What describes a syllabus organized around abstract concepts and the exponents used to express them?

What describes a syllabus organized around abstract concepts and the exponents used to express them?

• A. notional syllabus
• B. progressive aspect
• C. extrinsic modality
• D. phrase

Answer: (A)

Notional syllabus organizes content around abstract meanings and the language forms used to express them. It starts from broad notions like time, quantity, place, possession, or request, and then introduces the specific linguistic exponents (tenses, modals, pronouns, etc.) that realize those meanings in actual communication. This helps learners focus on what they want to say and learn the appropriate forms to express that meaning. For example, a unit on describing future plans centers on the notion of future intention, and then teaches will, going to, or present continuous as the ways to express that idea. The other options don’t fit this framing: progressive aspect targets a particular verb form rather than how a syllabus is structured around meaning, extrinsic modality isn’t a standard term for syllabus design, and a phrase is simply a unit of language, not a syllabus organizing principle.

Notional syllabus organizes content around abstract meanings and the language forms used to express them. It starts from broad notions like time, quantity, place, possession, or request, and then introduces the specific linguistic exponents (tenses, modals, pronouns, etc.) that realize those meanings in actual communication. This helps learners focus on what they want to say and learn the appropriate forms to express that meaning. For example, a unit on describing future plans centers on the notion of future intention, and then teaches will, going to, or present continuous as the ways to express that idea. The other options don’t fit this framing: progressive aspect targets a particular verb form rather than how a syllabus is structured around meaning, extrinsic modality isn’t a standard term for syllabus design, and a phrase is simply a unit of language, not a syllabus organizing principle.