English Modern Curriculum Development

Authors

  • Salmeen Abdulrahman Abdullah Al-Awaid

    Department of Foreign Languages, Jazan University, Jazan 82721, Saudi Arabia
  • Nadia Mohammad Awdh Hussain

    Department of Foreign Languages, Jazan University, Jazan 82721, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.10600
Received: 20 June 2025 | Revised: 14 July 2025 | Accepted: 28 July 2025 | Published Online: 26 September 2025

Abstract

With rapidly advancing technology, culture, and work, reconsidering traditional educational approaches is highly demanded. Specifically, the English curriculum has shifted from rote grammar rules to student engagement and language proficiency. This study explores emerging methods influencing English curriculum development, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, where learners communicate across linguistic and cultural boundaries using English. Using a narrative approach, this paper synthesizes recent research on how English curriculum development integrates technology, personalized and competency-based learning, integrated curriculum, multimodal literacy, and culturally responsive pedagogy. It also examines how findings from applied, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic research impact curriculum reform and assessment. The results document growing support for student-centered, culturally-responsive teaching, although challenges remain, including teachers’ underpreparedness, outdated assessments, and institutional resistance. In today’s world, students are expected to acquire critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaborative skills. Using AI and adaptive technologies improves students’ performance by reducing lecture times and improving learning environments. Additionally, incorporating applied and psycholinguistics in modern curriculum is essential, whereas sociolinguistics is important to examine how social factors influence language variation and use, ensuring curriculum prepares students for various communication contexts. Integrating these perspectives into curriculum can improve students' interest and learning outcomes. By addressing these concerns, educators can design English curricula that equip students to thrive in the global economy. Overall, English curriculum should embrace interdisciplinary, evaluation-informed designs that emphasize real-world communication competencies, cultural sensitivity, and learner agency. This approach guarantees that English education is both relevant and effective in increasingly connected learning contexts worldwide.

Keywords:

English Curriculum Development; English as Foreign Language; Learning Environments; Pedagogy; Assessment Strategies; Curriculum Evaluation; Linguistic Research

References

[1] Nunan, D., 2003. The impact of English as a global language on educational policies and practices in the Asia-Pacific region. TESOL Q. 37, 589–613. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3588214

[2] Kolachi, I.A., Ahmed, D.I., 2024. Evaluation of English language curriculum: A case study of public sector degree colleges affiliated with Karachi University. SPRY contemporary educational practices (SCEP). 3(1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.62681/sprypublishers.scep/3/1/1

[3] Yuping, Q., Kamis, A., Jiang, L., 2024. Validity and reliability of an evaluation instrument for English curriculum system in Chinese vocational higher education institutions. Forum Linguist Stud. 6, 9–17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i4.6599

[4] Zhou, H., Wong, S., Ziyue, W., 2022. The impact of curriculum innovation on students’ learning ability: An empirical study from primary and secondary schools in Guizhou, China. In proceedings of he 6th STIU International Conference, Bangkok, Thailand,10–11 May 2022.

[5] Button, L., 2021. The Scope of Curriculum And Development of Curriculum. In: Dodson, A. (ed.). Curriculum Essentials: A Journey. pp. 36–38. Available from: https://oer.pressbooks.pub/curriculumessentials/chapter/the-scope-of-curriculum-and-development-of-curriculum/ (cited 20 May 2025).

[6] Akhtar, P., Moazzam, M., Ashraf, A., Khan, M.N., 2024. The interdisciplinary curriculum alignment to enhance graduates’ employability and universities’ sustainability. Int J Manag Educ. 22, 101037. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101037

[7] Hanci-Azizoglu, E.B., 2020. A bilingual university student’s acculturation process in the United States: A linguistic case study for culturally responsive curriculum development. International Curriculum and Instruction Studies. 10, 291–318. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31704/ijocis.2020.010

[8] Nasution, J.S., Rahmadeny, M., Jazzawi, I., 2019. The importance of sociolinguistics in foreign language education: A review of selected paper. Int J Educ Vocat Stud. 1, 299–303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29103/ijevs.v1i4.1415

[9] Sankar, D.K., 2022. A theoretical review: Sociolinguistics in second language education. Int International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences. 7(1). DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.71.28

[10] Al-Omari, E., Dorri, R., Blanco, M., et al., 2024. Innovative curriculum development: Embracing the concept-based approach in nursing education. Teach Learn Nurs. 19, 324–333. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2024.04.018

[11] Kohl-Dietrich, D., 2019. Cognitive Linguistics in the English as a Foreign Language Classroom: An Empirical Study on Teaching Phrasal Verbs. Waxmann Verlag: Münster, Germany.

