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Task Based Learning

Task-based learning (TBL) is an approach where learning revolves around completing meaningful tasks. It traces back to the strong Communicative Approach, where teaching occurs entirely through communicative tasks with no set grammar syllabus. Students learn what they need through working on tasks. TBL involves a pre-task stage where the teacher prepares students for the task, a task cycle where students perform the task in groups or pairs without teacher involvement, and a language focus stage where students analyze their performance and practice the language. Research studies have found TBL improves students' speaking skills and is useful for moving learning focus from teacher to student, but it requires creativity and resources from teachers and some students may find it difficult.

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Trần Minh Hằng
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91 views3 pages

Task Based Learning

Task-based learning (TBL) is an approach where learning revolves around completing meaningful tasks. It traces back to the strong Communicative Approach, where teaching occurs entirely through communicative tasks with no set grammar syllabus. Students learn what they need through working on tasks. TBL involves a pre-task stage where the teacher prepares students for the task, a task cycle where students perform the task in groups or pairs without teacher involvement, and a language focus stage where students analyze their performance and practice the language. Research studies have found TBL improves students' speaking skills and is useful for moving learning focus from teacher to student, but it requires creativity and resources from teachers and some students may find it difficult.

Uploaded by

Trần Minh Hằng
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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*Defininition: TBL (Task-based learning), or TBLT (Task-based language

teaching) is an approach in which learning revolves around the completion of


meaningful tasks.
*Theoretical basis
- Historical developments: It can be traced back to the "strong” Communicative
Approach, where teaching is done entirely through communicative tasks. There is
no set grammar syllabus. Focusing on language use after a task has been completed
is widely accepted as an aid to acquisition, and task repetition gives students the
chance to practice new language.
+ The Communicative Approach grew out of sociolinguistics in the 1970s and the
view that there is more to communication than just grammar and vocabulary.
Nowadays most teachers and students take the need for real communication in
class for granted, but English as a Foreign Language (EFL) history clearly shows
that this has not always been the casel Within the Communicative Approach itself
the precise role of communication is debated. The so-called “weak” form of the
approach sees communicative activities as opportunities for students to practice
new language and develop fluency. A weak version of language teaching us ng this
approach might simply mean adding more opportunites to communicate to a
traditional grammar based curriculum.
+ The “strong” Communicative Approach, on the other hand, states that language
is acquired through communication. It is not just a question of using
communicative activities to activate passive knowledge of the language that has
been pre-taught at an earlier stage. The belief is that communicative confidence
only develops if students are thrown in at the deep end and required to carry out
tasks that demand real-life communication. Rather than a communicative activity
being a chance for students to show what they can do or to use what they have
learned, it is through working on a task that the students learn what they need.
=> The “strong” Communicative Approach has been very influential in the
development of Task Based Learning.
- Advocates and oppositions:
- Research findings:
+ “The effectiveness of the task-based learning in developing students’ speaking
skills in academic settings on the EFL classroom-A study conducted at South East
European University (SEEU)” - Merita Ismaili
+ “The application of interactive Task-Based Learning for EFL students” - Eny
Syatriana, Ardiansyah and Richard Orem
+ “The Influence of Task Based Learning on EFL Classrooms” - Nazenin Ruso -
Eastern Mediterranean University Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
*Advantages/Disadvantages:
Advantages Disadvantages
- Task based learning is useful for - Task-based learning requires a high
moving the focus of the learning level of creativity and initiative on the
process from the teacher to the student. part of the teacher. If the teachers are
- It gives the student a different way of limited to more traditional roles or do
understanding language as a tool not have time and resources to
instead of as a specific goal. implement task- based learning
- It can take teaching from abstract teaching this type of teaching may be
knowledge to real world application. impossible.
- A Task is helpful in meeting the - Some students who are not good at
immediate needs of the learners and English may find things difficult or
provides a framework for creating impatient with TBL.
classes that are interesting and that can
address student needs.

*Stage of TBL:
It is usually composed of the following stages:
- Pre-task: Introduction to topic and task.
In this stage, the teacher sets the task, contextualises the topic of the lesson,
raises students’ interest and prepares learners to perform the task. When
preparing students to perform a task, teachers might need to help students
with both content and language: the teacher explores the topic with may
highlight useful words and phrases, helping students to understand the task
instructions. It is extremely important that students understand the objectives
of the task during this phase.
- Task cycle: It can be sub-divided in different stages: task, planning, report.
+ This is the main stage of task-based learning, where students start working
on the task, usually in groups or pairs. They use their existing knowledge of
language to express themselves in a spontaneous way.
+ When students finish performing the task, they need to plan how they are
going to report it to the rest of the class or to other groups.
+ Students report the outcome of the task to other students.
+ Especially, the teacher doesn’t usually join in the work process. Instead,
he or she will monitor the students and offer hints if students really need
support.
- Language focus: Analysis and Practice
+ Analysis: - Students evaluate their performance (comparing the outcome
of their task to that of a proficient user of the language.)
- A teacher review of frequently-made errors during the task.
+ Practice: The teacher then directs students back to the lesson and they
analyse it for topic vocabulary, time expressions, syntax elements, etc.

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