The Notional Functional Syllabus

The Notional Functional Syllabus

The Notional Functional Syllabus is distinguished by its attention to "functions" as the organizing elements of English language. The NFS focused strongly and exclusively on the pragmatic purposes to which we put language. It is neither a method, nor an approach to language pedagogy for it does not tell how to teach a second language. What it does is to give what second language learners should focus on. For example, a NFS textbook would be organized in the following sequence of functional topics:

Introductions, greetings, good-byes;
Invitations, Apologies, Condolences;
Gratitude, Compliments, Congratulations;
Requests, Commands, Warnings, Directions;
Offers, Seeking Permission;
Advice, Intention;
Pleasure, Displeasure;
Expressing your opinion
And so forth.

A typical unit of such a textbook would include presentation of dialogues, conversation practice with classmate, situations in which the student figures out "what would I say," role plays, etc..

The Notional Functional Syllabus was a precursor of Communicative Language Teaching, but it did not teach communicative competence as such.

Information taken in: Brown, Douglas H. Teaching by Principles. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Regents