International Journal of Educational Development 26 (2006) 315–328 The role of genre in language syllabus design: The case of Bahrain Stephen Bax Department of Language Studies, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK Abstract This article examines the role of genre in English language syllabus design, with reference to a project in Bahrain secondary schools. It attempts to show how, through a carefully devised and conducted qualitative study in ethnographic mode, a syllabus was developed which placed genre at its centre. It also attempts to illuminate how issues relating to the sequencing and choice of genre can be determined ecologically, and how a focus on genres in this way could usefully impact on other central areas of pedagogy including the teaching of skills, and assessment. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Genre; Syllabus design; English language teaching; Ethnography; Bahrain 1. Introduction In recent years genre has become an increasingly significant concept in language education. The value of focussing on genres in various areas of the profession has been convincingly demonstrated by, for example, Swales (1990), and more recently by contributors to Johns’ edited collection (Johns, 2002), and elsewhere in the educational literature (e.g. Christie, 1987; Cope and Kalantzis, 1993). Paltridge (2001), citing Swales (1990) and Bhatia (1993), and drawing on Dudley-Evans (1989) reminds us of the benefits of giving genre a more central classroom role when we teach language: a genre-based perspective focuses on language at the level of the whole text while at the same time taking into account the social and cultural context in which it is used (Paltridge, 2001, p. 4, citing Dudley-Evans, 1989). In addition to such arguments for using genre-based approaches in daily classroom practice (see also McCarthy and Carter, 1994), attempts have been made to place genre more centrally in the develop- ment of language curricula and syllabus design, particularly in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) (Swales, 1990). The reason for this is that a focus on genre enables curriculum designers to group together texts that are similar in terms of purpose, organization, and audience (Paltridge, 2001, p. 4). Paltridge goes on to summarise the arguments for adopting a genre-based approach not only in these ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/ijedudev 0738-0593/$ - see front matter r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2005.09.002 E-mail address: s.bax@canterbury.ac.uk.