Task-based Language Learning and Teaching (???????)

1
Task-based Language Learning and
Teaching(???????)

• By Lan Weihong

2
Objectives

• After learning this topic, you should be able to
  
• tell how you feel and what you have learned
  during the process
• describe the characteristics of the learning
  activities
• have a clear concept of task-based language
  learning and teaching

3

• analyze teaching cases and design a learning
  activity for pupils with what you have learned as
  a guide
• transfer task-based language teaching to your
  own classroom instruction

4
Stage 1 Experience

• At this stage, you are language learners.
• Activity 1 What do you have for
• breakfast?
• Step 1 Please name some food and fruit you have
  every day.

5
For reference

• rice, noodles, rice noodles, porridge, dumpling,
  vegetables, fish, meat, chicken, beef, eggs,
  duck,
• taro, potato, sweet potato, tomato,
• apples, pears, bananas, watermelons, grapes,
  strawberry, mango, longan, litchi, pineapple,
  orange, pomelos,

6

• A What do usually you have for breakfast?
• B I usually have ________ for breakfast.
• A How about lunch?
• B I have _____for lunch.
• A And supper?
• B I have ____ for supper.
• A Do you like fruit?
• B Yes. I do.
• A What fruit do you like best?
• B I like _____.

7

• Step 3 Interview one of your friends for his/
  her everyday diet and fill in a chart as the
  following example. Use the dialogue given.

8
Fill in the following chart while interview your
friend. The example is given.
Name breakfast lunch supper Favorite fruit
Ms Lan noodles, meat, eggs rice, vegetables, meat rice, vegetables, fish, fruit grapes, longan, mango

9

• Step 4 Report the result of your interview to a
  third person like this
• Ms lan usually has noodles, milk and eggs for
  breakfast. For lunch, she usually has rice,
  vegetables and meat . For supper, she has rice,
  fruit , vegetables and fish. Her favorite fruit
  are grapes, longan and mangos.

10

• Activity 2 What can we do on a sunny day?
• Step 1 Brainstorm the vocabularies describing
  weather.

11

• Step 2 A contest
• Work in groups and think of as many activities as
  you can do in different weather within the given
  time. Write down the items and number them.
• -What can we do on a sunny day?
• -What can we do on a rainy day?
• -What can we do on a snowing day?

12

• Step 3 Evaluation
• 1. Each group reports the total of the items they
  have written down.

13

• 2. Report the results. First, reporters from
  the groups with smaller number read aloud the
  items. Second, the reporter from the group with
  the largest number reports the results. While
  listening to the report, others note down those
  that did not come to your minds just now. Third,
  reporters from different group add new items that
  have not been reported.

14

• 4. Compare the notes and check the spellings.
• 5. Please volunteer to report the newly added
  items.

15

• Activity 3 Making a shopping list
• Step 1 Suppose you are going to have a room
  decoration contests. You need to buy something to
  decorate their rooms. Now please work in groups
  of four and discuss about how to decorate their
  rooms.

16
Step 2 Next, please make a list of the things
you need to buy as follow

• Things to buy Purpose
• 1. A pot of flowers put it on the
• windowsill
• 2.

17

• Step 3 One reporter from a group reports to the
  class what they are going to buy and how they
  will decorate their rooms.

18

• Step 4 Each group sends a reporter to report to
  another different group to tell them what their
  group is going to buy and how they will decorate
  their rooms.
• Step 5 Please volunteer to tell the class how
  other groups will decorate their rooms.

19
Stage 2 Exploration

• At this stage, you are both language learners and
  language teachers exploring the process of
  effective learning and effective teaching.

20

• 1. As a language learner, how do you feel during
  the above learning activities?
• 2. What are the advantages when people learn a
  new language like this?
• 3. Based on the above activities, what definition
  would you like to give totask or task-based
  language teaching and learning?

21

• 4. For the procedure of Topic 1, what language
  learning would be like if we do not have the last
  two steps?
• 5. For the procedure of Topic 2, what problems
  may arise in primary school English classroom if
  we start the new topic from Step 2?

22

• 6. Based on your experience, what principles
  could you draw?/ Or what are the characteristics
  of the approach?

23
Stage 3 Exchange

• Step 1 Work in groups and exchange your answers
  to the questions given. Enhance your own answers
  by taking notes of the points given by others.
• Step 2 Why does new English Curriculum Standard
  advocate The Task-based Approach?

