A Task-based approach Submitted by TE Editor on 26 April, 2004 - 12:00 n recent years a debate has de!eloped o!

er "hich approaches to structurin# and plannin# and implementin# lessons are more e$$ecti!e% This article presents an o!er!ie" o$ a task-based learnin# approach &T'() and hi#hli#hts its ad!anta#es o!er the more traditional *resent, *ractice, *roduce &***) approach% This article also links to the $ollo"in# acti!ity% Try - Speaking activities - Task-based speakin# - plannin# a ni#ht out

*resent *ractice *roduce The problems "ith *** A Task-based approach The ad!anta#es o$ T'( +onclusion

*resent *ractice *roduce &***) ,urin# an initial teacher trainin# course, most teachers become $amiliar "ith the *** paradi#m% A *** lesson "ould proceed in the $ollo"in# manner%

-irst, the teacher presents an item o$ lan#ua#e in a clear conte.t to #et across its meanin#% This could be done in a !ariety o$ "ays: throu#h a te.t, a situation build, a dialo#ue etc% Students are then asked to complete a controlled practice stage, "here they may ha!e to repeat tar#et items throu#h choral and indi!idual drillin#, $ill #aps or match hal!es o$ sentences% All o$ this practice demands that the student uses the lan#ua#e correctly and helps them to become more com$ortable "ith it% -inally, they mo!e on to the production sta#e, sometimes called the /$ree practice/ sta#e% Students are #i!en a communication task such as a role play and are e.pected to produce the tar#et lan#ua#e and use any other lan#ua#e that has already been learnt and is suitable $or completin# it%

The problems "ith *** t all sounds 0uite lo#ical but teachers "ho use this method "ill soon identi$y problems "ith it:

Students can #i!e the impression that they are com$ortable "ith the ne" lan#ua#e as they are producin# it accurately in the class% 1$ten thou#h a $e" lessons later, students "ill either not be able to produce the lan#ua#e correctly or e!en "on/t produce it at all%

Students "ill o$ten produce the lan#ua#e but o!eruse the tar#et structure so that it sounds completely unnatural% Students may not produce the tar#et lan#ua#e durin# the $ree practice sta#e because they $ind they are able to use e.istin# lan#ua#e resources to complete the task%

A Task-based approach Task -based learnin# o$$ers an alternati!e $or lan#ua#e teachers% n a task-based lesson the teacher doesn/t pre-determine "hat lan#ua#e "ill be studied, the lesson is based around the completion o$ a central task and the lan#ua#e studied is determined by "hat happens as the students complete it% The lesson $ollo"s certain sta#es% *re-task The teacher introduces the topic and #i!es the students clear instructions on "hat they "ill ha!e to do at the task sta#e and mi#ht help the students to recall some lan#ua#e that may be use$ul $or the task% The pre-task sta#e can also o$ten include playin# a recordin# o$ people doin# the task% This #i!es the students a clear model o$ "hat "ill be e.pected o$ them% The students can take notes and spend time preparin# $or the task% Task The students complete a task in pairs or #roups usin# the lan#ua#e resources that they ha!e as the teacher monitors and o$$ers encoura#ement% *lannin# Students prepare a short oral or "ritten report to tell the class "hat happened durin# their task% They then practise "hat they are #oin# to say in their #roups% 2ean"hile the teacher is a!ailable $or the students to ask $or ad!ice to clear up any lan#ua#e 0uestions they may ha!e% 3eport Students then report back to the class orally or read the "ritten report% The teacher chooses the order o$ "hen students "ill present their reports and may #i!e the students some 0uick $eedback on the content% At this sta#e the teacher may also play a recordin# o$ others doin# the same task $or the students to compare% Analysis The teacher then hi#hli#hts rele!ant parts $rom the te.t o$ the recordin# $or the students to analyse% They may ask students to notice interestin# $eatures "ithin this te.t% The teacher can also hi#hli#ht the lan#ua#e that the students used durin# the report phase $or analysis% *ractice -inally, the teacher selects lan#ua#e areas to practise based upon the needs o$ the students and "hat emer#ed $rom the task and report phases% The students then do practice acti!ities to increase their con$idence and make a note o$ use$ul lan#ua#e%

The ad!anta#es o$ T'( Task-based learnin# has some clear ad!anta#es

4nlike a *** approach, the students are $ree o$ lan#ua#e control% n all three sta#es they must use all their lan#ua#e resources rather than 5ust practisin# one pre-selected item% A natural conte.t is de!eloped $rom the students/ e.periences "ith the lan#ua#e that is personalised and rele!ant to them% 6ith *** it is necessary to create conte.ts in "hich to present the lan#ua#e and sometimes they can be !ery unnatural% The students "ill ha!e a much more !aried e.posure to lan#ua#e "ith T'(% They "ill be e.posed to a "hole ran#e o$ le.ical phrases, collocations and patterns as "ell as lan#ua#e $orms% The lan#ua#e e.plored arises $rom the students/ needs% This need dictates "hat "ill be co!ered in the lesson rather than a decision made by the teacher or the coursebook% t is a stron# communicati!e approach "here students spend a lot o$ time communicatin#% *** lessons seem !ery teacher-centred by comparison% 7ust "atch ho" much time the students spend communicatin# durin# a task-based lesson% t is en5oyable and moti!atin#%

+onclusion *** o$$ers a !ery simpli$ied approach to lan#ua#e learnin#% t is based upon the idea that you can present lan#ua#e in neat little blocks, addin# $rom one lesson to the ne.t% 8o"e!er, research sho"s us that "e cannot predict or #uarantee "hat the students "ill learn and that ultimately a "ide e.posure to lan#ua#e is the best "ay o$ ensurin# that students "ill ac0uire it e$$ecti!ely% 3estrictin# their e.perience to sin#le pieces o$ tar#et lan#ua#e is unnatural% -or more in$ormation see 'A Framework for Task-Based Learning' by 7ane 6ills, (on#man9 'Doing Task-Based Teaching' by ,a!e and 7ane 6illis, 14* 200:% Also see """%"illis-elt%co%uk