TASK-BASED

APPROACH
Approach, Method and Technique

Language teaching is usually

discussed in terms of three
related aspects: Approach,
Method and Technique.
Different theories about the nature of
language and how languages are learned
(the approach) imply different ways
about teaching and learning a language
(the method), and different methods
make use of different kinds of classroom
activity (the technique).
 Approaches

The natural approach

The communicative approach

The task-based approach

 Methods

The grammar-translation method

The direct method

The audiolingual method

The total physical response method

Teaching techniques include:

playing games, singing songs, acting,

tongue twister, reciting dialogues,

filling in blanks, multiple choice, matching

of words with pictures, test, sentence

making, drills, role play, pair

work, group discussion, etc.

 A note on terminology:

The Task - based approach is also called:

Task - Based Learning

Task - Based Language Teaching,

Task - Based Language Learning,

Task - Based Instruction,

 Some background (1)

 The 1970s. - The beginning of the Communicative

Approach. SLA scholars begin to argue that language

instruction should deal with meaning

 The 1980s. –Tasks become an instrument of research

methodology in SLA and then they are applied to L2

curriculum design.

SLA= Second Language Acquisition TBL= Task Based Learning

 Some background (2)

 Prabhu (1987) starts using TBL in secondary school

classes in Bangalore, India..

 Researchers and curriculum developers propose that the L2

can be effectively taught through TBL: Crookes & Gass

(1993a; 1993b), Nunan (1989), Skehan (1996; 1998b).

SLA= Second Language Acquisition TBL= Task Based Learning

 Key concepts: tasks

Some definitions: (1)

Tasks are ‘the things people will tell you they do if you

ask them and they are not applied linguists’ (Long,

1985: 89). For example, making an airline reservation,
borrowing a library book, typing a letter, or even
painting a fence, dressing a child, and helping someone
across the road.
 Key concepts: tasks

Some definitions: (2)

A task ‘is an activity which required learners to

arrive at an outcome from given information
through some process of though, and which
allowed teachers to control and regulate that
process’ (Prabhu, 1987: 4).

PROCESSING INFORMATION, AN OUTCOME AND TEACHER

CONTROL
 Key concepts: tasks

Some definitions: (3)

A task is ‘a structured plan for the provision of

opportunities for the refinement of knowledge and

capabilities entailed in a new language and its use
during communication’ (Breen, 1989; in Ellis,
2003:4).
 Key concepts: tasks

Some definitions: (4)

‘A task is an activity which requires learner to

use language, with emphasis on meaning, to

attain an objective’ (Bygate et al. , 2001: 11).
 Key concepts: tasks

Some definitions: (5)

A task is ‘a piece of classroom work which

involves learners in comprehending,
manipulating, producing, or interacting in the
target language while their attention is focused on
mobilizing their grammatical knowledge in
order to express meaning’ (Nunan, 2004: 4).
 Key concepts: tasks
Some definitions: (6)

According to Skehan (1998a: 95), tasks are

activities in which meaning is primary, there is a
communication problem of some sort to solve, the
activity has some relationship with real - world
activities, task completion is usually required and
task performance can be assessed in terms of the
outcome.
 Key concepts: tasks

A synthesis of the various definitions (Ellis,

2003: 9ff.): Tasks are activities that:

Have a work plan.

Primarily focus on meaning.
Entail real-world processes of language use.
Involve any of the four language skills.
Engage cognitive processes.
Have a clear communicative outcome.
Examples of Tasks
 For written comprehension

1. Have a student read the captions of pictures and tell the class
what they are about.

2. Have a student read a short story, a newspaper dispatch, an

ad, etc. and report to the class.

3. Make a student read the manual of an electrical or electronic

apparatus and tell the class how to operate it.

4. Read the biography or autobiography of a person and write a

chronological table of his/her life.

5. Put the scrambled paragraphs of a story in order.

6. Fill in the blanks with the right words.

 For written expression

1. Show the students the pictures of two persons and have

them write about their differences.

2. Have students write out something after all the previously

mentioned activities for listening, speaking and reading.

