Chapter: Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)
Key concept
Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) is a teaching approach which focuses on offering learners’ tasks so that they can actively engage in using and practicing language in communicative situations, and on measuring the language outcomes that will arise from those tasks.
For example, a speaking task can develop students’ ability to speak fluently and accurately when communicating with their peers (David Nunan 2004, is an Australian linguist who has focused on the teaching of English. He is the author of the ELT textbook series “Go For It!”). To put it differently, in TBLT, the basic aim of second language teaching is to enable learners to use the target language for social functional action or situation communication. TBLT can be considered a branch of communicative language teaching (CLT).
Brief history
TBLT was popularized in 1987 by N. Prabhu while working in Bangalore, India. Prabhu noticed that his students could learn language just as easily with a non-linguistic problem as when they were concentrating on linguistic questions. Major scholars who have done research in this area include Teresa P. Pica, Martin East and Michael Long.
The field of Task-Based Language Teaching has developed considerably since the publication of “Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom” (David Nunan, 1989), a book which helped to set the research agenda in teaching methodology for the following decade. Rod Ellis, who is a British linguist, is a leading theorist of task-based language learning and has published two books and more than a dozen articles on the subject Since 1980.
Task of TBLT
“Task-based Language Learning and Teaching “published in 2003, Rod Ellis in his book has defined tasks or activities having four kind of criteria:
- Focus on meaning
- Some kind of gap such as information etc.
- Use your own linguistics resources
- Having communicative outcome not simply display of language
More Notes of ELT
Task is divided into two categories in TBLT:
Numerous definitions of “task” have been provided by different scholars, and each definition has its own focus. Nunan classifies “task” into pedagogical tasks (occur in classroom) and real-world tasks or target tasks (occur beyond the classroom). According Ellis, two types of tasks are as follow:
Unfocused task: Unfocused tasks are tasks that are designed to illicit general sample of language that is to say they have been not decided in such a way for useful and essential grammatical structure.
Focused task: The focused tasks are tasks that have been designed to create a communicative context for the use of predetermined grammatical structures.
Ellis in his book “Task-based Language Learning and Teaching” considers three principle ways in which focused tasks or activities have been designed by the researchers:
- Structure based production task
- Comprehension tasks and
- Consciousness raising task
The above designing of focused task focuses that linguistics resources are inevitable for producing language in which students can perform effectively the communicative purpose of language. To put it differently, students can reconstruct a text using key words and phrases which is called ‘dictogloss’ promote overall syntactic process.
The task which are not comprehensible to the students should not be included for target language learning. For example: The task of astronomy is not perfect for average students.
And finally, it can be concluded the focused task in the way that implicit learning will be emphasized based on incidents in such a way which can enhance explicit aspects of language. To express it in another way, consciousness raising tasks aims to teach grammatical rules inductively.
Theoretical rationale
The theoretical rationale or logic of TBLT in accordance with Ellis are:
- Developing implicit language capacity rather than explicit knowledge for effective communication.
- Incidental language acquisition rather than intentional.
Besides, a large body of literature provides theoretical rationale for TBLT. Lynch and Maclean advocate TBLT by providing two primary reasons: first, classroom task imitates and promotes performance in real world task. Second, drawing on SLA research, the issue of ‘learnability’, the developmental sequence for L2 acquisition, input and output hypothesis have provided implications and justification for TBLT.
British linguist Skehan pointed out that as an approach to instruction, task-based teaching is theoretically justifiable and flexible in implementation. TBLT favors implicit instruction by the way of “learning through doing activities or tasks”. It is contended that TBLT provides improved and supportive conditions for developing second language ability than other approaches which relies heavily on explicit teaching on language structure.
Stages of TBLT
Stages of TBLT depend on context. According Ellis, students do not need go and stay in England, America, Canada, New Zealand or Australia for learning and acquiring English as target language. Inside classroom native fluency can be achieved in target language based on incidental learning rather than intentional learning. Thus, we can notice that the stages of TBLT are not fixed. The perfect stage of this approach can not be defined rather it can be intermediate level and so on. Side by side the syllabus of TBLT is also depends on context and it is designed depending on focused task.
Different stages of TBLT or Design for classroom performance or structural design of TBLT
Pre-task (15-20min)
It aims to introduce the topic about how to spend a day through learning language focusing on words and phrases.
Task (10min)
Students do the task in groups and plan for a day. They state their own plan and compare different ideas with their group partners.
Planning (10min)
Each group rehearses presenting their plan. The teacher walks around, helping if students have a problem and noting any language items or grammatical problems on which to give feedback later.
Report (15min)
Each group selects a speaker to report their plan and give detailed reasons for it. Other students can choose the best one after the presentations.
Post-task
The teacher hands out the Fill in exercises and True or False questions for the students according to the listening in class. According to the group discussion, they write a 150-word assignment as homework.
Key features
Task-based learning focuses on the use of authentic language through meaningful tasks such as visiting the doctor or a telephone call. This method encourages meaningful communication and is student-centered.
Five dominant characteristics of task are summarized as follows: TBLT is meaning-focused; instead of repeating what other people say, learners are expected to produce language; has connection with real-world tasks; assessed in accordance with outcome.
- Students are encouraged to use language creatively and spontaneously through tasks and problem.
- Students focus on a relationship that is comparable to real world activities.
- The conveyance of some sort of meaning is central to this method.
- Assessment is primarily based on task outcome.
- TBLT is student-centered.
Principles
Nunan has summarized seven principles which have to be followed in the frame of task- based language teaching:
- Scaffolding
- Task dependency
- Recycling
- Active learning
- Integration
- Reproduction to creation and
- Reflection
Techniques
- Developing of all four language skills not just speaking skills
- Involving learners in group for communication
- Teacher participation class structure
- According to Michael Long, TBLT focuses on form.
- Input based task that is grammatical perspectives.
- Output based task which is corrective feedback.
Advantage
- Natural learning inside the classroom
- very large class size having sixty or seventy students.
- Emphasis on meaning
- Compatible with learner’s education
Disadvantage
Problems with assessment
Other disadvantages must be found out by your own effort.
