GRADUATE STUDIES

EDU 310: Methodology for Second Language Teaching

CECILIA E. ELLANA (MAED-TESL) DR. RAYMUNDO PICCIO
DISCUSSANT Professor

Task-Based Language Teaching

and Learning

Task-based language learning

 is a kind of lesson that involves students completing a specific task.
 It is an approach where the planning of learning materials and teaching
sessions are based around doing a task.
 In education, a task refers to an activity where communication is necessary:
for example; deciding something, solving a problem, designing or organizing
something, or telling someone to do something.

 When using task-based learning, teachers ask their students to perform

tasks that resemble authentic, “real-life” situations. A lesson is
designed to help learners to complete a task.
 A “task” in a TBL lesson is a specific thing that students are supposed to
accomplish in a pair or small group through meaningful communication.
 To understand this difference, we can use the analogy of learning to drive. Imagine
if you just study the road rules and the instruction manual for the car. Would you
then be able to drive? What about if you learnt to drive by actually driving? Well,
the task-based learning is based on the idea that you learn a language by using
it, rather than by studying its different components in isolation.

 Because it is closely linked to learners’ real needs, it can

be highly motivating for learners and extremely useful.

Advantages of Task Based Learning

 It can encourage  autonomy  and responsibility for learning.

 Students can use any of their language resources for completing a task,
instead of just one specific grammatical construction.
 There’s an opportunity to make the language more personal.
 The language comes from students’ needs, rather than a prescribed
sequence from a textbook.
 Language learning can be more memorable.
 It’s very student-centered.
 Some students really enjoy working in groups.
  Communication skills can improve as students are required to
communicate with one another to complete the task.
 They can be ideal for  larger language classes  because students are
working together in groups and the teacher doesn’t have to give individual
feedback to everyone .

Disadvantages of Task Based Teaching.

 You may encounter unmotivated students who are reluctant to try out
something new in a language class.
 The potential for a “bad” lesson is higher with TBL than with traditional
methods.
 Some students may not enjoy group work, especially if there is a wide
range of motivation levels within a single class.

Thank You!