Watch profesor Ellis talk about TBLT and

take down notes on the following:

The task  Which four criteria should a piece of

classroom work satisfy in order to be
regarded as a task?
 Which two types of gap does he mention?

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Skehan (1998) features of task
 (1) meaning is primary;
 2 Learners are not given other´s people´s
meaning to regurgitate.
 (2) there is some sort of relationship to
comparable real-world activities;
 (3) task completion has some priority;
(4) the assessment of tasks is in terms of
outcome.
Nunan (1989)
 “a piece of classroom work which involves
learners in comprehending, producing or
interacting in the target language while their
attention is principally focused on meaning
rather than form”.
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Ellis

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 A framework for TBLT
 A classroom task is an activity having a
particular goal and it contains communicative
language use in the process. Because task
has a certain relationship with the
extralinguistic world, it goes beyond the
common classroom exercise. The type of
discourse emerging from task is aimed to be
similar to the one that emerges naturally in
the real world.

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Pedagogical task Pedagogical tasks
Rehearsal rationale Activation rationale

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Communicative activities Language exercises
 They provide manipulative practice of a
restricted set of language ítems (language  Involve language manipulation and practice
exercise)  Focus on form
 There is also an element of meaningful
communication

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Backward planning
FinalASSESSMENT
Task Task Based Unit
PLAN THE
PROCEDURE
Exposure Understanding Active use
SELECT
CONTENT
DESIGN UNIT
OBJECTIVES
01 02 03 04 05 06
DECIDE FINAL
FINAL
TASK
TASK
DECIDE Ignorance &
THEME/TOPIC Exposure Noticing Practice

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 The Pre Task
PURPOSE

The task cycle  Introduce and prepare students to the main

task (the type of activity, content, language or
stretegies)
 Give relevant exposure and framing the activity.

 NOT to teach large amounts of language BUT to

boost student’s confidence and motivation.

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 The Pre Task
TECHNIQUES
Willis
1. Introduce the topic.
2. Recall or introduce words and
phrases (classifying, odd one out,
matching phrases to pictures,
memory challenge, brainstorming,
mind maps, thinking of questions to
ask, recounting similar experience)
3. Give task instructions (what it
involves, goals, alloted time, expected
outcome). Students may read the
instructions, teacher may
demonstrate with another student,
go through a text (oral or written) of
someone performing the task, show
previos works of other students.
The Pre Task
Ellis Teacher’s role
•Performing a similar task (it serves as
Active
preparation, scaffolds learners) •Facilitator (ensure students understand, creates interest)
•Providing a model (just observing a model •Presenter of task and other features
text -oral or written- without performing the
task. Reduces cognitive load. May include some
conciousness raising activities to analyse and
identify some specific features) Student’s role
•Non-task preparation activities (activating
•Active (perform the activity, recall previous knowledge)
previous knowledge or providing background
information. Addresses mainly to vocabulary
so students can focus on other goals like
content or fluency)
•Strategic planning (learners are introduced
to the idea of the task and are given time to
plan how they will perform it. They may focus
on content, form or strategies. Teacher may
help on the planning, by giving them ideas).
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The Task Cycle
PURPOSE
 Vital oportunity to use language to convey
meaning.
 Offers high opportunities for language
production and exposure.
 This stage develops fluency and promotes
communication strategies.
The Task Cycle
TASK
Learners do the task individually, in pairs or in small groups. It may be
written or oral. Creative and meaningful language use, little concern of form.
PLANNING
Learners plan their reports. Instructions should be clear as regards format,
content and time. Greater experiment with language and higher grammar
consciousness.
REPORT
While students share their results, it is advised to give others a purpose for
listening/reading other’s works. Equal attention to form and meaning. This stage also
provides a learning oportunity, as it gives useful language exposure.
In oral reports, students will speak in turns (in case of group or pair work
they should have selected a spokesperson.
When reporting written pieces of work, they can be passed round to
be read, displayed on the walls.
Teachers should do some kind of summing up once all reports have been done
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 The Task cycle Language Focus
Teacher’s role PURPOSE
During Task  Focus on language forms, to prevent students
•Monitor (avoid interfering, remind students use target language)
While Planning gaining fluency at the expense of accuracy.
Language adviser (respond to students needs as regards language, structuring and
encourage work)  The language samples will be those the teacher
During Report gathered during the report stage. They may be
•Chairperson (introduce presentations, set purpose for listening to others, encourage
and give positive feedback avoiding negative comments) errors or forms they failed to use.
Student’s role  First students focus on language forms
During Task
Highly active and independent (task performers, creative use of target language,take (analysis) get a deeper understanding and then
risks) use them at their own level (practice).
While Planning
Highly active and independent work (language users)
During Report
Active when giving report and listening to others

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Language Focus Language Focus
Analysis Teacher role
Can be teacher led or students may work on their own and then share their
findings with the rest of the class. Samples may be written on the board, played
Language guide (provides meaningful and
as a recording or taken from a text related to the main task. Samples should be contextualized analysis as well as practice activities)
carefuly selected in order to promote exact language focus.
Three staring points: semantic concepts (themes, notions, functions) to focus on
Ensures students make a correct analysis of language
vocabulary, words or parts of words, categories of meaning and use. items.
Pronunciation and intonation may also be analysed.
Students role
Practice
Useful for consolidation and revision. These activities may be teacher led, done Language analists (critical investigation and
individually or in pairs or groups, or assigned as homework.
observation)
Techniques may vary: choral repetition of useful phrases, error correction,
completing halves of phrases, gapped examples, progressive deletion,
unpacking a sentence, transcriptions or dictations to notice some specific
language features, dialogues, identify errors and provide an explanation,
Activities may be designed or created by students and exchanged with others.

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Overall conclusions
 The routine of the cycle gives students a sense of
security as lessons progress over time.
 Each stage of the cycle should be connected with
the rest. Progression should be smooth, each stage
should prepare for the next and/or be based on its
previous one.
 The core of the cycle is the TASK. All other stages
should be based on it.
 Time for each stage may depend on students’ level
and/or type of activity.

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