Objectives

Aims are very general statements of the goals of a program and thus, they can be interpreted in many different ways; on the other hand, objectives are statements of more specific purposes, they refer to a statement of specific changes a program seeks to bring about and results from an analysis of the aim into its different components. Objectives have the following characteristics: They describe what the aim seeks to achieve in terms of smaller units of learning. They provide a basis for the organization of teaching activities. They describe learning in terms of observable behavior or performance. Objectives advantages: They facilitate planning: once objectives have been set, materials, and textbook selection can begin. They provide measurable outcomes and thus provide accountability: if we have established objectives the success or failure of a program can be measured according to what extent objectives were attained. They are describe exactly how planning should proceed and leave no room for personal interpretations or opinions. When writing an objective statement keep in mind: Objectives describe a learning outcome, expressions like will study, will learn about, will prepare students for are avoided because they do not describe the result of learning but rather what students will do during the course. Use phrases like will have, will learn how to, will be able to. Objectives should be consistent with the curriculum aim. Only objectives that clearly serve to realize an aim should be included. Objectives must be precise. For example: students will know how to use useful conversation expressions is a bit vague, a better objective would be students will use conversation expressions for greeting people, opening and closing conversations. Objectives should be feasible, they need to describe outcomes that are attainable in the time available during a course. Objectives should be based on a variety of sources, such as diagnostic information concerning students learning difficulties, descriptions of skilled performance in different language domains of language use. Objectives are not a wish list off the top of ones head, instead they are based on an understanding of the nature of the subject matter being taught, attainable levels of learning, and the ability to be able to describe course aims in terms of logical and wellstructured units of organization. Objectives cant be regarded as fixed, as instruction proceeds, some may have to be revised, some dropped because they are unrealistic, and others added to address gaps.

Criticism of the use of objectives

1. Objectives turn teaching into a technology. Because statements of needs are made into objectives the broader goals of teaching and learning may be lost. 2. Objectives trivialize teaching and are product-oriented, that is, the only worthwhile goal in teaching is to bring about changes in student behavior.

3. Objectives are unsuited to many aspects of language use such as critical thinking, literary appreciation, or negotiation of meaning.

Answers to critics
To avoid this, objectives that cover both language outcomes and nonlanguage outcomes should be included. This concern is more applicable to behavioral objectives (principal components: performance, conditions and criterion) which refer to performance and differentiate from teaching objectives due to the addition of statements of conditions and criterion. Objectives need not to be limited to observable outcomes. They can also describe processes and experiences that are seen as in important focus of the curriculum. Objectives can be written in domains such as critical thinking and literary thinking but will focus on the experiences the curriculum will provide rather than specific learning outcomes.

Another way to state curriculum outcomes

Competency-based program outcomes This is associated with Competency-Based Language Teaching (CBTL), it seeks to make a focus on the outcomes of learning a central planning stage in the development of language programs. CBTL seeks to improve accountability in teaching through linking instruction to measurable outcomes and performance standards.