Members of the TESOL field often come from diverse backgrounds with nontraditional life and educational experiences. From my experience at past TESOL conferences, one regularly overhears seasoned professionals going tête-a-tête over who taught in the most remote places. For those of us who have moved on to teacher training or curriculum writing, the academic fields of education, linguistics, sociology, English, and world languages begin to meld. As the TESOL field matures, interdisciplinary programs that look at how the teaching of English fits into the social construction of education in countries where English is not an official language are needed. This topic is not one that is easily tackled. The question of why English is taught pushes to the forefront of learning how to best teach language. A great place to start in exploring these questions and facilitating discussion about them is with Ralph Tyler’s 1949 classic, Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction.

Tyler (1902–1994), a decorated scholar, dedicated his life to the improvement of U.S. education. He became known as the father of the curriculum studies field in the United States, and Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction has become a foundational text for curriculum developers and curriculum programs in the United States for more than 60 years.

Written in vernacular, linearly organized, and just more than 100 pages, the book is accessible. What Tyler (1949/2013) brings to TESOL scholarship is a practical foundation in curriculum writing and ample points of departure for discussion, dialogue, or debate. He begins each of his five chapters with a question, some of which might not have an answer:

1. What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?

2. How can learning experiences be selected which are likely to be useful in attaining these objectives?

3. How can learning experiences be organized for effective instruction?

4. How can the effectiveness of learning experiences be evaluated?

5. How can a school or college staff work on curriculum building?

For each chapter, I present each chapter’s practical take-away (PTA) and possible points of departure (PD) for potential classroom discussion.

1. What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?

1. PTA: Discussion of five sources to look to when writing curriculum and/or lesson objectives. The five sources are: students, contemporary life, subject specialists, philosophy, and psychology.

2. PD: How are these sources seen and used in the country in which you are teaching? What did Tyler miss?

2. How can learning experiences be selected which are likely to be useful in attaining these objectives?

1. PTA: five general principles of learning experiences and four characteristics of those principles.

2. PD: Are these general principles universal? How does what is traditionally done in your country fit into these principles and characteristics? What types of learner do you think learning experiences (under the guise of Tyler’s recommendations) create? What are the benefits/ramifications of creating “learning experiences” in your classroom setting?

3. How can learning experiences be organized for effective instruction?

1. PTA: A clear method to curriculum planning, which can be applied to a single lesson or to an entire school structure.

2. PD: What do you think about vertical and horizontal organization? Is that how schools are organized in your area? How would Tyler’s organizational strategies apply in your teaching context? Does it fit?

4. How can the effectiveness of learning experiences be evaluated?

1. PTA: Comprehensive perspective on what and how to evaluate student learning.

2. PD: How do you evaluate your students? How does your school/district/state? Do you agree with Tyler? Can you create a counterargument for his ideas on evaluation? What would have to happen in your area to follow Tyler’s evaluation principles? Is it possible?

5. How can a school or college staff work on curriculum building?

1. PTA: Final thoughts on the application of the previous four chapters within educational institutions, calling for faculty-wide collaboration.

2. PD: What conditions need to be met for you to collaborate with your coworkers? Several times within the short chapter, Tyler uses the word “attack.” Why do you think he chose that word as opposed to another?

Tyler’s (1949/2013) seminal work within the U.S. curriculum and instruction field asks educators of all disciplines to question and justify their current practices. These pertinent acts ask international educators to refocus their energy from linguistic questions to structural and foundational questions of quality classroom and institutional practices. This small book carries big weight and is bound to captivate the TESOL audience.

Reference

Tyler, R. (1949/2013). Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Erica Sponberg is a doctoral candidate in curriculum and instruction at Kansas State University. She has worked with English teachers in Japan, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, and Ecuador.