MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE
REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
M. Kh. DulatyTaraz State University
TarSU
DamiraIskarayeva
“Using Task-Based approach in English Language Teaching”
Diploma thesis
Specialty: 5 B 011900 – Two Foreign Languages: English & Turkish
Taraz, 2015
Table of content:
Abstract………………………………………………….....
Introduction…………………………………………………
Chapter 1. “Theoretical aspects of TBA in language learning and teaching”……………………………………………………..
Theory of TBA study in methodology
Language learning as a process
Definition of task
The problem with PPP
The advantages of TBL
Chapter 2. “A task-based approach in language teaching”
Characteristics of a task-based approach
Practical task-based approach activities used in English Language Teaching (task-based project work)
Conclusion…………………………………………………..
Key abbreviations…………………………………………...
Bibliography…………………………………………………
Appendix…………………………………………………….
Abstract:
The Task-Based Approach (TBA) has gained popularity in the field of language teaching since the last decade of the 20th Century and significant scholars have joined the discussion and increased the amount of analytical studies on the issue. Nevertheless experimental research is poor, and the tendency of some of the scholars is nowadays shifting towards a more tempered and moderate stand on their claims. Reasons for that are various: the difficulty in the implementation of the method in the classroom, the difficulty in elaborating materials following the TBA and the scarcity of task-based manuals count as important and perhaps decisive arguments. But there are also theoretical implications in the TBA which do not seem to be fully convincing or may lack sound foundations. In this paper I will attempt to describe the TBA critically, pointing out what I consider positive in this approach, and underlining the inadequacy of some assumptions and conclusions. The design of a new TBA model is not the goal of this study. But the conclusions suggest that tasks may contribute to the production of a more refined and complete foreign language syllabus, helping to motivate the students and focus the attention of teachers and learners on meaning and communicative language use.
Абстракт
Задача – Подход(TBA), приобрел популярность в области преподавания языкав последнее десятилетие 20-го века, и значительные ученые присоединились к дискуссии, и увеличился количество аналитических исследований, поэтому вопросу. Тем не менее, экспериментальные исследования идут медленно, и
тенденция некоторых ученых ныне смещается в сторону более закаленным и умеренной позиции их претензий. Причины для этого разнообразны: трудность в реализации метода в классе, трудность в разработке материалов для этого подхода (метода) и дефицит учебников, и это самые решающие проблемы. Но есть и теоретические последствия в TBA, которые, кажется, не в полной мере убедительны или может, не хватает прочной основы. В этой статье я попытаюсь
описать TBA критически, указывая на то, что я считаю положительным в этом подходе, и подчеркивая неадекватность некоторых предположений и выводов.
Дизайн новой модели TBA не цель данного исследования. Но выводы предполагают, что задачи могут способствовать получению более изысканной и полной программе иностранного языка, помогая мотивировать студентов и сосредоточить внимание преподавателей и учащихся на значении и коммуникативной использования языка.
Дерексіз
Тапсырма-тәсіл негізделеді (TBA) 20 ғасырдың соңғы онжылдығында бері тілін оқыту саласындағы танымал және маңызды ғалымдар талқылау қосылды және осы мәселе бойынша талдамалық зерттеулер көлемін арттырды. Дегенмен эксперименттік зерттеу кедей болып табылады, және ғалымдардың кейбір үрдісі қазіргі уақытта олардың талаптары бойынша неғұрлым шыңдалған және қалыпты стенд қарай өзгереді. Түрлі екенін себептері: сыныптағы әдісін іске асыруға қиындық, TBA және міндеті негізделген оқулықтар жетіспеушілігі мынадай әзірлеу материалдар қиындық ретінде маңызды және мүмкін шешуші дәлелдер саны. Бірақ толық нанымды болып көрінуі емес, немесе дыбыс негіздерін жетіспейді мүмкін TBA теориялық салдары, сондай-ақ бар. Бұл мақалада Мен осы тәсілді оң қарайды қандай көрсете, және кейбір жорамалдар мен қорытындылар жеке басына сәйкес келмеуi атап, сыни TBA сипаттау әрекет жасайды. Жаңа TBA моделін жобалау Бұл жұмыстың мақсаты болып табылады. Бірақ қорытындылар міндеттері студенттерді ынталандыру және мағынасы және коммуникативтік тілдік пайдалану бойынша оқытушылар мен оқушылардың назар көмектесе неғұрлым тазартылған және толық шет тілі силлабуста өндіру ықпал етуі мүмкін деп болжайды.
Introduction:
The theme of my diploma work is “Using task-based approach in English Language
Teaching”. The topicality of the paper is connected with the fact, that task-based language teaching (TBLT) is a communicative approach to language instruction, using the successful completion of communicative “tasks” as its primary organizing principle. In short, instruction is organized in such a way that students will improve their language ability by focusing on getting something done while using the language, rather than on explicitly practicing language forms, as in more traditional methods of instruction.
Considering the principles of TBLT (i.e., authentic, learner-centered, using language, intentional and interactive), it seems tasks as classroom undertakings that are intended to result in pragmatic language use. Tasks are a central component of TBLT in language classrooms because they provide a context that activates learning processes and promotes L2 learning.