[12] McDonough, S., 2017. Applied linguistics in Language Education. 1st ed. Routledge: London, UK.

[13] Fu, Y., 2024. Should global Englishes be taught? Perceptions from Chinese English teachers in middle school education. Cogent Education. 11(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2363147

[14] Gough, D., Oliver, S., Thomas, J., 2012. An introduction to systematic reviews. SAGE Publications: London, UK.

[15] Greenhalgh, T., Robert, G., Macfarlane, F., Bate, P., Kyriakidou, O., 2005. Storylines of research in diffusion of innovation: A meta-narrative approach to systematic review. Soc Sci Med. 61(2), 417–430.

[16] Petticrew, M., Roberts, H., 2006. Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide. Blackwell: Malden, MA, USA.

[17] Popay, J., Roberts, H., Sowden, A., et al., 2006. Guidance on the conduct of narrative synthesis in systematic reviews. A product from the ESRC methods programme. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/2.1.1018.4643

[18] Thomas, J., Harden, A., 2008. Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Med Res Methodol. 8(1), 45.

[19] Schleicher, A., 2018. World class: How to Build a 21st-century School System. OECD Publishing: Paris, France.

[20] Carless, D., 2022. Curriculum Innovation in Language Education: Balancing Policy and Practice. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

[21] Seidlhofer, B., 2011. Understanding English as a Lingua Franca. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.

[22] Garton, S., Copland, F., 2019. The Routledge Handbook of Teaching English to Young Learners. Routledge: London, UK.

[23] Middaugh, E., Perlstein, D., 2005. Thinking and teaching in a democratic way: Hilda Taba and the ethos of Brown. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision. 20(3), 234–256.

[24] Bhuttah, T.M., Xiaoduan, C., Ullah, H., Javed, S., 2019. Analysis of curriculum development stages from the perspective of Tyler, Taba and Wheeler. Eur J Soc Sci. 58(1), 14–22.

[25] Kessler, G., 2018. Technology and the future of language teaching. Foreign Lang Ann. 51, 205–218. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12318

[26] Bardovi-Harlig, K., 1996. Pragmatics and Language Teaching: Bringing Pragmatics and Pedagogy Together. In: Bouton, L.F., (ed.). Pragmatics and Language Learning. Monograph Series, 7. Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC): Washington, DtableC, USA. pp. 21–39.

[27] Iwuchukwu, G.C.S., Iwuchukwu, R.N., 2018. Sociolinguistics and Language Education in Nigeria. Glob J Soc Sci Stud. 4, 13–22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20448/807.4.1.13.22

[28] Melnyk, N., 2019. Sociolinguistics studies of English language: analytical overview of the problem. Sci Educ New Dimens Philol. VII(63 212), 36–40.

[29] Guo, S., Shin, H., Shen, Q., 2020. The Commodification of Chinese in Thailand’s Linguistic Market: A Case Study of How Language Education Promotes Social Sustainability. Sustainability. 12, 7344. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187344

[30] Godwin-Jones, R., 2018. Using mobile technology to develop language skills and cultural understanding. Lang Learn Technol. 22, 3–17.

[31] Qi, C., 2021. The Application of Corpus Linguistics in English Education. Learn Educ. 10, 107–108. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18282/l-e.v10i5.2691

[32] Coiro, J., 2009. Rethinking online reading assessment. Educ Leadersh. 66, 59–63.

[33] Liu, Y., Zhang, L.J., May, S., 2022. Dominance of Anglo-American cultural representations in university English textbooks in China: a corpus linguistics analysis. Lang Cult Curric. 35, 83–101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2021.1941077

[34] Walter, D.R., 2023. Psycholinguistic Approaches to Instructed Second Language Acquisition: Linking Theory, Findings and Practice. Channel View Publications: Bristol, UK.

