Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Task Based Learning
Task Based Learning
Task Based Learning
I Introduction
One of the most invigorating things about teaching is that we - teachers
- never stop learning
(Brown, 1994). We learn about our practices by analysing the principles
that govern our class preparation and teaching and by evaluating
observable aspects of our classes (Nunan, 1989, and Brown, 1994). The
conclusions we reach are based on examining our own rules, the
students roles and performance, and objective evidence.
In this assignment I examine the definition of the word task and the
designing of tasks, discuss the basic elements and principles that
underlie a task-based learning framework and then go on to describe
and evaluate a lesson I have planned and taught using the principles of
task-based learning.
II Definition of Task
When planning a task-based lesson, it is essential to have in mind the
meaning of task and the implications it may have in designing the task
itself. Below are five definitions of task:
Source/Researcher
Definition
Breen, M. P. (1987:23)
Nunan, D (1993)
Although there might be little likelihood that those who use this term
(task) will agree on what they mean by it (Crookes, Graham, and Gass,
1993), there seem to be some common grounds in researchers
definitions. They focus on:
-
Goals and outcomes - all tasks should have an outcome. The focus
is on understanding and conveying meanings in order to complete a
task successfully. It is within the challenge of achieving an outcome
that lies much of the motivation in the classroom.
Meaning before form learners need to feel free to experiment
with language and to take risks. Fluency in communication is what
counts (Willis, 1999:24).
Tasks and skills practice in designing a task the teacher should
aim at a combination of skills that should not be practised in a
vacuum but should form an integral part of the process of achieving
the task goals.
Listing
Ordering and sorting
Comparing
Problem solving
Sharing personal experiences and opinions
Creative tasks or projects
brainstorming
fact-finding
sequencing items
ranking items according to personal values or specified
criteria
categorising
classifying
matching
finding similarities/differences.
She also proposes that tasks can have five starting points:
-
Learners may now hear a recording of others doing a similar task and
compare how they all did it. Or they may read a text similar in some
ways to the one they have written themselves, or related in topic to the
task they have done.
Language Focus
-
Sexual Harassment
Class and course background
Upper-Intermediate, Portuguese-speaking learners of roughly the
same ability, aged between early-twenties and late-thirties. Used
to the PPP framework and very willing to speak. The course
students have enrolled in covers the first half of Headway Upper
Intermediate ( Soars and Soars, 1987). They come together for
two fifty-minute lessons three times a week. They are in unit 3 of
the book and the topic of the unit is work. They have already
talked about the dos and donts of relationships at the workplace
and the topic of sexual harassment has been briefly mentioned.
Starting lesson
Teacher (T) explains this is an extra-activity on the topic of
relationships at the workplace. There will be two task cycles. They
will lead into examining real cases of sexual harassment as if they
were members of a jury and comparing their verdict with the ones
given by judges in the USA.
Pre-task 1:
Task 1
Planning 1
Report 1
Task 2:
Language focus
V- Evaluation
I felt the TBL framework easy to adapt to because I already partook of
many of its principles. I was worried students would react negatively to
the order of events in the TBL framework, but they seemed very
confident and showed no signs of anxiety. In reality, during the task
phase they seemed quite pleased to be able to try to grope with things
without much interference from the teacher. On the other hand, they
also felt it reassuring to have the teacher as, one of them put it, a
language advisor in the planning phase. They found the language
focus phase very interesting although some of them had some
difficulties in categorising words. However, they could count on their
partners for help and this helped them overcome any feelings of
frustration that may have surfaced.
VI Conclusion
In this assignment I tried to examine the definition of the word task and
tried to analyse the designing of tasks. I also discussed the elements
and principles that underlie a task-based learning framework. I
described and evaluated a lesson I had planned and taught.
I believe that getting in touch with the way a lesson can be organised in
a TBL approach and understanding the underlying principles that are
involved gave me a chance to rethink the way I prepare my lessons and
the way I help others do the same.
Appendix A
CASE #1
The Securities and Exchange Commission office was a sociable place to work - sociable,
that is, if you were one of several employees, including supervisors, having romantic
affairs with each other, holding frequent parties and leaving the office during the day to go
drinking.
But one female attorney who did not participate in the carousing found her co-workers
behaviour repulsive. She claimed she was harassed by the environment in which she had
to work. Moreover, she said, women who had affairs with male supervisors were rewarded
with bonuses and promotions. The woman conceded that no one had pressured her for
sex or denied her any promotions because she wasnt one of the crowd.
Was she being too touchy?
CASE #2
Few things are as boring as most corporate meetings. In an attempt to liven up the
presentations, an oil company brought a barely clad woman on a motorcycle to a regional
meeting, according to a sexual-harassment complaint filed by a female supervisor for the
company.
Moreover, she charged, when the corporation held a sales meeting at a restaurant, the
entertainment was provided by strippers. And at a slide show held for employees, one
slide featured the female supervisors clothed rear end.
Was the woman harassed?
Appendix B
Decision #1
Although the woman wasnt harassed on a quid pro quo (give something to get something)
basis, a judge ruled that the pervasive behaviour in the SEC office had created an
offensive work environment. She was awarded back pay, a promotion and her choice of
two jobs. The SEC also agreed to an outside review of its personnel practices.
Decision #2
The federal judge presiding over this case noted that the incidents were without question
inappropriate but werent sufficiently severe or pervasive to constitute a hostile
environment. That noted, he found that no harassment had taken place.
References
Breen, M.P. 1987. Learner Contributions to Task Design. In Lancaster
Practical Papers in
English Language Education Volume 7. Prentice Hall
International Teaching.
Brown, H.D. 1994. Teaching By Principles. Prentice Hall Regents
Candlin, C. 1987. Towards Task-based Language Learning. In
Lancaster Practical Papers in
English Language Education Volume 7. Prentice Hall
International Teaching.
Long, M. and Crookes, G. 1993. Units of Analysis in Syllabus Design
The Case for Task.
In Task in a Pedagogical Context (eds: Graham Grookes and
Susan M. Grass). Multilingual Matters.
Nunan, D. 1993. Task-based Syllabus Design: Selecting, Grading and
Sequencing Tasks. In
Task in a Pedagogical Context ( eds: Graham Grookes and Susan
M. Gass). Multilingual Matters.
Willis, J. and Willis D. 1999 A Framework for Task-based Learning.
Longman