ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines operational principles for planning second language (L2) literacy courses and proposes flexible tools for planning classroom instruction leading to effective knowledge-and skill-building. It focuses on the day-to-day tasks of L2 literacy educators, namely, learner needs assessment, syllabus construction, instructional planning, materials development, and task design. The chapter also focuses on planning reading instruction at the level of the course, unit, and lesson. It proposes a systematic appraisal of students’ literacy backgrounds, as well as their real and perceived needs in terms of reading skills and strategies. The chapter discusses syllabus design by offering practical recommendations for approaching the nuts and bolts of planning a course from scratch or updating an existing course. In environment analysis, teachers and curriculum developers examine “the factors that will have a strong effect on decisions about the goals of the course, what to include in the course, and how to teach and assess it”.