[35] Schunk, D.H., 2012. Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective, 6th edn. Pearson Education, Inc.: Boston, MA, USA.

[36] Alamgir, M., Ali, D.S., Balti, G.A., et al., 2025. Universal Grammar in Second Language Acquisition: A Neurolinguistics Investigation of Syntactic Processing in Adult Learners. Acad Int J Soc Sci. 4, 1271–1278. DOI: https://doi.org/10.63056/ACAD.004.02.0253

[37] Bokiev, U., Samad, A.A., 2021. Washback of an English Language Assessment System in a Malaysian University Foundation Programme. Qual Rep. 26, 555–587. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4349

[38] Abejuela, H.J., Akut, K., Rosario, A.S.D., et al., 2023. Assessment of the Reading Curriculum in Basic Education in the Philippines Context. Int J Lang Educ. 1, 26–45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v1i1.23641

[39] Vygotsky, L.S., 1978. Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA, USA.

[40] Almulla, M.A., 2020. The Effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) Approach as a Way to Engage Students in Learning. SAGE Open. 10, 2158244020938702. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020938702

[41] Zhang, L., Ma, Y., 2023. A study of the impact of project-based learning on student learning effects: a meta-analysis study. Front Psychol. 14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1202728

[42] Markula, A., Aksela, M., 2022. The key characteristics of project-based learning: how teachers implement projects in K-12 science education. Discip Interdiscip Sci Educ Res. 4, 2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-021-00042-x

[43] Eckardt, P.N., Craig, M., Kraemer, L., 2020. The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Student Content Knowledge in an Undergraduate, Teacher Preparation, Foundations of Education Course. J Leadersh Instr. 19, 38–42.

[44] Ignacio, M.D.S.T., 2025. Spilling the Ink: English Majors’ Writing Skills and Strategies at ASC as a Basis for Curriculum Enhancement. IJFMR - Int J Multidiscip Res. 7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i02.42704

[45] Ellis, R., 2016. Focus on the learner: Implications for language teaching. In: Nassaji, H. (ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy. Routledge: London, UK. pp. 86–99.

[46] Macalister, J., Nation, I.S.P., 2019. Language Curriculum Design, 2nd ed. Routledge: New York, NY, USA.

[47] Tong, D.H., Uyen, B.P., Ngan, L.K., 2022. The effectiveness of blended learning on students’ academic achievement, self-study skills and learning attitudes: A quasi-experiment study in teaching the conventions for coordinates in the plane. Heliyon. 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12657

[48] Liu, Y., 2018. Brain evoked potential analysis of second language acquisition from the perspective of neurolinguistics. NeuroQuantology. 16, 644–648.

[49] Han, X., 2023. Evaluating blended learning effectiveness: an empirical study from undergraduates’ perspectives using structural equation modeling. Front. Psychol. 14,. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059282

[50] Hrastinski, S., 2019. What do we mean by blended learning? TechTrends. 63, 564–569. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00375-5

[51] Cao, W., 2023. A meta-analysis of effects of blended learning on performance, attitude, achievement, and engagement across different countries. Front. Psychol. 14,. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1212056

[52] Aydin, B., Demirer, V., 2022. Are flipped classrooms less stressful and more successful? An experimental study on college students. Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ. 19, 55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-022-00360-8

[53] Baig, M.I., Yadegaridehkordi, E., 2023. Flipped classroom in higher education: a systematic literature review and research challenges. Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ. 20, 61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00430-5

[54] Strelan, P., Osborn, A., Palmer, E., 2020. The flipped classroom: a meta-analysis of effects on student performance across disciplines and education levels. Educ. Res. Rev. 30, 100314. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100314

[55] Nwosisi, C., Ferreira, A., Rosenberg, W., 2016. A study of the flipped classroom and its effectiveness in flipping thirty percent of the course content. Int. J. Inf. Educ. Technol. 6, 348.

