Nur Arifah Annisa

F041181340
Current Issues in English Language Teaching
1. Explain what you know about the changes in Curriculum Development, Syllabus Design,
Materials Development and assessment and testing Design along with the impact of the
changes to the classes.
2. Explain your understanding about the Teaching and Learning with Technology also the
changes occur due to the advancement of technology recently.
My responses:
1. Curriculum Development has recently been closely related to technology and e-
learning. The use of technology provides breadth for students to reach various resources
through low costs. Therefore, in one and various ways, technology is able to provide
many advantages and these advantages can be used, especially in the sphere of education.
In addition to providing benefits for students, teachers are also facilitated by development
in applying the curriculum. With the help of technology, teachers are able to check the
progress of students without having to be overwhelmed, because technology is able to
record every student's movement in learning, so that each given score is recorded with
certainty and accuracy, and the final assessment is also based on the original abilities of
the students (Curriculum Development Principles and Practices, 2007: 41).
Syllabus Design showed concern in more communicative learning in the 1980s by
changing from a grammar syllabus to a syllabus that reflected communicative
understanding of language. Previously, in the 1960s, there were claims that the syllabus
design was based on communicative teaching, in which the syllabus included several
components, namely the syllabus proposal, including functional-notional, situational,
lexical, task-based, and procedural. Then, Finney proposed to design a syllabus based on
the student's initial and primary needs and target the syllabus to a need-based
achievement. The syllabus design is expected to provide useful assistance for students as
a substitute for the teacher's role in providing language learning. The changes that are
owned by this syllabus design are still planned, made and developed systematically in
accordance with the programs to be achieved by educational institutions and schools, but
changes in syllabus design are also able to provide the best facilities for students to learn
 according to their needs because syllabus design is teaching content targeting students,
not teachers, schools, or educational institutions. (Methodology in Language Teaching,
2020: 65)
When it comes to material developments, shifting in the provision of material is
seen from the content of the material which branches into two types of language use,
namely spoken language and written language. This division contrasts with what is
usually provided by traditional textbooks, in which the grammar of the language relies
only on rigid and written language. The use of two types of language gives students the
breadth to be able to distinguish the characteristics of the two types of language and can
apply them in the right situations and circumstances. Still related to language, the
material in previous textbooks tends to use inauthentic language, meaning that the
language is too stiff and is not really used in a similar situation in real life. For example,
in the conversation section, students are required to apply a number of regulations. When
A greets with, "How do you do?", the answer according to the rules should be using,
"How do you do?" too. Meanwhile, it can be seen that the use of how do you do is not
really used in everyday language. Its use is still there, but not authentic (The Goals of
ELT, 2007: 47).
2. As explained in the curriculum development section, technology has been widely
integrated into a medium for teaching and learning. Technology has been transformed
through many fun media in order to deliver teaching that is well accepted by students.
Students are generally interested in learning based on a less formal atmosphere, making
the classroom atmosphere less monotonous and demanding scientific attainment in
situations that make it difficult for them. Recently, many classrooms have provided a
variety of fun learning media, some of which are recasting lecture materials using
podcasts, digital games as tools for designing and implementing pedagogical innovations,
problem solving through video game creation (Curriculum Models for the 21st
Century Using Learning Technologies in Higher Education, 2014: 259)
Digital Game, as an example of the use of technology in learning, is applied in an
attempt to replace traditional teaching methods that only rely on textbooks. Digital games
are known to ordinary people, and we are mostly used for entertainment and it seems
impossible to learn because their functions contradict the seriousness required in learning.
However, various studies have shown results that raise changes to more valid findings.
Various tests were carried out on students using digital games as learning that focuses on
critical thinking. Digital games are also able to provide flexibility for students to solve
problems that may be faced in real life. Digital games are used as an effective
communication medium, by applying the use of language in the real of life, so that
students can use language according to context and normality. Students can also apply the
use of everyday language in communication media using digital games. The application
of digital games is also different from other based games, and this has been specifically
arranged and designed in accordance with the learning objectives to be achieved with
groups of students who are able to apply related learning media, so that class conditions
can be managed properly and do not necessarily make teachers become overwhelmed.
Furthermore, several studies are still being proposed that underlie the design and
application of digital games, and in this case the technology media as learning, so that
learning is precise and able to achieve the desired goals (Curriculum Models for the
21st Century Using Learning Technologies in Higher Education, 2014: 281).