in language teaching, and it should be made as consciously and with as much information as possible. There has been much confusion over the years as to what different types of content are possible in language teaching syllabi and as to whether the differences are in syllabus or method. Several distinct types of language teaching syllabi exist, and these different types may be implemented in various teaching situations.
Participants should cover, but not be limited to, the following themes :
* What does it mean a syllabus today?
* How important is designing and continuously assessing a syllabus in tertiary education?
* Why should teachers have a syllabus?
* How global are ‘’global’’ syllabi in global coursebooks?
* Should the syllabus be created, adapted, or adopted?
* What is the actual link between curricula and the syllabi in higher education?
* Standardized syllabi: Should there be a unified structured syllabus for teaching each discipline in each higher education institution?
* Should there be a National Syllabus for general English in higher education institution?
* What is the extent to which a textbook could serve as a syllabus?
* What type of syllabus is needed in tertiary education institutions?
* How to evaluate syllabi?
* What is the status quo of teaching different courses in higher education?
* Are teachers evaluating the courses they teach?
Researchers, teachers, students, administrators, and policy makers interested in the conference, its axes and peripheral or related issues are invited to send their abstracts (250-300 words) in English, French or Arabic to tayr ! tayr | gmail ! com
Deadline for abstract submission: 30 May 2017.
Notification of acceptance : 15 June 2017
Conference papers will be published in the indexed journal TAYR Quarterly Vol 4 Issue 4 by December 2017
Organizing Committee : Dr. Mimoun Melliti, Dr. Yosra Amraoui, Hatem Sebei, Dr. Ikram Arfi, Adel Hannachi, Besma
Msekni, Dr. Nadia Konstantini, Houssem Jouini, Hajer Brahem Ghazeli.
Scientific Committee : Prof. Tahar Labassi, Prof. Mohamed Jabeur, Prof. Mohamed Daoud, Dr Sahbi Hidri, Prof. Ivan Lowe
