MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL
CURRICULUM DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT
Student surname Nguyễn Thị Thùy
Student given names Dương
Unit name Language Curriculum Design and
Management (September 2023)
Name of lecturer Nguyen Thanh Binh, PhD
Assignment name Assignment 1: Your learning experience
(40%) – approx. 2,000 words +-10%.
Title of your paper CURRICULUM PROBLEM
Word count (excluding list of references,
and appendix) (max. 1,500 words +- 10 %)
Due date Soft copy 11 Nov, 2023 11:59 p.m.
Hard copy 14 Nov, 2023 16:00 p.m.
Ms. Hồng Yến (Room B603)
You must keep a photocopy or electronic copy of your assignment.
STUDENT DECLARATION
I certify that the attached assignment is my own work. Materials drawn from other sources
have been acknowledged according to unit-specific requirements for referencing.
I certify that this assessment item has not been submitted previously for academic credit in this
or any other course.
I certify that I have not given a copy or have shown a copy of this assessment item to another
student enrolled in the course.
I acknowledge that the assessor of this assignment may, for the purpose of assessing this
assignment:
· Reproduce this assessment item and provide a copy to another member of the
Department of English; and/or
· Communicate a copy of this assessment item to a plagiarism checking service (which
may then retain a copy of the item on its database for the purpose of future plagiarism
checking).
· Submit the assessment item to other forms of plagiarism checking.
I certify that any electronic version of this assessment item that I have submitted is identical to
its paper version.
Signature of student (Please sign here after printing):
Date: 11/11/2023
CURRICULUM PROBLEM
1. Content: The problem (or the ‘transformation’ to be achieved) and the context.
1.1 CONTEXT:
TOEIC Test structure:
According to IIG Vietnam, The TOEIC examination is a multiple-choice assessment,
comprising a total of 200 questions. This test primarily emphasizes the development of
receptive language abilities, specifically listening and speaking skills.
The Listening is a 45-minute-section evaluating your comprehension of spoken English.
It encompasses a hundred questions. Your task will be to respond to inquiries that
pertain to a wide range of statements, questions, conversations, and English recordings.
The Reading is a 75-minute-section comprises three sections that assess your
comprehension of written English. Within this portion, you will encounter diverse
reading materials and answer 100 questions that pertain to the content of these
materials. Your response time is flexible, allowing you to answer at your own
convenience.
TOEIC LISTENING
TOEIC READING SECTION
SECTION
PAR Listening Comprehension: 100
Reading Comprehension: 100 items
T items
1 Photographs: 6 questions Incomplete Sentences: 30 questions
Question-Response: 25
2 Text Completion: 16 questions
questions
Conversations: 39 questions;
Single Passages: 29 questions;
3 13 conversations with 3
10 reading texts with 2-4 questions each.
questions each
Multiple Passages: 25 questions;
Talks: 30 questions;
4 5 set of double or triple passages with 5
10 talks with 3 questions each
questions per set.
With the score range of 10-990, the TOEIC test can assess all levels of English use (from
beginner to native-like proficiency), be suitable for all job positions, from entry level to senior
executive.
*The table is fully quoted from IIG Vietnam for accuracy.
TOEIC curriculum at Direct English center:
The curriculum being considered is from an English center which I am currently working for.
The sector which I was assigned to is TOEIC. The center’s primary product is communicative
English. The curriculum and materials are imported from an English center in England with
multiple franchises in non-English speaking countries. Moreover, the center also provides
TOEIC and IELTS courses for those who would like the certificates for their academic
purposes.
However, the attention paid to the TOEIC course is not as much as other ones. This could be
due to the financial benefits it brings to the center. Thus, there are a lot of things that need
modifying.
Due to customer’s needs, there is only TOEIC 01 available. Here is the course details taken
from the venture:
● Goals: After the course learners are able to achieve 600+
● Methods: Not specified
● Materials: Taking the Toeic Skills and Strategies 1 (level B2-C1)
● Assessments: Not specified
● Focus content: speaking and listening skills
Aim score
TOEIC score: 600 and above
Class Schedule
Tue - Thu - Sat
Class Hours
3 sessions/ week
Test
Entry-level test.
Course duration
3 months (36 sessions)
Age
University juniors and seniors who are preparing for their English test for graduation.
Campus
Direct English - Nguyen Van Troi Center
1.2 PROBLEM:
Generally, the curriculum is very brief and does not show a clear route to develop learners’
language proficiency.
