Linking High School and College English through Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT)

BONIFACIO T. CUNANANBulacan State University

2nd National Conference, Challenges of K -12 English Language Teaching May 20-21, 2013, Albertus Magnus Auditorium, College of EducationUniversity of Santo Tomas, Manila

 AbstractTo make it realistic, responsive, and relevant to the needs of society, revising and restructuring the curriculum is imperative. Curriculum revision opens possibilities like bridging information gaps, improving both human and non-human resources, and reviewing of practices and priorities. The impact of the K to 12 Program, being a major educational reform of the present administration, is far reaching inasmuch as it extends and expands basic education and streamlines tertiary education. In this perspective, this paper attempts to stand in the gap to link teaching of English in the high school and the college levels. Generally, it deals with the changes in teaching the language arts under the K to 12 Program and the perceived or projected needs of the Filipinos in the 21st century through a curriculum that is decongested, seamless, relevant and responsive, enriched, and learner-centered. Specifically, it shows how Task-based Approach can reset the mind frame of stakeholders, particularly English language teachers, as regards their new roles, preparation and use of teaching and learning materials, views on the nature of language, language learning and language teaching, assessment procedures, and standards in gauging learners’ competencies and proficiencies.

This presentation aims to discuss…• Changes in teaching the language arts under the K

to 12 Program• Perceived needs of the Filipinos in the 21st century • Show how Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT)

change the mind and roles of ELT teachers• Preparation and use of teaching and learning

materials• Views on the nature of language• New paradigms in language learning and teaching • Assessment procedures• Standards in gauging learners’ competencies and

proficiencies

INTEGRATEDLAGUAGE ARTS FRAMEWORK

(K to 12 Program)

Presentation Outline (Based onNunan, 2004)1. Comparing Major Approaches to Language

Curriculum2. Defining Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT)3. Drawing the Framework for TBLT4. Identifying the Task Components of TBLT5. Classifying Tasks6. Discussing the Research Components of TBLT7. Grading and Sequencing of Tasks8. Giving Consideration to Learning Styles and

Strategies9. The Place of Grammar within TBLT10. Assessing Students

Two Major Approaches to Syllabus Designs (Wilkins, 1976)

Synthetic Approach- different parts of the language are taught

separately and step by step - acquisition is a gradual process of accumulation of

parts until the whole structure of the language has been built up

Analytic approach- begins with the analysis of the communicative

needs of the learners- learners are confronted with naturalistic chunks of

language which they analyze for themselves

Methods Using Analytic Approach- Content-based instruction (Brinton, 2003)- Project-based pedagogy (Ribe and Vidal, 1993)- Task-based language teaching (Nunan, 2004)

Content-based instruction

Project-based pedagogy

Task-based language teaching

integrates subject matter from disciplines

is organized around large-scale projects

is organized around things we do in everyday life

Organization of the learning experience- Transmission Model (a teacher-centered classroom)- Experiential Model ( a learning-by-doing classroom)

Comparison of Traditional and CommunicativeApproaches to Language Teaching

Key Concepts Traditional CommunicativeLanguage is… a system speech sounds,

vocabulary, and sentences.a resource for creating and exchanging meanings.

Learning consists of…

habit formation, imitation, memorization, and internalization of rules.

real communication, simulation, and by doing.

A language syllabus designed through…

selection and sequencing of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar items.

selection and sequencing of communication tasks that learners use in real life situations.

