The term was introduced by D.A. Wilkins in 1972, as the counterpart to the Synthetic Syllabus. An analytic syllabus presents the target language in whole chunks (tasks, texts, projects, topics) without breaking it down into discrete linguistic units. Learners are expected to analyse the language they encounter and induce its patterns, the opposite of synthesising pre-taught items.
| Syllabus Type | Organising Principle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Task-based (TBLT) | Target tasks derived from needs analysis | "Book a hotel room," "Give a presentation" |
| Content-based (CLIL) | Subject matter content | Science topics, history themes |
| Process | Learning processes and strategies | Problem-solving, information-gap activities |
| Project-based (PBL) | Extended projects with tangible products | Create a documentary, design a poster |
| Synthetic | Analytic | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit of organisation | Linguistic items (grammar points, vocabulary) | Meaning units (tasks, topics, texts) |
| Learner's job | Synthesise taught items into communication | Analyse whole language into patterns |
| Sequence | Pre-determined by syllabus designer | Determined by task demands and learner readiness |
| Grammar treatment | Focus on forms: proactive, pre-selected | Focus on form: reactive, incidental |
| Typical delivery | PPP, coursebooks | TBLT, content-based instruction |
Jason Anderson's trajectory (PPP → CAP → TATE → PBL) is, according to Geoff Jordan, an attempt to appear to move toward an analytic syllabus while remaining fundamentally committed to a synthetic one. Anderson's projects don't determine the syllabus; they are add-ons to a coursebook-driven course where pre-selected language items are still the organising principle.