Chris Morrow
Faculty of Education Iteach.co.nr
[email protected]
Aligning task-based language programs with international exams
Overview
What is TBLT? How can TBLT courses be organized? How is assessment conducted in TBLT? How does the IELTS work and what does it measure? How can a TBLT course help students succeed on the IELTS?
Cousins of TBLT
Problem-based learning ESP classes (e.g., business) Final projects: reports, oral presentations Web quests School newsletters Process writing classes Communicative / Content-based classes
Cousins of TBLT
Web quests School newsletters
Problem-based learning
Communicative class activities Final projects: reports, oral presentations Process writing classes
ESP classes (e.g., business communication)
English as a Process is as means to important achieve a as product task
Students are free to complete as they wish (openended)
What is „task-based language teaching‟? (Ellis, 2007)
TBLT is an approach to teaching a second/foreign language that seeks to engage learners in interactionally authentic language use by having them perform a series of tasks. It aims to both enable learners: (1) to acquire new linguistic knowledge (2) to proceduralize their existing knowledge.
Purposeful / contextualized / specific
Comparing Syllabi Traditional
Begin with discrete pieces of language Teaching tends to be deductive Little context and purpose Learner‟s role is to:
Learn explicitly Synthesize Apply, transfer
Task-based
Begin with relevant tasks
Inductive, learner-centered teaching preferred Much context and purpose Learner‟s role is to:
Make product or prepare for task performance Analyze (find useful pieces of language) Integrate holistically
Traditional Model: “Push” syllabus
Discourse:
Context, Purpose
Skills: R, L, S, W Knowledge: Pronunciation, Vocab, Grammar, Spelling
TBLT Schematic
Tasks (Demands / Support) Language as Skill-based Discourse
Language as System
TBLT – The “Pull” Syllabus
Tasks (Demands / Support) Language as Discourse
Language as System
Comparison P-P-P
Task-based
1.
Language/form is focus
1.
2.
Material-centered Content has been predigested and specified Convergent – find the right answer
2.
3. 4.
5.
6.
Learner repeats, understands, applies
Less room for communication and improvisation
3.
4.
Performance/meaning is focus Activity-centered Content varies depending on what learner draws from input or brings to task Divergent – explore, interpret, extend
5.
Learner selects, integrates, negotiates, monitors
6.
More room for purposeful communication
Main Advantages of TBLT (Ellis, 2009)
1.TBLT offers the opportunity for „natural‟ learning inside the classroom. 2.It emphasizes meaning over form but can also cater for learning form. 3.It affords learners a rich input of target language. 4.It is intrinsically motivating. 5.It is compatible with a learner-centred educational philosophy but also allows for teacher input and direction. 6.It caters to the development of communicative ability while not neglecting accuracy. 7.It can be used alongside a more traditional approach.
How does TBLT complicate instruction?
Tasks (e.g., planning, problem solving, and decision making) may require extra skills, strategies, and background knowledge. Task requirements may be complex:
balancing need for accuracy, fluency, communicative effectiveness, etc.
Why not focus directly on English learning?
Holism in Education
the „whole‟ is always greater than the sum of its parts Pragmatics and discourse focus on contextualized meaning ‘exercises’ or ‘tasks’ (Candlin)
„exercises‟ = sequenceable preliminaries to, or supporters, of tasks „tasks‟ = more inclusive activities, engaging students in a variety of interlocking processes
Continuum of activities focusing on form vs. meaning (Littlewood, 2004)
Continuum of activities focusing on form vs. meaning (Littlewood, 2004)
Broader Educational Benefits
Cooperative activities Developing thinking skills
Analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing Complex decision making Problem solving Planning, designing
Final Tasks in Textbook Units
Common tasks----Extension (write a story) Integration Personalized use of language (e.g., role-play) Application Transfer Independent Study
TBLT Principles (Nunan, 2004)
Task dependency: „Within a lesson, one task should grow out of, and build upon the ones that have gone before. Recycling: „Recycling language maximizes opportunities for learning and activates the „organic‟ learning principle. Active learning: „Learners acquire the language by actively using it. Integration of form and function: „Learners are taught in ways that make clear the relationships between grammatical form, communicative function, and semantic meaning.