Curriculum supervision and evaluation is absent from the academic management
department:
The educational institution’s management plays a significant role in the running of the institute
(BENTUZAL, 2017) as they are the ones understanding the school’s vision, philosophy,
mission and objectives and making decisions accordingly to such principles (Purita P. Bilbao
et al., 2008). Particularly, in this situation, it seems that there is a lack of curricular supervision
from the academic management department of the English center. It is transparently evident in
the syllabus below which has been put into practice for quite a while.
Syllabus:
Week Session Part Content Skills Assignment
Part 1:
Business,
1 Part 1 House, Workplace
Other Public
1
Listening Places
Pronouns
2 Part 5 + Part 6 (I)
Tenses Grammar
Part 2: Tag/
Questions with an Interrogative
3 Part 2 Declarative/
2 Other types of questions
Grammar Indirect
4 Part 5 + Part 6 (II) Agreement Grammar
Voice
Review Part 1 +
5
3 Part 2 Revision
6 Part 5 + Part 6 (III) Modification Grammar
Office Talk + Workplace
7 Part 3
Dilemmas Listening
4 Part 1 + Part 2
8 Mini test 1 Part 5 + Part 6 (I, II, III)
Review Test 1 Revision
9 Part 3 Staffing Changes + Daily Life Listening
5 Part 5 + Part 6
10 Infinitives and Gerunds
(IV) Grammar
11 Part 3 Travel Listening
6 Participles and Participle Clauses
12 Part 5 + Part 6 (V)
Relative Clauses Grammar
13 Review Part 3 Revision
Conjunctions and Prepositions,
7 Review Part 5 +
14 Comparison
Part 6 (IV, V)
Review Test 2 Grammar
15 Part 4 Office Announcement 1 + 2 Listening
8
16 Mini test 2 Part 3 + Part 5 + Part 6
Revision
Speeches/Lectures, Public
17 Part 4
Announcements Grammar
9
E-mails and Letters,
18 Part 7
Advertisement Reading
Telephone Messages,
19 Part 4 Reading
Advertisement
10
Office Memos and Notices,
20 Part 7 Reading
Articles and Reports
21 Part 4 Broadcasts, Tours and Trips Reading
11 Part 7 + Review Text Message and Instant
22
Part 7 Message Chains, Forms Reading
23 Review Part 4 Revision
12
24 Mini Test 3 Part 4 + Part 7 Reading
13
25 LC Actual Test 01
Practice
26 LC Actual Test 01 Practice
- Test Correction
and Evaluation
27 LC Actual Test 02
Practice
14 LC Actual Test 02
28 - Test Correction Practice
and Evaluation
29 LC Actual Test 03
Practice
15 LC Actual Test 03
30 - Test Correction
and Evaluation Practice
31 LC Actual Test 04 Practice
LC Actual Test 04
16
32 - Test Correction
and Evaluation Practice
33 LC Actual Test 05 Practice
LC Actual Test 05
17
34 - Test Correction Practice
and Evaluation
18 35 LC Actual Test 06 Practice
LC Actual Test 06
36 - Test Correction
and Evaluation Practice
Based on the curriculum outline, it is stated that there are a total of 36 sessions available, with
various focuses allocated for each session. These areas include grammar, listening, reading,
and mock tests. Students are periodically assessed with mini tests every four weeks to gauge
their progress. In terms of distribution, grammar comprises the largest portion among the three
categories, while listening constitutes the smallest. Each session lasts for three hours, during
which learners concentrate solely on one specific skill. This approach may lead to students
experiencing a sense of overwhelmingness within the classroom setting, particularly
considering the dominance of grammar in terms of time allocation across the entire syllabus.
In one week, students have to study 2 to 3 sessions of the same competence.
Material revolves around practice exercises, however, there were very little tips or
guidance on how to improve test takers’ auditory and oral competencies.
Brown stresses the need for learning materials to go beyond simple exercises and
incorporate valuable advice and direction. In Brown's view, learning resources should
provide a combination of practice opportunities and meaningful guidance in order to
greatly improve learners' progress and growth (Brown, 2015). According to Brown,
materials that strike a balance between practical application and informative support are
instrumental in enhancing learners' abilities and overall development. Particularly, in this
TOEIC course, the book that students have to work on is “Taking the Toeic Skills and
Strategies 1” (level B2-C1). This material contains so many practice exercises,
nevertheless, there is very little guidance on how to improve listening and reading skills.
