ESL Syllabus Design: Its Impact on the Teaching-Learning Process

Abstract

One of the areas which seemingly remains constant in this ever changing world is the approach to second language syllabus designin India. Invariably, majority of the Arts and Science Colleges follow outdated syllabiwhich hardly address the changing needs of the students. Not only do the syllabifail to accommodate the expectations of the students, but also handicap those teachers who want to help students learn the target language. Incompatibility in terms of input provided and communication skills required by the end-users is increasingly felt in today’s context since most of the vernacular medium students complete their studies with very little language skills, and are unable to perform the basic functions with the target language. This paper, therefore,attempts to look critically at the approach to English language syllabus design in India and studies the impact of such approach on the teaching-learning process.