TBLT Principles (Nunan, 2004)
Reproduction to creation:„In reproductive tasks, learners reproduce language models provided by the teacher, the textbook or the CD. In creative tasks, learners are recombining familiar elements in novel ways. Learning strategies: „Learners focus on learning process as well as language content. Reflection: „Learners should be given opportunities to reflect on what they have learned and how well they are doing.
Common Misunderstanding of TBLT addressed (Ellis, 2009)
the interaction that results from tasks is often impoverished and can lead to fossilization. Sheen (2003) claims that in TBLT there is „no grammar syllabus‟. any treatment of grammar takes the form of quick corrective feedback allowing for minimal interruption of the task activity. post-task grammar work is supposed to take the form of grammar-problem solving tasks (i.e. CR tasks). no empirical evidence to support either the hypotheses that construct the theoretical rationale for TBLT or to demonstrate that TBLT is superior
Common Misunderstandings Persist Myth: TBLT puts the emphasis on output. This is the most fundamental misunderstanding of TBLT because it assumes that tasks must inevitably involve interaction and production. Indeed, extensive reading activities can be done to fulfil tasks. Arguably, a task-based course is capable of providing much greater exposure to the target language than a traditional course.
Some Real Problems with the Educational System and Solutions (Ellis) Problems
Solutions
1. Emphasis on ‘knowledge learning’
Educational philosophy needs to change
2. Examination system
More communicative tests need to be developed. Use group work; develop tasks suited to large classes.
3. Large classes
Case Study: TBLT in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Secondary English Syllabus: Healthy Eating Tasks
The Health Club of the school is going to conduct a Health Week to promote the importance of having a healthy diet and good eating habits. Task 1 A Survey on Diets and Eating Habits Students, as club members, work in groups of four to construct a questionnaire and conduct a school survey to investigate their schoolmates‟ diets and eating habits. Task 2 Posters for Promoting Healthy Eating Students, as club members, work in groups of four to design and produce a poster to promote healthy eating and good eating habits. Task 3 A Healthy Recipe Students devise their own healthy recipes to enter a competition. The well-devised recipes will be compiled into a booklet on healthy eating.
Hong Kong‟s reactions to TBLT (Carless, 2007)
TBLT is time-consuming task-based activities may give rise to loss of control excessive or off-task use of the mother tongue too much emphasis on speaking (Anglo-American bias?); textbooks are 80% oral skills High schools exams are mainly traditional, not aligned with TBLT goals
Some Local Adaptations
a „soft‟ TBLT approach: language input has to be given at quite an early stage need for direct grammar instruction either as part of a pre-task stage or as a self-contained stage of lesson (PPP). situated task-based approaches= culture, setting and teachers‟ existing beliefs, values and practices are accommodated
Work in progress
Don‟t equate TBLT with group work More teacher education needed Increased use of listening and reading Developing understanding of ways the post-task phase can be used for language analysis, focus on form, and reflection External examinations had become increasingly integrative and task-based in recent years.
Case Study: A TBLT Course in A Thai University
Positive reactions to a task-based EFL course in a Thai university (McDonough & Chaikitmongkol, 2007)
Students reported increased learner independence Concern about inadequate grammar instruction diminished as course progressed (teachers and students) Positive reactions to metacognitive strategies: critical thinking, evaluation, monitoring Readily saw relevance of TBLT to academic contexts (less for non-academic)
TBLT Syllabus in Thailand
TBLT Syllabus in Thailand
Concerns about a task-based EFL course in Thailand (McDonough & Chaikitmongkol, 2007)
Need for active participation was an issue Need for more teacher support – e.g., clarifying task requirements Teachers were concerned about too many materials and activities
Assessment developments
school-based assessment: students read books and view movies then carry out oral tasks through individual presentations and group interactions for 15% of the public examination mark (Davison, 2007) . Better integration of TBLT and requirements of examinations
Challenges in an exam-driven setting
Short-term thinking: Analogy: doctors can also offer “relief”
An exam-driven curriculum at UAEU
Curricular Milestones
Succeed on IELTS test
Curricular Milestones
Intermediate English: knowledge & skills
Succeed on IELTS test
Curricular Milestones
Learner‟s interests / background
Use English for academic study
Intermediate English: knowledge & skills
Succeed on IELTS test Use English in life / work
What is the proper role of IELTS?
IELTS limitations: it covers many levels of general proficiency, not just beginning academic language proficiency
Does UGRU have a speaking syllabus?
