How do you align your ESL curriculum with the learning goals and needs of your students?

In short, I align my ESL curriculum with the learning goals and needs of my students by assessing their needs, defining clear learning outcomes, selecting appropriate content and materials, and regularly reviewing and revising the curriculum based on feedback and assessment results.

When working with adult language learners, I generally follow a 4-step process. 1. Identify stakeholder wants, needs, and interests. There may be conflict here, especially if the learners are not your clients (who paid for the course). 2. Negotiate desirable and feasible outcomes with the stakeholders. There is a growing tendency for adults to underestimate the amount of time and effort it takes to acquire a second language, especially to a proficient level. 3. Confirm learner accountability. Many learners treat language training as a product, something to be consumed and acquired. Adults need to take responsibility for working on their English outside the lessons. 4. Set realistic goals.

I personally found the idea of 'managing learner expectations' very useful in setting expectations and goals and helping learners meet those goals. Guiding learners to set realistic yet challenging goals is an important part of the process of goal setting and often one that impacts motivation level of learners. If learners set challenging and realsitic goals and work to achieve them, they feel motivated and confident in the process of learning leading to further positive goal setting experiences and consequent achivement of goals.

Before planning your curriculum, assess your students' needs and goals. Determine their reasons for learning English, their current strengths and weaknesses, and their expectations and preferences. Use tools like surveys, interviews, tests, portfolios, or observations to gather this information. Additionally, encourage students to set their own SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals and review these goals regularly.

In my experience, what adult language learners think they need to learn is often not what they actually need to learn. Conducting interviews and using surveys can help to identify the gaps that need to be filled and clarify the steps necessary to achieve those targets. Managing expectations and setting realistic goals should be part of this process.

Once you understand your students' needs and goals, select a curriculum framework and standards to guide your design. A curriculum framework outlines the principles, scope, sequence, and outcomes of your curriculum. Curriculum standards define the expected performance levels and achievements. You can use established frameworks like the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), or the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), or adapt them to suit your specific context and needs.

The ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) curriculum is central to achieving the government’s goal of improving the quality and consistency of teaching and helps learners in all four areas of language learning (reading, writing, speaking and listening). Based on the National Standards for Adult Literacy developed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, it is a parallel curriculum to the core curricula for literacy and numeracy published in Spring 2001. It gives teachers a comprehensive framework to help identify and meet each individual’s language learning needs.

Ensure that the materials selected are inclusive of students' pluralistic and multiple identities and project their social backgrounds in a positive light. For example, textbooks must include names of students from different cultures, religions and geographical contexts. If students' identities are validated in texts and classroom curriculum contents, they develop more confidence to learn the new language.

Next, choose materials and resources that align with your curriculum framework and standards. Options include textbooks, online platforms, authentic materials, or custom resources. Consider factors such as relevance, suitability, quality, variety, and accessibility when selecting materials. Regularly evaluate and update these resources to ensure they continue to meet your needs and those of your students.

I agree. The more the learners can relate to the content, the better the learning experience will be. The learning material needs to be interesting so the learners can enjoy and stay focused.

Know that your material might not suite all of your students at the same time and you might need a variety of materials for the same class, specially if you have students with different needs and/or different learning styles.

Backwards planning is the way to go in my experience. Think of what you want to achieve at the end of the road and plan backwards from there. Is your goal that your students are able to take a test and pass it? Then make sure your plan leads you there and that every single class objective relates to that final plan.

With your curriculum framework, standards, materials, and resources in place, you can now design your units and lessons. Ensure a logical progression from simple to complex, familiar to unfamiliar, and general to specific. Balance the four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—and integrate grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural aspects. Plan for differentiation, scaffolding, and feedback to address the diverse needs and levels of your students.

One thing I have recently practiced and has worked in my classroom is “ Peer Learning “, although there are many advantages at some point there are some disadvantages as well, peer learning is a teaching method that encourages collaborations in the classroom. Using peer learning techniques not only promotes student learning from one another, but also help them develop skills in oral communication and boost their self-esteem. Having students work through an assignment together also helps increase retention and create an atmosphere of achievement.

It is a good idea to have the curriculum and planning under under constant review. They should evolve with the students needs as they progress. Subject matter should be relevant to the students themselves to keep their interest high. From the outset, consider asking students what they think the teacher/student objectives are and what obligations may be necessary from both to realise these outcomes.

Kirkpatrick's 4-level training evaluation model reminds us that the short-term reaction and knowledge transfer may not lead to long-term behavioural change. In many cases, stakeholders may view the immediate effects of a curriculum in a positive light but may not see any significant change when they assess behaviour and performance a year later. The opposite may also occur; initial feedback is negative but positive changes are observed much later. In short, we need to be aware that end-of-course assessments may not reflect the long-term effects of a curriculum.