24

• For reference
• Motivational
• Authentic
• Interactive
• Cooperative
• Meaningful
• Challenging
• Interesting

25

• ?????????,????????????
• ????,???????????
• ????????,????
• ??????????,?????????

26

• ?????????,?????????
• ????????????????,???????????

27

• ????????????????????????????,????????,????????????
  ???,????????
• (?? ?? ?????????(???)??)

28
TBL???????

• 1. ?????????????
• 70?????????????????????????????????????????
  ??????
• ???????????????
• ???????????????
• ???????????????

29

• ????????(??????)?????,???????????????????????
• ?????????????????????????????

30

• 2. ???????????????
• ????????????????????
• ??????????????(interaction, meaning negotiation
  and output)????????, ????????(perform
  tasks)?????????????????????
• ?????????????????? 1990s???The Age of the
  Task.
• (???????,2003,???????)

31
???????????

• ?????
• ???????????,??????? ???????????????????????????
  ?,?????????????????????????????,????????????

32

• ?????????????????????????????????????,????????????
  ??????????????????????????????????????,???????????
  ??????,???????????????,?????????????????????

33

• ??????????????(?????????????)????????????????,???
  ?????????????????
• ???????,????????????,?????????,????????????????
  ??????????????????????????????,???????????????????
  ???

34

• ?????????????,??????,??????????????,??????????????
  ??????????????????

35
?????

• ?????????????(?????????)
• ?????????????????(?????????)
• ???????????????(??????????)

36

• ?????????????????????????????????????,??????????
  ???????????????????????(??????????)

37

• ???????????????????,???????????????????,??????????
  ?????????????????????????????

38
??????????

• ??????????????????????????????????????????,?????
  ???????????????????????????????????,??????,???????
  ?????????,???????????

39

• ??????????????????????????????????????????????????
  ??????????????????????????,?????????????????????
  ???,???????,??????????????????????,???????????????
  ????

40

• ???????????????????????????????????????????????,??
  ?????,??????,?????????,???????????????????
• ???????????????,??????????????????????????????????
  ????????????????(??? ltlt?????????------???????gtgt)

41

• Step 3 What is a task or what is task-based
  language learning and teaching?

42
Definitions given by other researchers

• A task is a piece of work undertaken for oneself
  or for others, freely or for some reward. Thus,
  examples of tasks include painting a fence,
  dressing a child, filling out a form, buying a
  pair of shoes, making an airline reservation,
  borrowing a library book,taking a driving testIn
  other words, by task is meant the hundred and
  one things people do in everyday life, at work,
  at play, and in between. (Long, 1985.)

43

• A task is an activity or action which is carried
  out as the result of processing or understanding
  language ( i. e. as a response). For example,
  drawing a map while listening to a tape,
  listening to an instruction and performing a
  command, may be referred to as tasks. Tasks may
  or may not involve the production of language.

44

• A task usually requires the teacher to specify
  what will be regarded as successful completion of
  the task. The use of a variety of different kinds
  of tasks in language teaching is said to make
  language teaching more communicative since it
  provides a purpose for a classroom activity which
  goes beyond the practice of language for its own
  sake. (Richards, Platt and Weber, 1986.)

45

• A communicative task is a piece of classroom work
  which involves learners in comprehending,
  manipulating, producing or interacting in the
  target language while their attention is
  principally focused on meaning rather than form.
  The task should have a sense of completeness,
  being able to stand alone as a communicative act
  in its own right. ( Nunan 198910)

46

• A task is an activity which requires learners to
  use language, with emphasis on meaning, to attain
  an objective. (Researching Pedagogic Tasks
  Second language learning, teaching and testing.
  Longman 2001. Bygate, Skehan Swain ,2001)

47

• ?????????(Task-based Language Teaching)???????????
  ???????????????????????(task),???????????,???,????
  ??????????????????????,????????,??????????,???????
  ?????,????????,??????????????????

48

• ??????????,????,???,?????????????,??????????,????
  ????????????????????????????????????????,??????
  ???

49

• Step 4 If activities of each learning stage
  (e.g. warning up ? presentation ? practice ?
  production) can be called tasks, do they have
  the same function? If not, what do tasks in
  different stage function?

50

• For example, what language learning would be like
  if we do not have the last two steps for the
  procedure of Topic 1? For the procedure of Topic
  2, what problems may arise in primary school
  English classroom if we start the new topic from
  Step 2?

