Developing Learners’ Communicative Competence

Through Task-Based InstructionTask-Based Instruction

Overview

Goals of foreign language learning Current teaching practices “Exercise” vs. “Task” What is task? Why?--Task-Based Instruction—TBITBI How to design and use TBITBI? Question-answer

Language is …

used as a vehicle for communication communication

Communication is …

Lee (2000)• Expression• Interpretation• Negotiation of meaning

Long (1996) • Genuine human interaction • Input feedback output

Language Competence …

FluencyHow wellwell?

AccuracyHow accurateaccurate?

PragmaticsHow appropriateappropriate?

Real-Life Situation …

A sunny afternoon on the street in Granada, Spain …

María: Hmm … ¿Me puedo ,,, puedes decir donde ir a banco?

Desconocido: Bueno, está muy cerca de aquí. Pase por el semáforo y doble a la derecha en la primera calle. El banco está al lado del restaurante “Pollo Loco”

María: Hmm … ¿semáforo? [confused]

Desconocido: [point it out the light] luces

María: Ah …vvvvoy a banco para dinero

no restaurante, sí?

Desconocido: [took the pen out and started to

draw the picture] Mire …

María: Sí, sí, sí, gracias! [smiling] Tú eres muy amable.

“Poor Mary”

¿Tú or Ud.?

Pragmatics?

donde ir a banco

Accuracy?

Hmm…Ah… Hmm…

Fluency?

Expression

Interpretation

Negotiation of meaning

“Mary in Class”

María,

¡No hables más!Oye, ¿Me escuchas?

Blank, Blank, Blank …

Fill in each blank with the correct form of the verb.• Yo _________ (caminar) por el parque y

sus amigos ________(practicar) frisbi en la playa.

• Nosotros _________(escribir) composiciones y Luis __________(leer) el texto de español.

Matching

Column A

1. ¿Cómo es el profesor?

2. ¿Cuándo es la clase?

3. ¿Quién siempre saca buenas notas?

4. ¿Cuántos estudiantes hay?

5. ¿Dónde es la clase?

Column B

A. Veintitrés

B. En Horton Hall 303

C. Miguel DeRosa

D. Muy serio y perfeccionista

E. A la una de la tarde

Pattern Practice

Modelo Juan: ¿Vas a la escuela? María: No, no voy a la escuela.

1. ¿Vas a la biblioteca?

2. ¿Va tu amigo a la playa?

3. ¿Van tus amigos a la plaza?

4. ¿Vamos al parque?

Dialogue

Perform the following memorized dialogue.• María: ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?• Juan: Muy bien. ¿Y tú?• María: Regular. ¿Tienes clase ahora?• Juan: No. ¿Tomamos café juntos?• María: Sí. Me gusta “Green Mountain”• Juan: A mí también.

Communicative Drill

Your partner is asking what you did last week. Be sure to answer in complete sentences.

1. Buy Christmas gifts

2. Study for a exam

3. See Halloween decorations

4. Attend a birthday party

ExercisesExercises

ExercisesExercises

No More …

ExercisesExercises

Let’s Discuss …

Why are these “exercisesexercises”? What teaching method is used? What is the main focus? Is it sufficient to “practicepractice” the

language? Why?

Exercises …

Focus on “Form” No “creativity” Lack of “authenticity” Exhausting and boring

¡Estoy agotado!

¡Qué aburrido!

Limitations …

Teacher = “drilldrill” leader Student = “learner” but not “user” Focus = “form” Practice = perfect

• Audiolingual Method (ALM) Output = learned patterns

Changes …

Evolution NOTNOT Revolution

From ALM to Communicative Language Teaching—CLTCLT

From exercisesexercises to taskstasks

Differences …

Ellis (2002) Exercise

• Form-focused language use• Language “learner”• Intentional

TaskTask• Meaning-focused language use• Language “user”• Incidental

More Changes …

From “form” to

““meaning”meaning” + “form”“form” From Communication = question +

answer

to

Communication = expression, interpretation and negotiation of meaning (Lee, 2000)

TasksTasks

Task ...Task ...

A tasktask is an activity “where thetarget language is used by thelearner for a communicativepurpose (goal) in order toachieve an outcome.”

Jane Willis

Example #1: Fill in forms

Listen toListen to the conversation and write the missing information of each student.

Name: AnnaAge: 35Country:Birth Date:Married:Single:Occupation:Hobbies:

Name: AndrewAge:Country:Birth Date:Married:Single: Occupation:Hobbies:

Name: JohnAge:Country:Birth Date:Married:Single:Occupation:Hobbies: Jazz

Example #1: (continued)

Now compare your answers with your partner.

Name: AnnaAge: 35Country:Birth Date:Married:Single:Occupation:Hobbies:

Name: AndrewAge:Country:Birth Date:Married:Single: Occupation:Hobbies:

Name: JohnAge:Country:Birth Date:Married:Single:Occupation:Hobbies: Jazz

Example #2: Fill in a chart

Listen toListen to the automated ticketing service for ‘What’s on around town this weekend’. Make a list of movies, and concerts and how much they cost.