Classroom activities include…

drill, memorization, repetition

role playing, simulations of authentic language experiences

Defining TBLTA task is…• a piece of work undertaken for oneself or for others, freely or

for some reward like the hundred and one thing that people do in everyday life, at work, at play, and in between. (Long, 1985)

• an activity or action which is carried out as the result of processing or understanding language (Richards, et al. 1986: 289)

• any structured language learning endeavour which has a particular objective, appropriate content, a specified working procedure, and a range of outcomes for those who undertake the task (Breen (1987: 23)

• a workplan that requires learners to process language pragmatically in order to achieve and outcome that can be evaluated in terms of whether the correct or appropriate propositional content has been conveyed. (Ellis, 2003)

Defining TBLTA task is…• a piece of classroom work that involves learners in

comprehending, manipulating, producing, or interacting in the target language while their attention is focused on mobilizing their grammatical knowledge in order to express meaning (Nunan, 2004)

• real-world / target tasks are the uses of language in the world beyond the classroom; pedagogical tasks are those that occur in the classroom (Nunan, 2004)

Sample Activity

Pedagogical task: activation rationaleWork with three other students. You are on a ship that is sinking. You have to swim to a nearby island. You have a waterproof container, but can only carry 20  kilos  of  items  in  it.  Decide  which  of  the  following  items  you  will  take. (Remember, you can’t take more than 20 kilos with you.)

• Axe (8 kilos) • Box of novels and magazines (3

kilos)• Cans of food (500 grams) • Packets of sugar, flour, rice,

powdered milk, coffee, tea (each packet weighs 500 grams)

• Bottles of water (1.5 kilos each)• Medical kit (2 kilos)

• Short-wave radio (12 kilos) • Portable CD player and CDs (4

kilos)• Firelighting kits (500 grams each)• Rope (6 kilos)• Notebook computer (3.5 kilos)• Waterproof sheets of fabric kilos)

(3 kilos each)

Drawing the Framework for TBLT

Real-world/ target tasks

Pedagogicaltasks

Enabling skills

Communicative activities

Language exercises

Activation tasks

Rehearsal tasks

Identifying the Task Components of TBLT

Shavelson & Stern (1981) suggested that a task consists of:

• Content – the subject matter to be taught• Materials – the things that learners can manipulate• Activities – the things that learners and teachers    

will do during a lesson• Goals – the teacher’s general aims for the task• Students – their abilities and interests should be 

considered• Social Community – the class as a whole

Identifying the Task Components of TBLT

Candlin (1987) added the following components:

TASK

Goals Input Procedures

Teacher role Learner role Settings

The Task Components of TBLTGoals are the vague, general intentions behind any 

learning task that provide a link between the task and the broader curriculum.

Input refers to the spoken, written and visual data that learners work with in the course of completing a task.

Procedure specifies what learners will actually do with the input that forms the point of departure for the learning task.

Teacher and learner role refers to the part that learners and teachers are expected to play in carrying out learning tasks as well as the social and interpersonal relationships between the participants.

Settings refers to the classroom arrangements specified or implied in the task.

Identifying the Task Components of TBLTTask Notion

(Context of Culture/Situation)

Function(Language Role)

Form(Formal Feature)

Look at the mapwith your partner.You are at the hotel.Ask your partner fordirections to the bank.

Exchanging goods and services

Asking for and giving directions

Wh-questionsYes/No questionsImperatives

Look at a set of ‘tolet’ ads, and decidewith three otherstudents on the mostsuitable place to rent.

Exchanging goods and services

Asking about and stating of prices

How much?How many?Yes/No questions

You are at a party.Introduce yourpartner to threeother people.

Socializing ExchangingPersonalinformation

Stative verbsDemonstrative:ThisYes/No questions

Classifying Tasks (Prabhu, 1987) Information-gap activity

Transfer of given information from one person to another that calls for decoding and encoding of information

Reasoning-gap activity Deriving some new information from given 

information through inference, deduction, partial reasoning, or perception of relationships or patterns

Opinion-gap activityIdentifying and stating a personal preference, feeling, or attitude in response to a situation

Discussing the Research Components of TBLT

Comprehensible Input and Comprehensible Output

Communication as Negotiation of Meaning From Teaching Method to Learning Strategy

Grading and Sequencing of Tasks

beyond testing grammatical complexity

grading/gradation may be based on the complexity of the item, frequency in written or spoken English, or importance to the learner (Richards, Platt, & Weber, 1886)

Three Factors in Grading and Sequencing of Tasks

Language factors: length or reading/listening passage, density of information, frequency of vocabulary, speed of spoken texts, number of speakers involved, and explicitness of information

Learner factors: confidence, motivation, prior learning experience, learning pace, observed ability in language skills, cultural knowledge/awareness, and linguistic knowledge

Procedural factors: relevance, complexity, amount of context provided, processibility of language of the task, amount of help available to the teacher, grammatical  accuracy/fluency/complexity, time available to the learner, and follow-up/feedback

Giving Consideration to Learning Styles and Strategies

Learning style is a learner’s natural and preferred way of learning.