51
Different tasks

• (1) Enabling tasks
• (2) Communication Tasks
• (3) Final tasks
• ( Nunan 198910)

52
(1) Enabling tasks

• They act as support for communication tasks.
  Their purpose is to provide students with the
  necessary linguistic tools to carry out a
  communication task. They can be as meaningful as
  possible their main focus is on linguistic
  aspects (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation,
  functions, discourse) rather than on meaning.

53

• They are overt language learning experiences,
  whose aim is to enable students to communicate as
  smoothly and effectively as possible.
• (e.g Repeat a dialogue after the tape, read a
  dialogue in roles, comprehensive listening or
  reading)

54

• (2) Communication Tasks
• A communication task is a piece of classroom
  work during which learners attention is
  principally focused on meaning rather than form,
  that is on what is being expressed rather than on
  the linguistic forms used for expressing it.

55

• The communicative task should have a sense of
  completeness, being able to stand alone as a
  communicative act in its own right with a
  beginning, a middle and an end.
• (e.g. Ask and answer, guessing game, role play)

56

• (3) Final tasks
• Final tasks are communication tasks at their
  highest point of communicativeness, at a level
  that is realistic and achievable by the students
  in a given class. They will serve as indicators
  of the development of communicative competence in
  a given class. Final tasks in which the students
  in the classroom interact, there is a tangible
  end product.

57

• e.g.
• Interview and report the result of interview
• work out a shopping list
• make up a telephone number book
• plan for a spring outing

58

• Step 5 How should the above different tasks and
  other teaching methods or approaches be
  integrated in the following instructional model
  for teaching primary English?

59
An instructional model for teaching English in
primary school

• ????
• ????????????????????????
• ????
• ?????????????????
• ????
• ??????????
• ????
• ??????????
• ????
• (??, ???.2003)

60

• Preparation ? Enabling task
• Presentation ? Enabling task
• Consolidation ? Enabling task and communication
  Tasks
• Development ? Final tasks
• Feedback

61

• For reference
• Preparation ?
• Enabling task
• Methods and approach
• TPR,
• Games and songs,
• The Communicative Approach

62

• Presentation ?
• Enabling task
• Methods and approaches
• Direct methods,
• Audio-lingual Method,
• The Situational Approach,
• The Communicative Approach

63

• Consolidation ?
• Enabling task and communication Tasks
• Methods and approaches
• The Communicative Approach,
• The task-based Approach

64

• Development Feedback
• ? Final tasks
• Methods and approaches
• The Task-based Approach
• (Guangxi, Lan Weihong)

65

• Step 6 What principles does the task-based
  approach follow? /
• Or
• what are the characteristics of the approach?

66

• An emphasis on learning to communicate through
  interaction in the target language.
• The introduction of authentic texts into the
  learning situation.
• The provision of opportunities for learners to
  focus, not only on language, but also on the
  learning process itself.
• An enhancement of the learners own personal
  experiences as important contribution elements to
  classroom learning.

67

• An attempt to link the classroom language
  learning with language with activation outside
  the classroom.
• (Nunan 1991)
• ??????
• ??????????
• ????????????????
• ??????????
• ?????????????????
• (Skehan 199895)

68
Stage 4 Extension

• Extension 1 How are different tasks designed?
• Step 1 Watch a teaching case based on
  task-based language teaching.
• Step 2 Think of the following questions while
  watching (1) How does the teacher design the
  enabling task, communicative task and final task?
  (2) What stage does the teacher follow?

69

• Step 3 Exchanging your understanding.

70
For reference

• Pre-task
• Complete Task in groups
• Planning to report to the class
• Report to the class
• Analysis
• Further Practice

71
Extension 2 What does a task consist of?

• Watch or read another teaching case like
  the following and tell what a task should consist
  of.

72
???????

• ??????
• ??????????,?????????
• ?????,?????. ?????
• ???????????,?????
• ????,????????
• ????1?
• ???????????
• ????Listening and speaking
• ????????????????

73

• ???????
• 1??????????
• _ rice, hot dog,hamburger,fish, beef, soup,
• noodles,Coke, coffe, ear,aple,watermelon
• _ What would you like?
• _ Ilike some milk
• 2????????
• _ sandiwiches, toufu,pork,mutton,cabbage,cucumber,
  chili, white ground (??),carrot(???),onion(??),spi
  nach(??).

74

• Can I help you?
• _How much is it?
• _Its
• _How much are they?
• _Theyre
• _Wait a minute.

