Syllabus Design in ELT: Evaluating Grammatical, Functional, Situational, Task-Based, Content-based, and Genre-Based Approaches

Abstract

This paper examines six major types of syllabi in English Language Teaching (ELT): Grammatical, Functional-Notional, Situational, Task-Based, Content-Based, and Genre-Based. Each syllabus type is discussed in terms of its definition, features, strengths, and weaknesses, highlighting how they reflect different theories of language and learning. Special attention is given to Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Genre-Based Approach (GBA) due to their relevance in modern communicative language teaching and alignment with the Merdeka Curriculum in Indonesia. A comparative analysis reveals that while traditional syllabi offer clarity and scaffolding, more communicative, learner-centered approaches such as TBLT and GBA better address current educational needs. The study concludes that hybrid models integrating traditional and modern approaches are most effective for fostering communicative competence, literacy development, and learner autonomy in the Indonesian ELT context.