Language Curriculum Design (ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series) - Softcover

"Nation and Macalister have prepared a comprehensive book on curriculum design with extensive coverage of a variety of issues involved. The important message of this book is that every stakeholder in language education is a curriculum designer. Language Curriculum Design can empower them to play this role." ―Teachers College Record

"This book offers a broad understanding of the process in a clear and comprehensive, yet concise package that―along with the model itself―can confidently guide users at the classroom and program level through the complex activity of language CD."―Leigh McDowll, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, JALT Journal

Crystal-clear and comprehensive yet concise, this text describes the steps involved in the curriculum design process, elaborates and justifies these steps, and provides opportunities for practicing and applying them. The description of the steps is done at a general level so that they can be applied in a wide range of particular circumstances. The process comes to life through plentiful examples of actual applications of the steps. Each chapter includes:

• examples from the authors’ experience and from published research
• tasks that encourage readers to relate the steps to their own experience
• case studies and suggestions for further reading that put readers in touch with others’ experience

Curriculum, or course, design is largely a 'how-to-do-it' activity that involves the integration of knowledge from many of the areas in the field of Applied Linguistics, such as language acquisition research, teaching methodology, assessment, language description, and materials production. Combining sound research/theory with state-of-the-art practice, Language Curriculum Design is widely applicable for ESL/EFL language education courses around the world.