What
is TBL?
How
often do we as teachers ask our students to do something in class which they
would do in everyday life using their own language? Probably not often enough.
If we can make
language in the classroom meaningful therefore memorable, students can process
language which is being learned or recycled more naturally.
Task-based
learning offers the student an opportunity to do exactly this.
The primary focus of classroom activity is the task and language is the
instrument which the students use to complete it. The task is an activity in
which students use language to achieve a specific outcome. The activity
reflects real life and learners focus on meaning, they are free to use any
language they want. Playing a game, solving a problem or sharing information or
experiences, can all be considered as relevant and authentic tasks. In TBL an
activity in which students are given a list of words to use cannot be
considered as a genuine task. Nor can a normal role play if it does not contain
a problem-solving element or where students are not given a goal to reach. In
many role plays students simply act out their restricted role. For instance, a
role play where students have to act out roles as company directors but must
come to an agreement or find the right solution within the given time limit can
be considered a genuine task in TBL.
In
the task-based lessons included below our aim is to create a need to learn and
use language. The tasks will generate their own language and create an
opportunity for language acquisition (Krashen*). If we can take the focus away
from form and structures we can develop our students’ ability to do things in
English. That is not to say that there will be no attention paid to accuracy,
work on language is included in each task and feedback and language focus have
their places in the lesson plans. We feel that teachers have a responsibility
to enrich their students’ language when they see it is necessary but students
should be given the opportunity to use English in the classroom as they use
their own languages in everyday life.
How
can I use TBL in the classroom?
Most
of the task-based lessons in this section are what Scrivener** classifies as
authentic and follow the task structure proposed by Willis and Willis***.
Each
task will be organized in the following way:
Pre-task activity an introduction to topic and task
· Task cycle: Task > Planning > Report
· Language Focus and Feedback
A
balance should be kept between fluency, which is what the task provides, and
accuracy, which is provided by task feedback.
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