The application of Task-based language. Teaching to English Reading classroom
Misenga Dibula Elyse
p. 85-92
Vol. XX, n°4, sept 2023
Summary
Task-based approach is a new approach in education practice. In task-based class classroom, the chief focus is the practice. The task, rather than being a unit of grammar to be digested or a collection of lexical items to be remember, is a means of learning the language by doing tasks. It requires exposure to comprehensive in put ant to interact in the language. The takes must be negotiated by the leaners with the help of the teacher, whose job is to facilitate learning opportunities in class. The task probably needs the cooperation of learners.
Introduction
Task-based language teaching (TBLT) has been strongly advocated and promoted by many world-leading linguists (long 1985, Prabhu 1987, Nunan 1989, Willis, 1996, Skehan 1998, Bygate & Ellis 2001/since, early 1980. Despite differences they may interact with learning to create genuine use of the language, and that that language proficiency can be achieved by doing tasks. That is “to since, experience, practice and cooperate under the teacher’s instruction aiming to reach the goal of tasks.
TBLT has been applied by English teachers of china gradually, especially in the reading classroom for being on active process, during the reader tries to understand the meaning of a given text. By sensing, experiencing, practicing, and cooperating, learners can understand the meaning of the text easily. However, the present situation of reading in our schools is not satisfactory; because many teachers are still using teacher-cantered method, which do not attach enough importance to the improvement of learner’s communicative competence. And although task-based approach (TBA) has been tried by many English teachers who adopt traditional teaching method. Therefore, il is high time to charge this situation by adopting a TBLT approach to English reading classroom so that the satisfactory result can be achieved.
This paper attempts to illustrate that TBLT can be feasible and is on effective teaching approach for English reading classroom. It will also introduce the research of TBLT by distinguished linguists and some new view on how to apply TBLT to English reading classroom.
1. Index terms
1.1. Task
Definition of task
Numérous linguists around the world have attempted to define the term “task” as it relates to task-based language teaching (TBLT) since the 1980. If we look in the literature, we can find that task is variously defined. Long (1985) gives the definitions in a broad sense:
A task is a piece of work undertaken for oneself or for others, freely or for some reward. Thus, examples of tasks include pointing a fence, dressing a child, filling out a form, buying a pair of shoes, making an airline reservation, borrowing a library book, etc. In order words, by task “is meant the hundred and one things people do in everyday life, at work, at play and in between” (p. 89).
This is a non-pedagogical definition in that it describes the sorts of things individuals do outside the classroom and some of these tasks do not necessarily involve the use of language.
Richard Platt & Weber (1996) offered a more pedagogically oriented definition: “task is an activity or action which is carried out as the result of processing or understanding the language” (p. 181). For example, drawing a map while listening to a tape, listening to an instruction, and performing a command, may be referred to as task. This definition implies that tasks involve communication language use in which the user’s attentive is focused on meaning rather than linguistics structure.
David Nunan’s definition of task reflects the characteristic. He stressed meaning for the first time: “Task is a piece of classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than or form” (Nunan, 1989).
Peter Skehan (1998) in his book, A Cognitive Approach to language learning lays a solid foundation for defining a task a pedagogical perspective by reflecting a broad consensus among researchers and educators. He suggests five defining criteria:
A Task is an activity in which
a) Meaning is primary
b) The is some communication problem to solve
c) There is some sort of relationship to comparable real-world activities
d) Taks completion has some priority
e) The assessment of the task is in terms of outcomes.
The latest development in TBTL is the work done by Martin Bygate. In his researching pedagogic task (Applied linguistics and language study), Martin Bygate (2001) points out that a task is an activity which requires learners to use language, with emphasis on meaning, to attain an objective, and that the central challenge for language teaching is to develop learner’s communication language ability through pedagogic intervention with tasks accomplished.
Richard, Plot and Weber’s is not so comprehension as the latter ones. Both latter ones emphasize on meaning, and Nunan’1 focuses on the actions of doing a task, while Bygate’s stresses the communication. Skachan’s criteria cover all the aspects of a task.
Combinig Nunan’s and Bygate’s definition with Skchan’s critera, I give my definition of “task”: pedagogically, a task is a classroom activity which invorlves leaners with the help of the teacher in comprehending, manipulating, producting or interacting in the target language with a communicative goal. To this definition, I define the “task” in English classroom as a reading classroom activity which involves leaners with the help of teacher in comprehending the reading material, manipulating the language output based on the comprehension of the usage, or interacting with each other about their opinion related to the material in English with a communicative goal.
1.2. Task-based Approach (TBA/VS Traditional teaching method
The traditional methods have dominated English language teaching in our schools. The traditional methods focus on form and are featured as teacher-centered, such as language point approach and sentence-text-analysis approach.
First, TBA emphasizes on meaning full communication as well as form and the cooperation between learners and the teachers, as has reflected from the meaning of “task”.
As a contrast, traditional method**s focus on form and, Gray (1990) points out a brief comparison between traditional methodology ™ and TBA: meaningful communication as key feature in TBA; the teacher is the decision-maker in TM, while the learner and the teacher as the joint decision-maker in TBA.
