GROUP 6

ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN THE

PHILIPPINES
TASK-BASED
WHAT IS TBLT?
TBLT stands for Task-Based Language Teaching. It's an
educational framework for the theory and practice of teaching second or
foreign languages. Over the past few decades it's attracted considerable
attention from both researchers and teachers.
TBLT, which claims to be more mindful of the nature of second
language acquisition (SLA), was developed as an alternative to traditional
form-focused ELT practices. (Ellis 2003; Nunan 2004) The approach
draws from Skehan’s (1996) three dimensions of performance, namely,
complexity, accuracy, and fluency.
WHY USE TBLT?

1. It gives students a reason to do something.

2. Students’ will have a chance to explore the language.
3. Students’ will learn how to work with groups.
4. Students' confidence can improve, as tasks can
mimic real life.
5. Students' communication skills improve.
► For TBLT, the goal of language learning is to acquire these three
components of second language acquisition. However, as
Seidelhofer (2011) has pointed out, complexity, accuracy, and
fluency are defined in reference to native speaker norms.
Seidelhofer specifically reacts to Ellis’s description of TBLT as a
situation where ‘learners should largely have to rely on their own
resources (linguistic and non-linguistic) in order to complete the
activity’ (Seidlhofer 2011: 184).

► TBLT shows balance between what to know and how to know.

 Developing accuracy vs. developing fluency in the English
language classroom (Richards 2006)

Activities focusing on accuracy Activities focusing on fluency

• Reflect classroom use of language • Reflect natural use of language

• Focus on the formation of correct • Focus on achieving communication
examples of language • Require meaningful use of language
• Practice language out of context • Require the use of communication strategies
• Practice small samples of language • Produce language that may not be
predictable
• Do not require meaningful communication
• Control choice of language • Seek to link language use to context
► According to Seidlhofer (2011:184), the tendency of TBLT is
to design tasks that do not aim to ‘develop communicative
proficiency as such but proficiency in confirming to
native-speaker norms.’
PREPARED BY:

LADY MAE BONGCAWIL

RUSSEL MAE TORRES
THERESE MAE ALBARACIN
JANE GLEIN ZAMORAS