ED661 Chapter 2 Reaction Paper

Reaction Paper – Chapter 2

From syllabus design to curriculum development

                The book shares historical events about the various immigrants who have migrated to the United States after World War II. The people, the immigrants, the refugees and the foreign students who have made a new home have similar life stories with the various ethnic groups: Chuukese, Palauans, Filipinos, Pohnpeians, and other people who are bilingual speakers who are taught to speak, write and read in English as their second language. It is a difficult task and there is a constant need to find new ways to help teach these people. Some methods are effective with a specific group but may not work with the rest. English is the common language of the world and it is important for people to be able to speak and understand it so that they may better communicate with other people.

                John Richards shares that methodologies should have the following characteristics “A structural syllabus with graded vocabulary levels, Meaningful presentation of structures in contexts through the use of situations to contextualize new teaching points and A sequence of classroom activities that went from Presentation to controlled Practice to free Production (PPP method) (24).” This is a great format and is definitely important when trying to teach a lesson. In my perspective, the second characteristic through my experience should include experiences or relevant situations should relate to the students for the presentation to be more meaningful. The environment and living conditions on Guam vary from the rest of the United States and sometimes the lessons taught have no meaning to the students because they cannot relate to it.

                The book talks about learning English for specific purposes. In today’s society, speaking English should be a given and one of the basic requirements. Some jobs may require for an employee to be able to speak more than one language because it can tailor and benefit its constituents or their customers depending on the field they are in. It is difficult to be hired for a position where there will be difficulty in communicating with one another. Many employers want to be cost effective and have smooth transitions and communication is key to both those things. Learning English for a specific purpose can both benefit and be harmful to a person because a person who speaks English as a second language may only know vocabulary and language pertaining to one field, because they have to work in that area, they become experts of the words and understanding behind the conversations. But when a person is flexible and can understand a variety of words that relate to all fields and that can make that person more attractive in terms of attaining a better job that pays a higher salary.