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An Brief Introduction of Task-Based
Language Teaching
1.
Introduction
Task-based
language teaching (TBLT) is an approach to the
design of
language
course
in
which
its
core
unit
of
planing
and
instruction
in
language teaching is a collection of
tasks, instead of an organized list of
linguistic
items.
（
Richards and
Rodgers,2005:223
）
During the 1970s, communicative
approach(Brumfit &Johnson 1979)
acquired
considerable
development
within
language
that
time,it
was
assumed
that
it
was
not
enough
to
focus
only
on
language
structure,the development of capacity
to express meaning also needed to
be
concerned.(Widdowson 1978)
In
the
1980s,two
major
developments
occurred.
First,the
basic
?
unit
?
,
communicative
activity,
which
was
shared
by
communicative
approaches and
second language acquisition researchers, was
replaced by that
of
?
task
?
.
Second,
the
two
forms
of
task-
based
approach
to
instruction
emerged: strong
form and weak form. In general, those who take
weak view
of tasks tend to assume that
tasks are not the driving force for syllabus
design
and
that
the
use
of
tasks
is
an
adjunct
to
structure-based
teaching.
(Skehan 2003)
While proponents of strong form take a contrastive
view. The
early actual application of a
task-based approach in language teaching was the
Bangalore Project (Prabhu,1987), which
marked the origin of TBLT.
2.
Defining tasks
2.1
Definition of
task
Various
definition
of
?
task
?
exist.
Long(1985),for
instance,suggests
that
a
task
is
?
meant
the
hundred
and
one
thing
people
do
in
everyday
life,at work,at play,and in-
between
?
. From this ponit of
view ,examples of
tasks
include
borrowing
a
library
book,
buying
a
new
shirt,
asking
the
way, taking a hotel reservation,and so
on. The tasks Long defined above
are
real-world
tasks,
the
sorts
of
things
that
individuals
typically
do
outside the classroom.
Nunan(1989)refers
to
task
as
a
piece
of
classroom
work
which
involves learners in
comprehending,manipulating,produing, or
interaction
in the target language in
which their intention is to convey meaning rather
than
to
manipulate
form.
In
Nunan
?
s
classroom
tasks,
learners
will
not
only do the sorts of things in class
that individuals typically
do outside
the
classroom,or
real-world
tasks,but
also
will
do
many
things
in
class
that are designed
intentionally for
promoting
learner
?
s general language
proficiency, like listen-and-repeat
task.
In Willis(1996) a task is an
activity in which target language is used
by
the
learners
for
communicative
purpose
to
achieve
an
outcome.
Although tasks have
been defined in a variety of ways,
it
?
s the fact that
there
exists
something
in
common
among
various
definitions.
Probably
the best way to
unfold the veil of task will make a list of a set
of essential
characteristics as
follows(Ellis 2008:818)
1.
A task is primarily focus on meaning as
opposed to form.
2.
Through
performance
of
a
task
some
kind
of
gap
like
information,
opinion needs
to be filled.
3.
In order to perform the task learners
need to take advantage of their
own
linguistic resources.
4.
A clearly defined communicative outcome
is formed at the end of the
task rather
than the display of
?
correct
?
language.
For a present purposes a
task is taken to be a activity in which meaning
is primary,there is sort of
relationship to the real world,task completion
has
some
priority,and
the
assessment
of
task
performance
is
in
term
of
task outcome.(Skehan
1996)
2.2
Task
type
Nunan
（
1989
）
drew
a
distinction
between
pedagogical
tasks
and
real-world tasks
according to their content nature. While real-
world tasks
are
designed
for
practice
or
rehearsal
of
real
world
communication.
Pedagogical
tasks
that
have
a
psycholinguistic
basis
in
SLA
theory
and
research
do
not
necessarily
reflect
the
real
world,
but
facilitate
the
development of
learner
?
s linguistic
proficiency.
