TOWARDS A NATIONAL BRUNEIAN VOCABULARY CURRICULUM
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Abstract
Extensive research has shown that vocabulary knowledge is a precondition for language ability. Given the large
number of words in usage, and limited formal learning time, practitioners need to focus on curriculum content,
particularly in high value vocabulary, and its integration into a national curriculum of Brunei Darussalam.
This paper demonstrates how an innovative vocabulary curriculum can significantly impact learning outcomes
by linking a national vocabulary curriculum across all year levels in every school in Brunei Darussalam.
The authors contend:
a) curriculum design needs to move away from the primary/secondary separation towards an overarching
curriculum that unifies all years of compulsory education
b) a national vocabulary curriculum enables the coverage of a principled, high value lexical core that
facilitates the learning needs of all students and leads to improved learning outcomes
c) such a curriculum provides practitioners with a corpus that can be used to measure progress to ensure
full and systematic coverage
d) there is a need for a shift from a focus on teaching pedagogy to those of curriculum development
e) highly motivated students (and their parents) with little access to English beyond the classroom can
access a corpus that, if learnt, enables levelling up with those from English-rich backgrounds
KEYWORDS
L2/Vocabulary, Curriculum.
Raymond John George
CfBT Teacher
Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan
Raymond George has worked in schools, and colleges in the UK, the UAE, Indonesia and Brunei teaching A Level, IB, and GCE O Level as well as undergraduate students. He currently works in The Science College. He is the recipient of the Special Mention award and holds an MA in Applied Linguistics from Durham university.
Samantha Heal has taught for thirty years in primary education and is currently a CfBT primary teacher in Penanjong teaching Year 2 and 3 classes. Previously to this role, she was a deputy head teacher in the UK and led English throughout her school for over seventeen years.