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First of all, let us think about the meaning of the word “syllabus”. I suppose we should consider the purpose, scope, application and specificity. More precise, it means how much of the information should be included, who should do that and what for. The syllabus should be a part of the general plan and considered in the context of an educational program. So the teacher becomes the person who embodies this plan into a reality. And we, as teachers, should select and grade the content and material. After that, we can think who really should design the syllabus? Language content is probably one of the biggest issues in syllabus design, especially when relating it in more practical terms to language teaching. That is why, I believe, this process should be done in partnership between the theoretical linguists and teachers. It helps to realize full potential using the best qualities and professional skills of both sides. The third question is for whom the syllabus should be designed. The interests of the learners may vary differently and designer should consider all possible aspects. Here may be some misunderstanding. In the real world syllabus may be designed with the philosophical or theoretical input. And that can be completely unsuitable for particular students. Therefore syllabus design is also a question of specificity. Specificity considers what exactly a syllabus should provide, take into account different aspects influencing it (like who has to finance it, the institution where it should be implement, who will use it and, most of all, it should take into consideration the learner). After having decided what and whom to teach, the next level in syllabus design is a strategy of presentation. The main purpose of organizing a syllabus should be to promote learning and not only provide a description of the language. The content should be organized in order to facilitate both learning and teaching. The syllabus could be structured on the basis of a gradual move from the more general to the more specific (a deductive process). The material could also be organized in the opposite direction, from the specific to the general (an inductive process). Having designed and organized the syllabus, there are various factors which need to be taken into consideration when we should provide successful implementation. These factors also affect the choice of syllabus type. There are supposed to be several factors including, cultural, educational, organizational, learner, teacher and material. Different teaching approaches have different types of syllabus. Some determine the syllabus before the course, while others determine it after the course, by examining lesson protocols. It becomes obvious, that we can use different types of syllabus. Apparently, we should develop a syllabus within lessons of varying orientation, some covering important functions, others dealing with settings and topics, while others with notions and structures. This would lead to a multivariate syllabus as well as a type of syllabus design which is less strict and more sensitive to the diverse learner language needs. This inevitably gives a flexibility, which changes the point of the teaching material as the course unfolds. A syllabus should not simply specify the language to be learnt, it should also organize it. A syllabus which efforts to set everything not only prevents teacher and learner autonomy but can also interfere anything productive from actually taking place within the classroom. However, it is impossible to organize the teaching process without using syllabus. So, I suppose, it is a question of balance between needs of the learners and institutional moments. In conclusion I would say that probably syllabus design remains a required necessity. Recent research proves that the current trend is now towards a learner–centred language learning approach and an individual syllabus. The main objective of language learning/teaching today is communicative performance. Therefore the emphasis on syllabus design is justified in order to produce appropriate syllabuses for the specific needs of the learners.
