SMART Objectives
SMART is an acronym-based framework for writing clear, actionable learning objectives. Originally from management theory (Doran, 1981), it has been widely adopted in education and ELT as a tool for ensuring that lesson aims and learning outcomes are precise enough to be taught, assessed, and evaluated.
The Framework
| Letter | Criterion | Question | ELT example |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Specific | What exactly will learners be able to do? | "Write a paragraph" not "improve writing" |
| M | Measurable | How will you know they've achieved it? | "using at least three cohesive devices" |
| A | Achievable | Is it realistic for these learners in this time? | Appropriate to level and lesson length |
| R | Relevant | Does it connect to learner needs and course goals? | Aligned with Needs Analysis and Learning Outcomes |
| T | Time-bound | By when? | "By the end of this lesson" |
Why SMART Matters in ELT
Vague objectives are the enemy of effective teaching. Compare:
| Vague | SMART |
|---|---|
| "Students will improve their speaking" | "By the end of the lesson, students will be able to describe a graph using at least four trend expressions with appropriate tense" |
| "Students will learn new vocabulary" | "Students will be able to use 8 out of 10 target collocations in a gap-fill exercise with 80% accuracy" |
| "Students will practise writing" | "Students will write a 150-word opinion paragraph with a topic sentence, two supporting points, and a concluding sentence" |
SMART objectives:
- Force the teacher to think clearly about what success looks like
- Enable meaningful assessment — you can check whether the objective was met
- Communicate expectations to learners
- Support Backward Design — the objective drives the choice of activities and materials
Writing SMART Objectives for Language Lessons
Use Observable Verbs
Borrow from Bloom's Taxonomy to select verbs that describe observable behaviour:
| Level | Verbs |
|---|---|
| Remembering | list, name, identify, match |
| Understanding | explain, paraphrase, summarise, classify |
| Applying | use, demonstrate, complete, produce |
| Analysing | compare, contrast, distinguish, categorise |
| Evaluating | assess, justify, critique, recommend |
| Creating | design, compose, construct, write |
Avoid unobservable verbs: "understand," "know," "appreciate," "be aware of." You cannot observe understanding — you can observe a learner explaining, demonstrating, or applying.
The Formula
A well-formed ELT objective typically follows this structure:
By the end of [time frame], students will be able to [observable verb] + [specific language/skill] + [conditions/criteria].
Examples:
- "By the end of the lesson, students will be able to write a formal email of complaint using at least three formal register markers."
- "By the end of the unit, students will be able to distinguish between fact and opinion in short news articles with 80% accuracy."
Limitations
- Over-specificity: Not everything valuable in a lesson is measurable. Developing confidence, building rapport, or sparking curiosity resist quantification.
- Reductive risk: SMART objectives suit discrete skills and knowledge but fit less well with holistic, communicative, or emergent learning (as in TBLT).
- Assessment tail wagging the dog: If objectives must be measurable, teachers may avoid teaching what is hard to measure.
- Performative compliance: In institutional contexts, SMART objectives can become a bureaucratic exercise rather than a genuine planning tool.
The framework is most useful as a thinking tool — it disciplines planning without dictating pedagogy. The best teachers write SMART objectives but remain responsive to what happens in the classroom.
Relationship to Other Concepts
- Learning Outcomes: Course-level statements of what learners will achieve. SMART objectives operationalise these at lesson level.
- Lesson Aims: The broader purpose of a lesson. SMART objectives specify the measurable targets within that purpose.
- Backward Design: Starts with outcomes (what learners will demonstrate) and works backward — SMART objectives are the natural language of backward design.
- Bloom's Taxonomy: Provides the verb hierarchy for writing objectives at appropriate cognitive levels.