A notional syllabus places the greatest emphasis on the use of the language, unlike most foreign language syllabuses, which emphasize its structural form. Each entry defines a type of purposeful communication. When the student has mastered the syllabus, he has thus acquired a communicative competence. (CFM)

This paper discusses the selection and ordering of language items, one of the central issues in foreign language teaching. Three approaches to sequencing are considered: the communicative competence, the linguistic stem, and the notional approaches. (CFM)

Describes preception-oriented foreign language teaching strategies by listing the characteristic features of the perception of social processes and the methods for putting the principles of perception orientation into practice through such techniques as dialogues, roleplays, and simulation. Includes extensive bibliographic references. (PMJ)

Outlines sample exercises developed in a program designed to teach minimal (threshold level) competencies based on students' communication needs and the concept of a notional syllabus. (AM)

Describes the functional/notional approach to language instruction, discussing key features, misconceptions, and practical applications of the model. (AM)

Discusses and critiques the notional/functional syllabus and the concept of "threshold level" as elaborated by the Council of Europe. (AM)

This article discusses the value of the notional-functional approach to language teaching and considers some sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic, and linguistic features of the notional-functional syllabus. (CFM)

This paper describes the functional-notional approach to language teaching and learning in terms of the ways it can be used to meet the communicative needs of the potential language learners, particularly adults, who vary in what they want to do in the target language. It contrasts the functional system with conventional approaches, illustrates…

This article discusses the various linguistic and psychological theories from which language teaching has drawn, and their application in certain instructional materials. (CFM)

This paper traces the development of a function-based module, TELEFUN, produced to teach telephone English to Francophone public servants in Canada. Telephone discourse is analyzed, and a number of techniques, including Function Frames and Function Dials, are described. (CFM)

The numerous innovations in foreign language teaching during the past ten years indicate that the profession is reaching toward syllabi in which students would learn to master and apply creatively a fairly limited body of material built around basic linguistic and cultural concepts. This theme is apparent in the syllabi, or subject-matter content…

Teaching functional French is discussed with instructors of groups of foreign workers in mind. It takes as its starting point two "modules" for teaching French ("the highway code at driving school" and "starting and keeping small talk going") and uses them to exemplify some of the difficulties involved in the development and classroom use of…