Second, just like Willis’ classification, tasks are all closely related to the real life, such as problem solving and sharing personal experiences, while TM always focuses on mechanical grammar exercise. In our experience of being a teacher and an intern, the traditional classroom is deadly dull, which is full of drill and drudgery, while the task-based classroom is a much more exciting place, with students actively involved on tasks and topics, which are stmulating and motivating for learners. TM focuses on learning rules, grammar, and word-formation, while TBA on language awareness (Gray, 1990).
As to reading, readers try to understand the meaning of the given text. Therefore, in this view, meaning is more important than form in reading. And the reason we read is to enhance our reading ability to read the various kinds of information in our daily life, and tasks are closely related to real life, so TBA can develop our reading skill effectively.
1.3. Current situation of English Reading Classroom
As we all know, reading in English is an essential comprehensive language course. The aim is to enhance pupils’ language proficiency and develop the all-round competence. For a long time, reading has been playing an important role in English Classroom.
Designing reading class according to TBLT
It is believed that the reason why most English teachers in our schools still adopt TM is the few task-based textbooks are published and even few are used in spite of TBLT is emphasized on greatly in task-based language teaching. Therefore, teachers have to design tasks for non-task-based materials to fil TBLT.
Since TBTL is still a new mode for most of Congolese teachers, they may be hacking skills in designing and selecting appropriate tasks.
This study collected many theories about TBLT and formed new views about it. Here, some viewpoints about to design tasks for non-task-based materials in a reading lesson will be illustrated.
The experimental class time designed to divide into three stages: pre-reading stage, while-reading and post-reading stage. Before the lesson, some preparations should be made. The first step is to read the material and what elements should students (pupils get from the material. According to Grellet, the essential organization of the text should be identified first, to decide how to teach.
The second step is to analyze the various tasks provided in the unit and discover if any of them can be used or be adapted to be used as a central communicative task to help pupils (students) learn the main idea. If there are non-provided tasks can be used, some more qualified taks should be designed by teachers themselves. Once a task or series of tasks have been adopted, a TBL framework around the chosen tasks should he constructed.
Pré-reading stage.
This is the first and primary stage of the teaching procedure, the aim which is to activate the background knowledge of the readers, arouse their interest to the text and set up a purpose for them to read on. If is intended to provide readers with opportunities to make predictions. This stage can serve as the preparation stage.
The tasks given at this stage will usually enable the learners to engage in active purposeful interaction which will fan their desire to read the text. Pupils (students may be motivated and prepare themselves better for the reading taks and undertand more about the passage when they get, they get into detailed study of it.
While-reading stage
At this stage, the teacher can design and assign some tasks to make pupils (students) read the text efficiently and have a profound understanging. Tasks are designed to train students (learners’reading skills such as scanning, skimaning, reading for thorough comprension ans critical reading).
As for the reading activities, there are many forms that can be recommended in class: read for specific information; read for gist or general ideas of the text; deduce the information; read form a given context; infer the writer’s intended message from a given context: recognize author’s purpose and attitude.
Post-reading stage
Post-readding activities are principally designed for learners to practice communicative output. The tasks at this stage are designed to offer leaners communicative opportunities to use the language points to communicate and extend the content of the text to the real-life situation. There are many forms available for the activities of the stage, such as text rewriting; role-playing; suggestion making; discussion; report; etc. The activities involve speaking listening and writing.
At this stage, group, or pair work, in our point of view, can make the reading more communicative. The learners are at the center of the activities, they are active readers and participants in the reading tasks. The teacher is supposed to be an organizer and a guide.
At this stage, group or pair work can make the reading class more communicative. The learners are at the center of the activities, they are activities readers and participants in the reading tasks. The teacher is supposed to be and organizer and a guide.
At this stage, group or pair work can, make the reading class more communicative. The leaners are at the center of the activities. They are active readers and participants in the reading tasks. The teachers are supposed to be an organizer and a guide.
Conclusion
This paper concentrates on the practical aspect of using task-based language teaching ideas in the classroom and conducts detailed research into the task-based approach. I have covered the following main points: the theories of TBLT; the comparison between TBLT and traditional teaching methods; research in current situation of reading classroom and it is finding: the necessity of the shift to TBLT; a reading lesson plan based on TBLT.
TBL focuses on how to learn rather than what to learn. The task is a means of using the language to learn the language. It has meaning for learners who must save communication problems, and that meaning along with the authority in the use of real-life situation, becomes internalized as linguistic competence.
At last, the process understanding performing and reflecting on the task produces a wealth of “real” use of the target language, all of which faster language learning in cyclical, ongoing manner. There, compared with traditional approach, these positive results confirm the feasibility of implementing TBA.
Despite the promoting aspects of TBA specific problems may be found in the implantation, which present a diversity of challenge for researchers and English teaching. As a new orientation of communicative language teaching. TBLT requires long-term planning and serious organizational considerations. Nevertheless, the study is promising, and it is hoped that there will be more and more teaching and scholars to make theoretical researcher in a deep-going way and explore its applications, especially its applications to the improvement of English reading in our schools.
Bibliographie
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Gray, K. (2003). Desing for the general class: Oxford: Oxford University Press)
Grellet, F. (1981). Developing reading skills. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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Long. M. (1985). A role for instruction in second language Acquisition Clevedon Avon: Multilingual Matterss.
MC Dowell, J. Jams P. & Rich, P. (1984). Basic information: a tack-based approach to developing reading skills at elementary level. London: Edward Arnold
Nunan, D. (1989). Designing tasks for the communicative classroom, Cambridge: Cambridge Univers