It is indirect, efficient, and probabilistic
Success on good test items (those that are highly discriminating) correlates highly with overall proficiency IELTS tasks and items represent things that proficient users of English tend to be able to perform IELTS does not include many critical language tasks:
Read an article and summarize it, analyze it, etc.
Alternative: cloze tests??
Problems with “exam-driven” syllabi
Knowledge and skills aren‟t developed for clear purposes
Academic language proficiency is weak
Key academic skills and tasks may be skipped:
Summarize, paraphrase,
Communicative context too general Breadth of vocabulary (little depth) Productive grammar ability (little receptive) Standard Comprehension Tasks: Main ideas and details
Study, analyze, compare, evaluate, discuss,
(Little inferential or critical comprehension)
Strategies for “appearing” fluent in speaking and writing
Designing Task-based Syllabi
Really issue is usually with the meaning of “based,” not “task”
Will tasks be the main focus of the course, or just additional practice activities?
Backward mapping/planning (standards-based education): specific learning goals are identified and plans are made to ensure that those goals are achieved.
(1) identify desired results (2) determine acceptable evidence (3) plan learning experiences and instruction. (Wiggins and McTighe, 1998)
Accessible Task-based topics
Travel: plan, decide, solve problems Health/Diet: plan, decide, evaluate, etc. Business: propose, evaluate, sales Personal finance: solve problems, plan Careers/Jobs: interview, advise, evaluate
Boosting language learning in TBLT
More input (examples and useful data available before, during and after) Give students access to useful information and examples while they do tasks (cards, posters, student-made notes, etc.) More language-intensive academic tasks: summarizing, paraphrasing, outlining, etc. Continuous monitoring / assessment: keeping track of less-motivated students Avoiding shortcuts, rewarding developed task performance
Task-based research / language course at Petroleum Institute
Holistic Task-Based Project Units (Nunn, 2008)
Embody a task-cycle that integrates different skills Combine repeated tasks and supporting exercises Respect key SLA principles Combine educational and language development goals Help students develop and demonstrate multiple academic “competences” Build assessment into the unit design Caveat: Nunn‟s ESP context is ideal for TBLT, and the focus on basic language learning is small
Unit Overview (Nunn, 2008)
Unit Overview (cont.)
Research report assessment rubric categories (Nunn, 2008) Task: refers to broad externally determined factors • The genre of writing such as proposal, minutes, MOU • Specifications for a particular task (see documents) • Individual teachers' instructions and emphases (such as number of words, subtopics that must be addressed) • Relevance of all sections and paragraphs to the task
Organization: refers to coherence and macro-structure • Coherence between sections • Transitions between paragraphs • Development throughout the piece
Content: refers to information content within sections and paragraphs • Relevance of sentences/propositions within paragraph • Quality of supporting evidence, argumentation for statements made • Quantity of information in each section or paragraph
Language: refers to choices made between and within sentences • Lexis/syntax • Collocation/colligation • Clarity/brevity/accuracy • Formality • Punctuation/spelling
Issues for future research in TBLT (Foster, 2009)
map a direct and explicit relationship between tasks and second language acquisition show task-based instruction is a more effective way of classroom teaching than any other methodology task outcomes are inevitably unpredictable (planned vs. actual processes)
References
Special Conference Proceedings Volume: Task-based Learning in the Asian Context. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, September 2006. Volume 8, Issue 3. See http://www.asian-efljournal.com/September_2006_EBook_editions.pdf
Ellis, R. (2006). The methodology of task-based teaching. Asian EFL Journal, 8(3), 19–45. Retrieved from http://www.kansaiu.ac.jp/fl/publication/pdf_education/04/5rodellis.pdf
Ellis, R. (2009). Task-based language teaching: sorting out the misunderstandings. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 19(3), 221-246. Nunn, R., & Thurman, J. (2010). The Benefits and Challenges of Holistic In-house Task-based Language Learning and Assessment.
References
McDonough, K., & Chaikitmongkol, W. (2007). Teachers' and learners' reactions to a task-based EFL course in Thailand. TESOL Quarterly, 41(1), 107–132. Foster, P. (2009). Task-based language learning research: expecting too much or too little? International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 19(3), 247-263. Willis, D., & Willis, J. R. (2007). Doing Task-based Teaching. Oxford University Press.