Additionally, the grammar theory is condensed so short that it was.
No placement test to categorize learners as well as to keep track of learner’s
progression:
After implementing the course outline to two groups of learners, I find certain students’
English level in the initial group is incompatible for this course. This means that the material
seems to be more difficult than their English proficiency. It may pose a challenge for certain
students in the class to match the pace of their peers due to their proficiency level in English.
Learners with advanced English skills experience a sense of unproductivity and view their
time as being squandered, whereas others may feel utterly bewildered and struggle to grasp the
subject matter.
2. The proposed strategy:
After assessing the impediments linked to the current curriculum being utilized at the
Direct English, here are the potential solutions to tackle these problems.
Firstly, entrance tests need to be taken beforehand to determine learners’ level so the
center can recommend a suitable learning route for them, also to reduce the proficient
gap among classmates.
Secondly, regular mock tests should help with the improvement of learners when taking
the actual test. According to research demonstrated by Hossein Khodabakhshzadeh
(2017), mock tests have a positive impact on test score. Therefore, it is essential to
integrate it into the curriculum. Learners should take a mock test, or a practice test
every 2 or 4 weeks for them to be accustomed to the test formats and the pressure of the
actual test.
Regarding the material, “Skills for the TOEIC Test: Listening and Reading - Collin”
would be a good option. The book thoroughly elaborates the purpose of each part of the
test. It provides insights and strategies to improve learners’ listening, such as
understanding different question types and recognizing key information.
Finally, modifying the allocation of time spent on each skill is a potential solution. One
approach is integrating reading, listening, and grammar into a single session. So, if a
session lasts for 3 hours, one hour is evenly dedicated on one competence.
Alternatively, the 3 skills can be spread over the course of 3 days a week, with a
reduced session duration of 2 hours. This division of time ensures a balanced
distribution of all competences throughout the course.
For example:
Purpose: Course’s aim is to help boost, students’ English proficiency to the score of
600+ in their TOEIC exam.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
+ Manage time to switch between reading the questions and listening to the audio
simultaneously during the test.
+ Identify challenges that TOEIC test takers usually encounter in each part of a test
and how to overcome them.
+ Analyzing answers to eliminate the incorrect ones in the grammar section.
+ Extend their vocabulary range relevant to the topics mentioned in the test and
advance grammar points.
Materials:
+ Skills for the TOEIC Test: Listening and Reading – Collin
+ Taking the Toeic Skills and Strategies 1
3. Evaluation plan:
According to the proposed strategies above, here is my plan to evaluate the curriculum
of TOEIC 01 course at Direct English. Initially, learners will be asked to take an exam
to see their first score to determine their English proficiency before the course. It is also
to determine the suitable duration of the course. After following the curriculum,
learners will be asked to take the test one more time to see if their score has improved
or not.
4. Conclusion:
It is stated by multiple researchers that for a course to be successful, it is crucial to
address the needs of the learners (Garcia, 2002; Susan Bosher & Smalkoski, 2002), and
how much they have improved after following the curriculum the teacher has set for
them. However, the Direct English’s current curriculum is facing the challenge.
Although learners attend the course, it seems like the curriculum does not satisfied
learners’ needs. Due to the lack of supervision, inappropriate material employment and
no evaluation at the end of the course.
REFERENCE
BENTUZAL, B. G. (2017). The Performance of School Administrators in
Curriculum Development: A Basis for Curricular Implementation Plan. International Journal
of Recent Research in Social Sciences and Humanities (IJRRSSH), 4(4).
https://www.paperpublications.org/upload/book/The%20Performance%20of%20School
%20Administrators-1045.pdf
Brown, J. L. (2015). Mastering the Learning Journey: Empowering Learners with Practice
and Guidance.
Garcia. (2002). An ESP program for union members in 25 factories.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=20B8B3069D164B8C430EE
F1B9EF28622?doi=10.1.1.525.3928&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Purita P. Bilbao, E. D., Paz I. Lucido, P. D., Tomasa C. Iringan, P. D., & Rodrigo B. Javier, E.
D. (2008). CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT. LORIMAR Publishing Inc.2008.
https://pdfcoffee.com/curriculumdevelopmentbilbaoet-150318100128-conversion-
gate015d7dea27e3fd8-pdf-free.html
Susan Bosher, & Smalkoski, K. (2002). From needs analysis to curriculum development:
designing a course in health-care communication for immigrant students in the USA
(Vol. 21). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889490601000023
