TBL


"Task-based learning is like an adventure--learners surprise you by coming up with all kinds of things..." "... exploring language in this way opens up whole new vistas...."
These were comments made by teachers at the end of a recent workshop on using a task-based approach to language teaching.
Classroom adventures, though often exciting and rewarding, entail elements of risk that can make things quite scary for the teacher. I want to show here how this risk can be minimised by principled use of a task-based learning framework, and then propose a taxonomy to help teachers generate tasks that will prove fulfilling and challenging but not too risky.
What is a Task?
By task, I mean a goal-oriented activity with a clear purpose. Doing a communication task involves achieving an outcome, creating a final product that can be appreciated by other. Examples include compiling a list of reasons, features, or things that need doing under particular circumstances; comparing two pictures and/or texts to find the differences; and solving a problem or designing a brochure.
Tasks can be used as the central component of a three part framework: "pre-task," "task cycle," and "language focus." These components have been carefully designed to create four optimum conditions for language acquisition, and thus provide rich learning opportunities to suit different types of learners. Figure 1 outlines the roles of the teacher and learners during a task-based learning (TBL) lesson. Note especially the degree of teacher control, and the opportunities for learner language use.
Figure 1: Task-Based Learning Framework
Components of a TBL Framework
PRE-TASK PHASE
INtrODUCTION TO TOPIC AND TASK
Teacher explores the topic with the class, highlights useful words and phrases, and helps learners understand task instructions and prepare. Learners may hear a recording of others doing a similar task, or read part of a text as a lead in to a task.

TASK CYCLE
TASK
Students do the task, in pairs or small groups. Teacher monitors from a distance, encouraging all attempts at communication, not correcting. Since this situation has a "private" feel, students feel free to experiment. Mistakes don't matter.
PLANNING
Students prepare to report to the whole class (orally or in writing) how they did the task, what they decided or discovered. Since the report stage is public, students will naturally want to be accurate, so the teacher stands by to give language advice.
REPORT
Some groups present their reports to the class, or exchange written reports, and compare results. Teacher acts as a chairperson, and then comments on the content of the reports.
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 way to the one they have written themselves, or related in topic to the task they have done.
LANGUAGE FOCUS
ANALYSIS
Students examine and then discuss specific features of the text or transcript of the recording. They can enter new words, phrases and patterns in vocabulary books.
PRACTICE
Teacher conducts practice of new words, phrases, and patterns occurring in the data, either during or after the Analysis.
Sometime after completing this sequence, learners may benefit from doing a similar task with a different partner.
Conditions for Learning
Learners get exposure at the pre-task stage, and a chance to recall things they know. The task cycle gives them speaking and writing exposure with opportunities for students to learn from each other.
The task cycle also gives students opportunities to use whatever language they have, both in private (where mistakes, hesitations, and approximate renderings do not matter so long as the meaning is clear) and in public (where there is a built-in desire to strive for accuracy of form and meaning, so as not to lose face).
Motivation (short term) is provided mainly by the need to achieve the objectives of the task and to report back on it. Success in doing this can increase longer term motivation. Motivation to listen to fluent speakers doing the task is strong too, because in attempting the task, learners will notice gaps in their own language, and will listen carefully to hear how fluent speakers express themselves.
A focus on form is beneficial in two phases in the framework. The planning stage between the private task and the public report promotes close attention to language form. As learners strive for accuracy, they try to organise their reports clearly and check words and patterns they are not sure of. In the final component, language analysis activities also provide a focus on form through consciousness-raising processes. Learners notice and reflect on language features, recycle the task language, go back over the text or recording and investigate new items, and practise pronouncing useful phrases.
Language Analysis Activities
People have often been under the impression that task-based learning means "forget the grammar." As we have discussed above, this would not be a wise move.
The aim of analysis activities is to encourage learners to investigate language for themselves, and to form and test their own hypotheses about how language works. In the task-based cycle, the language data comes from the texts or transcripts of recordings used in the task cycle, or from samples of language they have read or heard in earlier lessons. Having already processed these texts and recordings for meaning, students will get far more out of their study of language form.
Analysis activities can be followed by quick bursts of oral or written practice, or dictionary reference work (see Willis & Willis, 1996 for specific ideas). Finally, students need time to note down useful words, phrases, and patterns into a language notebook. Regular revision of these will help vocabulary acquisition.
Assessing the Risks
So what risks are there for the teacher? The pre-task stage is normally teacher-led: little risk of chaos here. Although learners are free to interact in pairs and groups in the task cycle, there is a firm agenda for them to follow, such as the achievement of the task goal. A (shortish) time limit for each phase helps, too. The pressure from the prospect of reporting in public ensures learner engagement at the interim planning stage. At the beginning and end of each phase, the teacher assumes full control.
The language focus component does need careful preparation: Whatever analysis activity is set needs to be done by the teacher beforehand to iron out problems. More examples can then be found in dictionaries or grammar books. Sometimes teachers worry that they may not know the answers to incidental language queries that learners have--there are always some! But learners can be encouraged to explore these further on their own, or in pairs, or together with the teacher, with the help of dictionaries, computer databases, or concordance lines, and then report on them in the next lesson.
Each type involves different cognitive processes. The top three types increase in cognitive complexity from left to right, but are generally cognitively less challenging than the three at the bottom. These may involve more complex cognitive operations or combinations of simpler task types.
For example, taking the topic "cats," a listing task might be: List three reasons why people think cats make good pets. A comparing task might be to compare cats and dogs as pets. A problem-solving task could be to think of three low budget solutions to the problem of looking after a cat when the family is absent. An experience sharing or anecdote telling task could involve sharing stories about cats.
It is always a good idea to record two or three pairs of fluent speakers doing (and reporting) the tasks, so that you can choose the best recording, transcribe it, and use it in class to illustrate features of spontaneous and planned language. Working with real data is exciting; there are always discoveries to be made, and here the risk is reduced by having time to prepare for what crops up in the recording.
Conclusions
TBL offers a change from the grammar practice routines through which many learners have previously failed to learn to communicate. It encourages learners to experiment with whatever English they can recall, to try things out without fear of failure and public correction, and to take active control of their own learning, both in and outside class.
For the teacher, the framework offers security and control. While it may be true that TBL is an adventure, it can be undertaken within the safety of an imaginatively designed playground.



