- Definition : A syllabus which groups items dependent on communicative use (functions or illocutionary acts) and semantic categories (notions) rather than by grammatical class or structure.
- Example : Grouping by communicative use (functions) leads to units on eg Making suggestions; Making offers. Grouping by semantic category (notions) leads to units on eg Describing location, Talking about the past
- Arose from the work of the Council of Europe in the early 1970s
- Was the syllabus type which underpinned the early Communicative Approach
Related Terms : Function, Notion
Related Reading
Finocchiaro and Brumfit, The Functional- Notional Approach, OUP
Related Reading
Finocchiaro and Brumfit, The Functional- Notional Approach, OUP