[56] Nadi-Ravandi, S., Batooli, Z., 2022. Gamification in education: a scientometric, content and co-occurrence analysis of systematic review and meta-analysis articles. Educ. Inf. Technol. 27, 10207–10238. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11048-x

[57] Khoshnoodifar, M., Ashouri, A., Taheri, M., 2023. Effectiveness of gamification in enhancing learning and attitudes: a study of statistics education for health school students. J. Adv. Med. Educ. Prof. 11, 230. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30476/JAMP.2023.98953.1817

[58] Li, L., Hew, K.F., Du, J., 2024. Gamification enhances student intrinsic motivation, perceptions of autonomy and relatedness, but minimal impact on competency: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Educ. Technol. Res. Dev. 72, 765–796. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10337-7

[59] Smirani, L., Yamani, H., 2024. Analysing the impact of gamification techniques on enhancing learner engagement, motivation, and knowledge retention: a structural equation modelling approach. Electron. J. E-Learn. 22, 111–124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.22.9.3563

[60] Almeida, C., Kalinowski, M., Uchoa, A., 2023. Negative effects of gamification in education software: systematic mapping and practitioner perceptions. Inf. Softw. Technol. 156, 107142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2022.107142

[61] Ratinho, E., Martins, C., 2023. The role of gamified learning strategies in student’s motivation in high school and higher education: a systematic review. Heliyon. 9, e19033. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19033

[62] Sylvester, C.E., 2024. Gamification in education: enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. J. Arts Manag. 3, 84–87.

[63] Putz, L.-M., Hofbauer, F., Treiblmaier, H., 2020. Can gamification help to improve education? Findings from a longitudinal study. Comput. Hum. Behav. 110, 106392. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106392

[64] Kong, Y., 2021. The role of experiential learning on students’ motivation and classroom engagement. Front. Psychol. 12,. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.771272

[65] Nguyen, N.N., 2022. Research on the effect and effectiveness of experiential learning for university students. J. Posit. Sch. Psychol. 6, 4183–4192.

[66] Uyen, B.P., Tong, D.H., Lien, N.B., 2022. The effectiveness of experiential learning in teaching arithmetic and geometry in sixth grade. Front. Educ. 7,. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.858631

[67] Chong, S.C.S., Anderson, K., Mackenzie-Stewart, R., et al., 2022. Embedding experiential learning in undergraduate health promotion curriculum. Health Promot. J. Austr. 33, 9–16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.629

[68] Makhambetova, A., Zhiyenbayeva, N., Ergesheva, E., 2021. Personalized learning strategy as a tool to improve academic performance and motivation of students. Int. J. Web-Based Learn. Teach. Technol. (IJWLTT). 16, 1–17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/IJWLTT.286743

[69] Latifa, A., Nur, R., Marlina, 2025. Informing the development of an English for IT program: a study on student perceptions and language skill usage. Int. J. Engl. Lang Stud. 7, 29–44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32996/ijels.2025.7.1.5

[70] Gunawardena, M., Bishop, P., Aviruppola, K., 2024. Personalized learning: the simple, the complicated, the complex and the chaotic. Teach. Teach. Educ. 139, 104429. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104429

[71] Walkington, C., Bernacki, M.L., 2020. Appraising research on personalized learning: definitions, theoretical alignment, advancements, and future directions. J. Res. Technol. Educ. 52, 235–252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1747757

[72] Ndihokubwayo, K., Uwamahoro, J., Ndayambaje, I., 2020. Implementation of the competence-based learning in Rwandan physics classrooms: first assessment based on the reformed teaching observation protocol. Eurasia J. Math Sci. Technol. Educ. 16, em1880. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/8395

[73] Chappell, C., Gonczi, A., Hager, P., 2020. Competency-based education. In: Understanding Adult Education and Training, 2nd edn. Routledge: London, UK. pp 191–205.

[74] Popova, O., Morhun, O., 2023. The development of Ukrainian university students’ discourse-oriented translation competence in Chinese and English as foreign languages. Forum Linguist. Stud. 5, 130–159. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18063/fls.v5i1.1622

[75] Marcotte, K.M., Gruppen, L.D., 2022. Competency-based education as curriculum and assessment for integrative learning. Educ. Sci. 12, 267. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12040267

[76] Catacutan, A., Kilag, O.K., Diano, F., et al., 2023. Competence-based curriculum development in a globalized education landscape. Excell. Int. Multi-Discip. J. Educ. 1, 270–282.