BY: Naty Camarillo.

TBL

Task based learning

In practice

The core of the lesson is, as the name suggests, the task. All parts of the language used are deemphasized during the activity itself, in order to get students to focus on the task. Although there may be several effective frameworks for creating a task-based learning lesson, here is a rather comprehensive one suggested by Jane Willis: Note that each lesson may be broken into several stages with some stages removed or others added as the instructor sees fit:

Pre-task

In the pre-task, the teacher will present what will be expected of the students in the task phase. Additionally, the teacher may prime the students with key vocabulary or grammatical constructs, although, in "pure" task-based learning lessons, these will be presented as suggestions and the students would be encouraged to use what they are comfortable with in order to complete the task. The instructor may also present a model of the task by either doing it themselves or by presenting picture, audio, or video demonstrating the task.

Task

During the task phase, the students perform the task, typically in small groups, although this is dependent on the type of activity. And unless the teacher plays a particular role in the task, then the teacher's role is typically limited to one of an observer or counselor—thus the reason for it being a more student-centered methodology.

Planning

Having completed the task, the students prepare either a written or oral report to present to the class. The instructor takes questions and otherwise simply monitors the students.

Report

The students then present this information to the rest of the class. Here the teacher may provide written or oral feedback, as appropriate, and the students observing may do the same.

Analysis

Here the focus returns to the teacher who reviews what happened in the task, in regards to language. It may include language forms that the students were using, problems that students had, and perhaps forms that need to be covered more or were not used enough.

Practice

The practice stage may be used to cover material mentioned by the teacher in the analysis stage. It is an opportunity for the teacher to emphasize key language.

Advantages

Task-based learning is advantageous to the student because it is more student-centered, allows for more meaningful communication, and often provides for practical extra-linguistic skill building. Although the teacher may present language in the pre-task, the students are ultimately free to use what grammar constructs and vocabulary they want. This allows them to use all the language they know and are learning, rather than just the 'target language' of the lesson. Furthermore, as the tasks are likely to be familiar to the students (eg: visiting the doctor), students are more likely to be engaged, which may further motivate them in their language learning.

Disadvantages

There have been criticisms that task-based learning is not appropriate as the foundation of a class for beginning students. Others claim that students are only exposed to certain forms of language, and are being neglected of others, such as discussion or debate. Teachers may want to keep these in mind when designing a task-based learning lesson plan.

Total Physical Response

*This approach was developed by James Asher, it has its roots in developmental psychology, learning theory and humanistic pedagogy*

*CHARACTERISTICS*

*Comprehension procedes production.
*The teacher gives command and carries out the action.
*The student say nothing but copy the action.
*The teacher gives the command and all perform together
-NO TRANSLATION OR GRAMMAR EXPLANATION.

* *TEACHER AND STUDENT´S ROLE*
*TEACHER

The teacher is the centre of all activities in t in the classroom.

*STUDENT
The learner´s primary role is listener and performer,guiaded by the teacher

*ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES*

*ADVANTAGE.-The students are not suject to so much stress when learning another language.


*DISADVANTAGE.-The teacher has to be well-prepared and trained. The program aimsti teach basic apeaking skills

*EJEMPLO DE TPR EN UN JARDIN DE NIÑOS*

NOTA.-Para este metodo es recomendable usar juegos y canciones, ya que se pretende obtener la respuesta fisica del niño al momento de hacer uso de alguna actividad, con la finalidad de que este tenga un aprendizaje significativo...


PRODUCIDO POR:
*KENIA NALLELY RAMIREZ B.

ORAL APPROACH

Creado por: Edwin Galeana

The Grammar Translation Method

The grammar translation method of foreing language teaching is one of the most traditional methods, dating back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
It was originally used to teach 'dead' languages (and literatures) such as Latin and Greek.

The major characteristic of the grammar translation method is, precisely as its name suggests, a focus on learning the rules of grammar and their application in translation passages from one language into the other.