It is important to remember that TBLT is an approach rather than a method. It assumes that the teacher respects the students as individuals and wants them to succeed. It also acknowledges that motivation, attitudes to learning, students’ beliefs, language anxiety and preferred learning styles, have more effect on learning than materials or methods. We therefore need to take these into account in classrooms, taking advantage of the opportunity TBLT gives teachers to promote a student-centered learning environment. Teacher-centered controls, threats, rewards and restrictions are not an effective means of stimulating learning, since no-one can be forced to learn. If we can instead stimulate a need to learn, and a desire to learn, based on unconditional respect and mutual trust, learning will take place in an enjoyable and facilitative way.
The aim of this paper is to introduce Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT), to carry out the method of TBLT in English classes and to create a real purpose for language use and provide a natural context for language study.
Objectives:
Teachers often express great interest in TBLT, but they have no idea where to start. This paper gives teachers a framework for classroom task processes composed of a pre-task, a main task and a post-task.
tostudy theoretical sources of TBA…
toanalyze the English textbook on the usage of TBA…
towork out Task-based activities for learners…
to work out recommendations for teachers on the use of TBA…
Problem:
At any given time there are certain trends in second language education that influence both teaching and learning. One of the latest trends in SLL approaches is task-based language teaching (TBLT), which emphasizes the use of authentic language through meaningful tasks.
The idea behind TBL is that students will learn to communicate in the language by doing tasks in the classroom which approximate those in the outside world. Students do tasks in small groups and practice using language necessary for doing the particular task. The focus is completely on task completion and therefore students are free to use whatever language they have at their disposal to accomplish this. Although some new language may be presented before the task, the intention is that the bulk of the new language is presented after the students do the task. Part of the reason for this is that the aim of the task stage is purely communicative and successful completion will depend on how well students are able to negotiate meaning while doing the task. There is no insistence that students have to use certain language as that would take their focus away from meaning in favor of form. Thus the real-world nature of the task would be sacrificed as students would put their focus on producing set phrases and/or structures instead of task completion. Another reason for the presentation of new language after the task is that the learners are more likely to notice and acquire it since they were just put in a position of doing a task without some of the useful language appropriate for it. Consider a student who had to give
directions and lacked basic vocabulary like blocks; corner and expressions like continue going straight. When they are exposed to the language after doing the task, they are likely to think to themselves “THAT‟S the word/expression I needed”. This reaction will surely add emphasis to the new language and most likely lead to easier acquisition.
Hypothesis:
- Promote speaking skill through TBA…
Methods of investigation:
- Observation experiment for TBA…
The basis of this work:
Electronic books from websites about TBA
Reading of different researchers about TBA
Using information from British council website
The theoretical value:
The theoretical value of this diploma paper is that the theoretical review of the material on the topic of investigation may be useful for conducting lectures on Methods of teaching English, also for teachers who are interested in assessment to use it in their teaching practice and research.
The practical value:
The practical value of this paper is that the given tasks of assessment for all kinds of skills can be used by teachers in their English language classes …
The structure of the diploma paper:
The paper consists of Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Conclusion, Key Words, Bibliography and Appendix.
Chapter 1. “Theoretical aspect of TBA study in Language Learning & Teaching”
As early as the 1970s, the communicative language teaching (CLT) approach became popular among second language acquisition (SLA) researchers and second language teachers [Skehan, 2003]. During the 1980s, “task” replaced the term “communicative activity.” The task-based language teaching (TBLT) became a new teaching method that has been broadly adopted in language classroom. As with content-based instruction, the task-based approach aimed to provide learners with a natural context for language use. As learners work to complete a task, they have abundant opportunity to interact with each other as well as the teacher and the content. Such interaction is thought to facilitate language acquisition, as learners have to work to understand each other and to express their own meaning. By so doing, they have to check to see if they have comprehended correctly. In addition, at times, they have to seek clarification from other students or their instructor.
By interacting with others, students have an opportunity to listen to language which may be beyond their present ability, but which may be assimilated into their knowledge of the target language for use at a later time. As Candlin and Murphy [1987:1] note, “The central purpose we are concerned with is language learning, and task presents this in the form of a problem-solving negotiation between knowledge that the learner holds and new knowledge.”
Most researchers would agree that effective language learning takes place under four conditions. To learn a language with reasonable efficiency, three essential conditions must be met and one additional condition is desirable. Task-based language instruction can help teachers select and devise useful classroom activities that could lead to task-based learning and help students to further learn a language successfully.
The task-based learning and teaching is based on several theoretical backgrounds:
1. From psycholinguistic perspective: (1) A task is a device that guides learners to engage in certain types of information processing that are believed to important for effective language use for language acquisition. (2) Using mental processing that is beneficial to acquisition.
From interaction hypothesis: Meaning negotiation can contribute to acquisition.
From cognitive approach: (1) TBLT constructs both exemplar-based system and rule-based system. (2) Lexical items and ready-made formulaic chunks of language contribute to fluency, accuracy, and complexity.
From Constructivism: (1) Learners learn in ways that are meaningful to them, (2) Learners learn better if they feel in control of what they are learning, (3) Learning is closely linked to how people feel about themselves, and (4) Learning takes place in a social context through interaction with other people.