TIED TO THE TOPIC: INTEGRATING GRAMMAR AND SKILLS IN KBSM

Abstract

For many English teachers, the role of the topic in the KBSM syllabus is problematic. While the syllabus and textbooks are organised around topics of themes, the examination focuses on language skills and grammatical ability. Thus there is a perceived conflict between the official syllabus, the textbook syllabus and the examination syllabus, leaving teachers in a dilemma over what to teach. As a result, some may teach about the topic, rather than through the topic.

This paper will examine the role of the topic in an integrated approach, and the way this Is handled in the KBSM syllabus, textbooks and examinations. It will attempt to establish some principles that can be used in designing classroom tasks which integrate topic with language skills and grammar.