Movies Concerts$$$ ________________$$$ ________________$$$ ________________$$$ ________________$$$ ________________$$$ ________________

Example #2 (continued)

First decide three activities you would like to do and then work with your partner to make up the schedule for the activities.

Activity 1

What?

Where?

How much?

What time?

Activity 2

What?

Where?

How much?

What time?

Activity 3

What?

Where?

How much?

What time?

Example #3: Role-play

You are in a clothing store and have $150 to spend.

Card B: You are clerk

--Offer to help--Tell him/her whatis on sale--Suggestions: a bottleof perfume for mom, a pair of pants for brother, watch for boyfriend--Go to the customerService

Card A: You are customer --You are looking forgifts for three people--Your mom, brother and boyfriend--Ask for suggestions --Ask for prices--Ask him/her to wrap the gifts--Thanks him/her

Example #4: Decision-making

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.

Example #4 (continued)

Axe (8 kilos) Waterproof sheets of fabric (3 kilos each.) Notebook computer (3.5 kilos) Rope (6 kilos). Fire lighting kits (500 grams each) Portable CD player and CDs (4 kilos.) Short-wave radio (12 kilos) Medical kit (2 kilos.) Bottles of water (1.5 kilos each) Packets of sugar, flour, rice, powdered milk, coffee, tea. (Each

packet weighs 500 grams) Cans of food (500 grams each) Box of novels and magazines (3 kilos)

Source: Nunan D. (2000)

Example #4 (continued)

Now work with three other students and choose the most important threethree items that you absolutely need to take with you.

Item #1

Item #2

Item #3

Example #5: Jigsaw

“Esteban’s routine” Student A: drawings—1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 Student B: drawings—2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 Generate the story orally with your partner Write an essay together on a blank sheet of

paper Time: 30 minutes

Textbook: ¿Sabías qué? (2002)

Esteban se levanta y se lava ….

Let’s Discuss …

Task? Why? What are the common features? Other types?

Task ...Task ...

Focus on both “meaningmeaning” and “formform”

• “Meaning”—information, idea

• “Form”—grammar, vocabulary

¡Qué divertido!¡Qué música!

Task-Based Task-Based InstructionInstruction

TBI …TBI …

promotes communication communication, interactioninteraction and negotiationnegotiation

fosters active active participation and scaffoldingscaffolding

allows extendedextended discourse

TBI …TBI …

requires linguisticlinguistic and cognitivecognitive skills

focuses on both accuracyaccuracy and fluencyfluency

engages in real-timereal-time language processing

One Step More …

From

Question-Answer

To

Task-based Activities Task-based Activities

Question-Answer Discussion

--What did you do last weekend?Teacher: Did you go to the library?(select a student)John: No, I went to see a movieTeacher: What movie did you see?John: “Shall we dance?” Teacher: Who else went to see a movie?(select a student)Mary: No, I watched TV and ate pop corn. Teacher: What program did you watch?Mary: “The Sopranos”

What did you do last weekend?What did you do last weekend?

Task-Based Activity

Step 1

Activity Dance at a party Running five miles Playing video games Playing a sport Reading a book Watching TV Writing a letter Making dinner

Sedentary Active

__________________

__________________

__________________

__________________

__________________

__________________

__________________

__________________

Source: Lee (2000)

Step 2: Five More Activities

Activity ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

Sedentary Active

_______________

_______________

_______________

_______________

_______________

Step 3: Interview …

--Did you go fishing last week? --No, I read a book “How to become a

millionaire?”

Step 4: Compare …

Your partners responses to the categorizations you made in Steps 1 and 2.

Step 5: Conclusion …

Use the scale to rate your partner’s week.

very sedentary as sedentary very activeas active

1 2 3 4 5

Task-Based Activity

“The Most Interesting Person”

Steps …

Step 1• List 10 words that associate with “interesting”

Step 2• Describe the person in U.S./in Spain/in France,

etc. Step 3

• Compare your answers with your partner Step 4

• “Who is the most interesting person? And why?”

Criteria …

Identifying a desired outcome• Describe the person

Breaking down the topic into subtopics• 3-4 steps from easy to difficult

Creating concrete tasks• From words to sentences

Building in linguistic support • Vocabulary: adjectives • Grammar: to be/like/…

Types

Listing Ordering and sorting

• Sequencing/ranking • Categorizing/classifying

Comparing similarities/differences Problem solving

• Decision making• Information gap

Sharing experiences • Describing/narrating

Participatory Structure

Individual• Intra-personal (private speech)

Social • Interpersonal • Teacher-students• Student-teacher/other students• Student-student (group or pair-work)

ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines

Incorporation of four skills plus culture

“Tasks” instead of “exercises”

Final Thoughts

Authentic materials/pictures

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