Learning strategy is the mental and communicative process a learner must use to complete a task successfully.

Learning Styleso Cognitive – the way people mentally

organize ideas (field dependency, global vs. analytic)

o Sensory – preferences like seeing, hearing, or manipulating (visual, auditory, tactile, kinaesthetic)

o Personality – reflect introversion or extroversion (global vs. analytic or intuitive vs. active)

Learning StrategiesCognitive: classifying, predicting, inducing, taking

notes, concept mapping, inferencing, discrimination, diagramming

Interpersonal: co-operating, role playingLinguistic: conversational patterns, practicing, using

context, summarizing, selective listening, and skimming

Affective: personalizing, self-evaluating, and reflecting

Creative: brainstorming

Seven principles for TBLT

Principle 1: ScaffoldingLessons and materials should provide supporting frameworks within which the learning takes place. At the beginning of the learning process, learners should not be expected to produce language that has not been introduced either explicitly or implicitly.

Principle 2: Task dependencyWithin a lesson, one task should grow out of, and build upon, the ones that have gone before.

Seven principles for TBLT

Principle 3: Recycling• Recycling language maximizes opportunities for learning and activates the ‘organic’ learning principle.

Principle 4: Active learning• Learners learn best by actively using the language they are learning.

Seven principles for TBLTPrinciple 5: Integration• Learners should be taught in ways that make clear the relationships between linguistic form, communicative function and semantic meaning.

Principle 6: Reproduction to creation• Learners should be encouraged to move from reproductive to creative language use.

Principle 7: Reflection• Learners should be given opportunities to reflect on what they have learned and how well they are doing.

The Place of Grammar within TBLTFocused vs. unfocused taskFocused task – a particular structure is required in order for a 

task to be completedUnfocused task – learners are able to use any linguistic resource 

to complete a task

Deductive vs. inductive approachDeductive approach – the teacher provides a grammatical 

rule/principle which they subsequently apply through various exercises

Inductive approach – the learners work with samples of language containing the target structure and come to formulate the rule or principle for themselves, through a process of guided discovery

Assessing StudentsAssessment – judging how well learners are doing like student’s 

progress or achievement, a component of evaluation

Evaluation – how well the curriculum is helping the learners achieve their goals that includes collection and analysis of data towards informed educational decisions

          - can be formal (involving external individuals) or relatively informal (involving classroom teachers) (Brown, 1995; Rea-Dickins & Germaine, 1993)

- essential to successful education, it forms the basis for appropriate and effective decision-making (Genesee, 2001)

Checklist for Evaluating Communicative Tasks

Goals & Rationale reflects real-world and pedagogic rationale, nature of language and learning and shows if the task appropriate to the learners’ proficiency level 

Input Considers authenticity and appropriateness of the task

Procedures Stimulates learners’ processing skills with emphasis on aspects of forms  

Roles & settings Differentiates roles of teachers and learners, levels of  complexities in the classroom organization

Implementation Encourages meaning negotiation and prompts genuine communicative interaction

Grading & Integration

Reflects the principles upon which tasks are sequenced and incorporates exercises in learning-how-to learn

Assessment & Evaluation

Measures how learners have performed with success and utilizes realistic tasks in terms of resources and teacher expertise

Higher Order Thinking Skills and Advanced Tasks

WRITING FLYERS & BROCHURES

Tasks and Outputs are assessed by using:

Evaluation Checklist

Question and Answer

Linking High School and College English through Task-based Language Teaching