[77] Adawiyah, S.Z., Oktavianti, I.N., 2023. Gender representation in Merdeka curriculum ELT textbooks: a corpus-assisted study. Indones. J. EFL Linguist. 8, 313–326. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21462/ijefl.v8i2.668

[78] Son, P.N., 2023. The relationship between mindfulness and second language acquisition under neurolinguistics perspectives. AIJR Proc. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21467/proceedings.150.2

[79] Fang, F., Yuan, L., Xu, H., Wang, X., 2022. Global Englishes and translanguaging in textbook design and curriculum development for universities in the Greater Bay Area of China. Asian-Pac. J. Second Foreign Lang. Educ. 7, 35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-022-00162-5

[80] Halim, A., Iskandar, Ansari, A., et al., 2024. A study on how the Merdeka curriculum promotes multilingualism in Indonesian ELT classrooms. XLinguae. 17, 107–121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18355/XL.2024.17.02.07

[81] Savage, R., Carless, S., Ferraro, V., 2007. Predicting curriculum and test performance at age 11 years from pupil background, baseline skills and phonological awareness at age 5 years. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry. 48, 732–739. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01746.x

[82] Anthony, Y.A., Said, N.E.M., 2019. The effect of synthetic phonics on ESL pupils’ phonological awareness. Int. J. New Technol. Res. 5, 92–97.

[83] Waked, A., Yassin, M., Ahmad, R., et al., 2024. Phonological awareness of novel phonemes and English-language reading comprehension in EFL university students. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/HEAd24.2024.17092

[84] Aringka, Y., Perpisa, L., Siska, S., 2023. Diagnostic assessment in implementing curriculum Merdeka on senior high school. JUPE J. Pendidik. Mandala. 8, 913–917. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58258/jupe.v8i3.5917

[85] Shepard, L.A., 2000. The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educ. Res. 29, 4–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X029007004

[86] Olayinka, M.I., Josephine, U.A., 2024. Assessment of inclusion in upper basic English language curriculum in Nigeria. Int. J. Innov. Sci. Res. Technol. (IJISRT). 3061–3070. DOI: https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24APR2021

[87] Symeonidis, V., Schwarz, J.F., 2016. Phenomenon-based teaching and learning through the pedagogical lenses of phenomenology: the recent curriculum reform in Finland. Forum Oświatowe. 28, 31–47.

[88] Kangas, M., Rasi, P., 2021. Phenomenon-based learning of multiliteracy in a Finnish upper secondary school. Media Pract. Educ. 22, 342–359. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/25741136.2021.1977769

[89] Coyle, D., Hood, P., Marsh, D., 2010. CLIL: content and language integrated learning. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

[90] Low, E.-L., 2020. English language teacher education for multilingual Singapore: responding to the fourth industrial revolution. In: Tao, W., Liyanage, I. (eds), Multilingual Education Yearbook 2020: Teacher Education and Multilingual Contexts. Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland. pp 129–148.

[91] Jones, S.A., Loh, C.E., Sabnani, R.L., 2025. Research in English language teaching and learning in Singapore: 2017–2023. Lang. Teach. 1–23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444825000114

[92] Weninger, C., 2017. The “vernacularization” of global education policy: media and digital literacy as twenty-first century skills in Singapore. Asia Pac. J. Educ. 37, 500–516. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2017.1336429

[93] Carcamo, B., Pino, B., 2025. Developing EFL students’ multimodal literacy with the use of infographics. Asian-Pac. J. Second Foreign Lang. Educ. 10, 16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-025-00322-3

[94] Bourdieu, P., 1986. The forms of capital. In: Richardson, J. (ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education. Greenwood Press: New York, NY, USA. pp 241–258.

[95] Bayyurt, Y., 2016. Current perspectives on sociolinguistics and English language education. J. Lang. Learn. Teach. 3, 69–78.

Downloads

How to Cite

Al-Awaid, S. A. A., & Awdh Hussain, N. M. (2025). English Modern Curriculum Development. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(10), 542–560. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.10600

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 10 (October 2025): In progress

Article Type

Review

License

Copyright © 2025 Salmeen Abdulrahman Abdullah Al-Awaid, Nadia Mohammad Awdh Hussain

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.