Vocabulary in the target language is learned through direct translation from the native language, e.g. with vocabulary tests such as:

The house = das Haus
The mouse = die Maus

Very little teaching is done in the target language. Instead, readings in the target language are translated directly and then discussed in the native language, often precipitating in depth comparisons of the two languages themselves.

Grammar is taught with extensive explanations in the native language, and only later applied in the production of sentences through translation from one language to the other, e.g.

Do you have my book? = du yu haf my buk

As describes is, testing of the students is done almost exclusively through translation: students had learned the language well if they could translate the passages well.

Obviously, there are many drawbacks to the grammar-translation approach. Virtually no class time is allocated to allow students to produce their own sentences, and even less time is spent on oral practice (whether productive or reproductive). Students may have difficulties "relating" to the language, because the classroom experience keeps them from personalizing it or developing their own style.

In addition, there is often little contextualization of the grammar -- although this of course depends upon the passages chosen and the teacher's own skills. Culture, when discussed, is communicated through means of reading passages, but there is little direct confrontation with foreign elements. Perhaps most seriously, the type of error correction that this method requires can actually be harmful to the students' learning processes: "students are clearly in a defensive learning environment where right answers are expected.

Despite all of these drawbacks, there are certain positive traits to be found in such a rigid environment. Although far from trying to defend or reinstate this method, I must still say: my high school German class was almost entirely grammar-translation based, with the exception of a few dialogues from the textbook, and I don't really feel it "harmed" or even hampered my acquisition of the language -- and it certainly gave me a strong grounding in German grammar! For left-brained students who respond well to rules, structure and correction, the grammar-translation method can provide a challenging and even intriguing classroom environment. For those students who don't respond well to such structures, however, it is obvious that the grammar-translation method must be tempered with other approaches to create a more flexible and conducive methodology.

www.foreignlanguagesweb.com/teaching/methods/grammar-translation.htm

Created by: Norma Laura Sánchez García.

presentation, practice and production

PRESENTATION, PRACTICE, AND PRODUCTION

A variation on Audio-lingualism in British- based teaching and elsewhere is the procedure most often referred to as PPP, which stands for Presentation, practice, and production. In this procedure a situation which contextualizes the language to be taught. The language too, is the presented. The students now practice the language using accurate reproduction techniques such as choral repetition (where the students repeat a word, phrase, or sentence all together with the teacher “conducting”), individual repetition (where individual students repeat a word, phrase, or sentences at the teacher’s using), and cue-response drills (where the teacher gives a cue such as cinema, nominates a students by name or by looking or pointing, and the students makes the desired response, e.g. would you like to come to the cinema?). These have similarities with the classic kind of Audio-Lingual drill we saw above, but because they are contextualized by the situation that been presented, they carry more meaning than simple substitution drill. Later the students, using the new language, make sentences of their own, and this is referred to as production. The following elementary-level example demonstrates this procedure:

PRESENTATION:
The teacher shows the students the following picture and asks them whether the people in it are at work or on holiday to elicit the fact that they are on holiday.

The teacher points to the man and attempts to elicit the phrase He´s swimming by saying Can anybody tell me… he´s …? Or asking the question what´s he doing ... Anybody? The teacher then models the sentences (He´s swimming) before isolating the grammar she wants to focus on (he´s), distorting it (he´s… he is … he is), putting it back together again (he´s), and then giving the model in a natural way once more (Listen … He´s swimming… he´s swimming). She may accompany this demonstration of form rules by using some physical means such as bringing two hands (for he and is) together to show how the contraction works or by using the finger technique.

PRACTICE:
The teacher gets the students to repeat the sentences he´s swimming in chorus. She may then nominate certain students to repeat the sentence individually, and she corrects any mistakes she hears. Now she goes back and models more sentences from the picture (May’s reading a book, Paul and Sarah are playing cards, etc.), getting choral and individual repetition where she thinks this is necessary. Now she is in a position to conduct a slightly free kind of drill than the Audio-Lingual one above:
Teacher: can anyone tell me?... may?... yes, Sergio
Student: she´s reading a book.
Teacher: good. Etc.
In this cue-response drill the teacher gives the cue (Mary) before nominating a student (Sergio) who will give the response (she´s reading a book). By cueing before nominating she keeps everyone alert. She will avoid nominating students in a predictable order for the same reason.
Usually the teacher puts the students in pairs to practice the sentences a bit more before listening to a few examples just to check that the learning has been affective.

PRODUCTION:
The end point of the PPP cycle is production, which some trainers have called ‘immediate creativity’. Here the students are asked to use the new language (in this case the present continuous) in sentences of their own. For example, the teacher may get the students to imagine that are all in a holiday villa. They must now say what each of them is doing, e.g. Sergio’s reading a book, Juana’s sunbathing, etc, they might write a ‘holiday’ postcard home, e.g. it`s great here. The sun’s shining. Paul and Sarah are playing football… etc or, by changing the situation, they may be asked to say what they think their friends and relations are doing at that moment, e.g. My mother`s working at the hospital. My father’s driving to London. My sister’s studying. Etc.