75

• ????????
• ????
• 1.???????????????????????????
• 2. ???????rice, hot dog, hamburger, fish, beef,
  soup, noodles, Coke, coffe, pear, aple,
  watermelon,sandiwiches, toufu, pork,mutton,
  tomato,potato, cabbage, cucumber, chili, white
  ground (??),carrot, onion, spinach(??),
  ??????????

76

• 3.???????????????
• (1)??????(???)
• (2)???????????(???)
• 4.????????????????????,??????
• 5.?????????????????????
• 6.?????????,????????????????????
  ?????????????

77
The components of a task

• Goals Teacher role
• Input TASKS Learner role
• 
  
• Activities settings
• (David Nunan, 1989)

78

• goals - the kind of goals teachers and learners
  identify for a task
• order - the location of a task within a sequence
  of other tasks
• pacing - the amount of time that is spent on the
  task.
• product - the outcome or outcomes students
  produce, such as a summary as the outcomes of a
  reading task

79

• learning strategy - that kind of strategy
  students use when completing a task
• participation - whether the task is completed
  individually, with a partner, or with a group of
  other learners
• resources - the materials and other resources
  used with a task.
• language - the language learners use in
  completing a task.
• (Richards et. Al, 2000)

80

• Extension 3 How is the task-based approach taken
  into the text-books for primary English?
• Step 1 Skim the arrangement of each module in
  New Standard English for Primary School. Book 5
  and Book 6). How is each module designed?

81

• Step 2 What underlie the arrangement of the
  materials of a module as below
• Unit 1
• Look, listen and learn.
• Act it out.
• Look and say.

82

• Unit 2
• 1. Listen and repeat / Listen and point. Then
  listen and write. / Listen, point and repeat.
• 2. Now, point, ask and answer. / Now point and
  say. / Ask and answer.

83

• Step 3 Exchanging your understanding.

84
Extension 4 Designing your own learning
activities based on tasks.

• Step 1 Choose one of the following topics and
  design a task for your students.
• food, fruits, sports, entertainment, colors,
  weather, movies, numbers, animals, shopping

85

• Step 2 Work in groups. Groups are made up of
  members who chose the same topic. Exchange your
  instructional designs by discussing or by
  micro-teaching. Evaluate the design with the
  guide of what you have learned about task-based
  language teaching.

86
Extension 5 What makes a good learning task?

• Step 1 Micro-teaching
• Step 2 Analyze and think are the learning tasks
  you have designed good or not? Why?
• Step 3 Exchanging different opinions.

87
For reference Good learning tasks should

• enable learners to manipulate and practice
  specific features of language(??????,???????)
• allow learners to rehearse, in class,
  communicative skills they will need in the real
  world(???????)
• activate psychological/psycholinguistic processes
  of learning(????)

88

• be suitable for mixed ability groups (????)
• involve learners in solving a problem, coming to
  a conclusion (?????????,??????)
• be based on authentic or naturalistic source
  material (???????????????)
• involve learners in sharing information (???,????)

89

• require the use of more than one macro
  skill(??????????)
• allow learners to think and talk about language
  and learning(????,????)
• promote skills in learning how to learn(??????)
• have clear objectives stating what learners will
  be able to do as a result of taking part in the
  task(????)

90

• utilize the community as a resource (??????????)
• give learners a choice in what way they do and
  the order in which they do it(???)
• involve learners in risk-taking(??????)
• require learners to rehearse, rewrite and polish
  initial efforts(??????)

91

• enable learners to share in the planning and
  development of the task(???????)
• have built into them a means of evaluating the
  success or otherwise of the task
  (????,???,????)

92
Stage 5. Evaluation

• 1. Each of you will be allowed to use only one
  sentence to review what you have learned about
  task-based language teaching and learning. Do
  not repeat what others say.
• 2. What do you think you need to learn more about
  the approach?
• 3. What help do you need to get for further
  study?

93
Suggested further reading and study

• ???.???????????.??????????,2001
• ?????????????? ?????????,2003
• ???ltlt????????? -???????gtgt??????????2004
• David Nunan.Designing Tasks for the Communicative
  Classroom?????????,2001.

94

• ???????(???),?????????
• ??????????,?????????
• ??????????,?????????????????????
• ????????? task-based language learning
  ,task-based language teaching,???????,???????????

95

• Observe more videos of teaching cases or collect
  more teaching cases shaped by the new National
  English Curriculum Standards.
• Do your own action research on the application
  of task-based language teaching and learning in
  primary schools.