In
Ellis(2003)
he
distinguished
two
kinds
of
tasks:
unfocused
and
focused. Unfocused tasks
may predispose learner to choose from a range
of
forms,but
not
designed
for
the
use
of
a
specific
form
(including
pedagogical tasks
and real-world tasks).In contrast,focused tasks
provides
opportunites
for
communication
using
some
specific
linguistic
feature
(including
structure
based
production
tasks,
comprehension
task
and
consciousness-raising tasks).
Kris
Van
den
Branden(2009:31)offered
four
suggestions
for
a
task
typology. Type1: Focus
on learner training (cf.W
enden,1985);
Type2: Focus on
information-
sharing(n&Edelhoff,1982);Type3:Focus on research
and
experimentation(,1981);Type4:Focus
on
learner
strategy
(,1974).
From the view of different task
variables, various kinds of tasks shall
be
obtained
such
as
required
information
exchange
task
and
optional
information
exchange
task,
one-way
information
exchange
task
and
two-way
exchange information task, open task
and closed task.(see Ellis(2003))
2.3
Features of
Tasks and Their Implementation
Candlin
(1987
)
described
certain
key
features
of
tasks
that
task
designers should be able to abide by
and that teachers could provide, to
optimally promote classroom learning:
?
Input. This is
the written, visual, or aural information that
learners
performing a task work on to
achieve the goal of the task.
?
are
the
roles
that
learners have
in performing
a
task,
such as
information-giver and information-receiver.
?
are
the
grouping
arrangements
in
and
outside
of
classrooms for which pedagogy prepares
learners to communicate.
?
are the procedures to follow in
performing the task
or
the
various
steps
that
learners
must
take
along
the
road
to
task
completion.
?
is the
supervisory process of ensuring that the task
performance remains on track.
?
are the oral,
written, and/or behavioral outcomes
in
which the task is intended to result.
?
Feedback. This
includes evaluation of the whole or parts of a
task
performance
by
the
teacher
or
other
learners,
including
corrective
feedback on language use as well as
other helpful feedback.
3.
Description of TBLT
3.1 The
framework of TBLT
It
is
also
necessary
to
consider
how
tasks,once
chosen,are
actually
(1996),Skehan(1996)
and Ellis(2003)all propose a three-
stage framework in such a
methodological implementation: Pre-task, during-
task
and
gh
they
bear
slightly
different
steps,
their
main
principles is to lead learners to have
access to comprehensible input,to engage
in
communication
of
meaning,
and
to
complete
an
outcome.
Moreover,the
detailed
framework
proposed
by
Willis
for
the
TBLT
lessons
in
widely
adopted
in analyzing TBLT and designing task-based
lessons. The paper will
take Willis for
illustration.
1)
Pre-task: The teacher gives an
introduction to topic or task through
pre-task
activities
such
as
brainstorming
ideas,miming,ranking
exercise,using
picture,
then
some
necessary
input
like
useful
words,y
the
teacher
confirms
that
all
students
understand what topic involves and what
outcome they are required
to achieve.
2)
During-
task(also: task cycle)(1)Task: The teacher(as a
monitor) asks
the learners to carry out
the task in pairs or group.(2)Planning: The
teacher(as a advisor) help learners to
prepare how to report the results
of
the task to the whole class.(3)Report: Learners
reports the results
of the task,during
which teacher serves as a chairperson to summarize
the results and offer a feedback after
learner
?
s presentation.
3)
Post-task(also:Language focus):
Students carry out various language-
focused avtivities in order to
strengthen the undertanding of language
practice
activities
include
sentence
completion,memory
challenge games, matching the past-
tense verbs with subject or object
in
the text, dialogue and role-play.
3.2
The principles of task design
Nunan
(1999) proposes five pedagogic principles of TBLT:
The Authenticity Principle: A task
should be authentic to the needs of
the
learners, related to the work and life of
participants or some situations
they
find themselves involved in.
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