3. Provide a situation and have students write out their ideas.

4. Write a report of a book or story.

5. Provide part of a story and have the students complete it.

 For oral comprehension

1. Listen to a story and answer questions

2. Listen to the descriptions of people in a picture and point out who is who

3. Listen to the description of a person and try to draw a picture of him(her)

4. Listen to the description of a room and try to draw a picture of it

5. Listen to the recording of an argument and try to write a report of it and give
your own idea about the matter

6. Listen to the tape of a short story and make an oral report to the class about the
content and give your ideas.
 For Oral Expression
1. Describe one of the students in the class.

2. Teacher sets a question for a debate and lets two students prepare for it
(by themselves separately) and debate before the class the next day.

2. Describe a job in an ad and offer interviews to applicants.

3. Teacher provides the student with a map of the city and has him/her
tell about the route to a certain destination and how to get there.

4. Have a group of students act as members of a family and discuss about

a family matter.

5. Give a student a cartoon picture and have him/her describe it.

 Remember:

It is always ideal to combine the

practice of two or more skills in one
task-based activity
 Procedure of fulfilling a Task
Pre-Task :

1. The teacher sets the task.

2. The teacher defines the aim of the task.

3. The teacher provides necessary information about the task.

4. The teacher provides or reminds students of necessary

language (vocabulary and/or grammar).

5. The teacher allows students time to prepare for the

execution of the task.
 During task: (1)

3. Students make use of various resources, such as

websites, libraries, newspapers, as well as human
resources.

4. Students prepare for their report back.

5. Students report back orally and/or in writing.

 During task: (2)

1. Students fulfill the task by conscientiously making

use of their language knowledge and skills, the
information in their command and their creative
ability.

2. Students bring to best play their independent

working ability and group cooperation.
Post Task: (1)

1. Students make their own evaluation of their work.

2. Classmates appraise the performance, pointing

out achievements and shortcomings.
Post Task: (2)

3. Teacher gives all-round appraisal of the work,

from point of view of both task fulfillment and
language use.

4. Teacher and students together set follow-up

work to consolidate what has been learnt and to
make up for what has not been achieved.
 Task-based Language Learning

The theoretical basis of TBLL:

1. Language is for communication

2. Language is for conveying interpersonal meaning

3. Language is for doing things with it

3. Language exists in contexts

The pedagogical principle of
TBLL:

Learning by doing

Doing in learning

Learning for doing

Learning in interacting
The Features of TBL:
1. Learning a language by doing things with it.
2. The situations should be as real as possible.

3. Language activities should always be integrated with culture.

4. Language activities should be for expressing ideas instead of

parroting things.

5. Student-centered, not teacher-centered.

6. Students are encouraged to use language creatively.

7. Activities of different skills should be integrated.

 The Role of teacher in TBL

1. The designer of the tasks

2. The initiator of the tasks

3. The participant in the tasks

4. The negotiator in the tasks

5. The evaluator of the fulfillment of the tasks

 Some advice for teachers when designing
activities for a class or a textbook

1. Be sure that the activities are task-based

instead of being mechanical language exercises.

2. Language tasks are necessary but real world tasks

always arouse more interest and helpful.

3. Set a definite aim for each task-based activity

4. Provide students with necessary reference materials,

or guide them in finding them.
 Some advice for teachers when designing
activities for a class or a textbook

5. Give students some idea about the procedure for fulfilling the
task.

6. Define clearly the role of the student(s).

7. Define clearly the role of the teacher (or parents).

8. Set the time for the fulfillment of the task.

9. Set the form of the feedback.

10. Set the standard and form of the assessment of the

performance.
 An Important Note (1)

I. The TBL Approach does not reject the effective

elements of any of the other approaches or
methods. Instead, TBL is a reasonable
development of all that is useful and effective in
the other approaches and methods.
An Important Note (2)
II. The success of the implementation of TBL
depends heavily on:

1. Teacher’s understanding and confidence in

the effectiveness of the new approach.

2. Teacher’s ability to adapt the approach to the

situation which the students are in.

3. Teacher’s command of the language