linking high school and college english through task-based language teaching (tblt) bonifacio t....
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Linking High School and College English through Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT)
BONIFACIO T. CUNANANBulacan State University
2nd National Conference, Challenges of K -12 English Language Teaching May 20-21, 2013, Albertus Magnus Auditorium, College of EducationUniversity of Santo Tomas, Manila
AbstractTo make it realistic, responsive, and relevant to the needs of society, revising and restructuring the curriculum is imperative. Curriculum revision opens possibilities like bridging information gaps, improving both human and non-human resources, and reviewing of practices and priorities. The impact of the K to 12 Program, being a major educational reform of the present administration, is far reaching inasmuch as it extends and expands basic education and streamlines tertiary education. In this perspective, this paper attempts to stand in the gap to link teaching of English in the high school and the college levels. Generally, it deals with the changes in teaching the language arts under the K to 12 Program and the perceived or projected needs of the Filipinos in the 21st century through a curriculum that is decongested, seamless, relevant and responsive, enriched, and learner-centered. Specifically, it shows how Task-based Approach can reset the mind frame of stakeholders, particularly English language teachers, as regards their new roles, preparation and use of teaching and learning materials, views on the nature of language, language learning and language teaching, assessment procedures, and standards in gauging learners’ competencies and proficiencies.
This presentation aims to discuss…• Changes in teaching the language arts under the K
to 12 Program• Perceived needs of the Filipinos in the 21st century • Show how Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT)
change the mind and roles of ELT teachers• Preparation and use of teaching and learning
materials• Views on the nature of language• New paradigms in language learning and teaching • Assessment procedures• Standards in gauging learners’ competencies and
proficiencies
INTEGRATEDLAGUAGE ARTS FRAMEWORK
(K to 12 Program)
Presentation Outline (Based onNunan, 2004)1. Comparing Major Approaches to Language
Curriculum2. Defining Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT)3. Drawing the Framework for TBLT4. Identifying the Task Components of TBLT5. Classifying Tasks6. Discussing the Research Components of TBLT7. Grading and Sequencing of Tasks8. Giving Consideration to Learning Styles and
Strategies9. The Place of Grammar within TBLT10. Assessing Students
Two Major Approaches to Syllabus Designs (Wilkins, 1976)
Synthetic Approach- different parts of the language are taught
separately and step by step - acquisition is a gradual process of accumulation of
parts until the whole structure of the language has been built up
Analytic approach- begins with the analysis of the communicative
needs of the learners- learners are confronted with naturalistic chunks of
language which they analyze for themselves
Methods Using Analytic Approach- Content-based instruction (Brinton, 2003)- Project-based pedagogy (Ribe and Vidal, 1993)- Task-based language teaching (Nunan, 2004)
Content-based instruction
Project-based pedagogy
Task-based language teaching
integrates subject matter from disciplines
is organized around large-scale projects
is organized around things we do in everyday life
Organization of the learning experience- Transmission Model (a teacher-centered classroom)- Experiential Model ( a learning-by-doing classroom)
Comparison of Traditional and CommunicativeApproaches to Language Teaching
Key Concepts Traditional CommunicativeLanguage is… a system speech sounds,
vocabulary, and sentences.a resource for creating and exchanging meanings.
Learning consists of…
habit formation, imitation, memorization, and internalization of rules.
real communication, simulation, and by doing.
A language syllabus designed through…
selection and sequencing of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar items.
selection and sequencing of communication tasks that learners use in real life situations.
Classroom activities include…
drill, memorization, repetition
role playing, simulations of authentic language experiences
Defining TBLTA task is…• a piece of work undertaken for oneself or for others, freely or
for some reward like the hundred and one thing that people do in everyday life, at work, at play, and in between. (Long, 1985)
• an activity or action which is carried out as the result of processing or understanding language (Richards, et al. 1986: 289)
• any structured language learning endeavour which has a particular objective, appropriate content, a specified working procedure, and a range of outcomes for those who undertake the task (Breen (1987: 23)
• a workplan that requires learners to process language pragmatically in order to achieve and outcome that can be evaluated in terms of whether the correct or appropriate propositional content has been conveyed. (Ellis, 2003)
Defining TBLTA task is…• a piece of classroom work that 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)
• real-world / target tasks are the uses of language in the world beyond the classroom; pedagogical tasks are those that occur in the classroom (Nunan, 2004)
Sample Activity
Pedagogical task: activation rationaleWork with three other students. You are on a ship that is sinking. You have to swim to a nearby island. You have a waterproof container, but can only carry 20 kilos of items in it. Decide which of the following items you will take. (Remember, you can’t take more than 20 kilos with you.)
• Axe (8 kilos) • Box of novels and magazines (3
kilos)• Cans of food (500 grams) • Packets of sugar, flour, rice,
powdered milk, coffee, tea (each packet weighs 500 grams)
• Bottles of water (1.5 kilos each)• Medical kit (2 kilos)
• Short-wave radio (12 kilos) • Portable CD player and CDs (4
kilos)• Firelighting kits (500 grams each)• Rope (6 kilos)• Notebook computer (3.5 kilos)• Waterproof sheets of fabric kilos)
(3 kilos each)
Drawing the Framework for TBLT
Real-world/ target tasks
Pedagogicaltasks
Enabling skills
Communicative activities
Language exercises
Activation tasks
Rehearsal tasks
Identifying the Task Components of TBLT
Shavelson & Stern (1981) suggested that a task consists of:
• Content – the subject matter to be taught• Materials – the things that learners can manipulate• Activities – the things that learners and teachers
will do during a lesson• Goals – the teacher’s general aims for the task• Students – their abilities and interests should be
considered• Social Community – the class as a whole
Identifying the Task Components of TBLT
Candlin (1987) added the following components:
TASK
Goals Input Procedures
Teacher role Learner role Settings
The Task Components of TBLTGoals are the vague, general intentions behind any
learning task that provide a link between the task and the broader curriculum.
Input refers to the spoken, written and visual data that learners work with in the course of completing a task.
Procedure specifies what learners will actually do with the input that forms the point of departure for the learning task.
Teacher and learner role refers to the part that learners and teachers are expected to play in carrying out learning tasks as well as the social and interpersonal relationships between the participants.
Settings refers to the classroom arrangements specified or implied in the task.
Identifying the Task Components of TBLTTask Notion
(Context of Culture/Situation)
Function(Language Role)
Form(Formal Feature)
Look at the mapwith your partner.You are at the hotel.Ask your partner fordirections to the bank.
Exchanging goods and services
Asking for and giving directions
Wh-questionsYes/No questionsImperatives
Look at a set of ‘tolet’ ads, and decidewith three otherstudents on the mostsuitable place to rent.
Exchanging goods and services
Asking about and stating of prices
How much?How many?Yes/No questions
You are at a party.Introduce yourpartner to threeother people.
Socializing ExchangingPersonalinformation
Stative verbsDemonstrative:ThisYes/No questions
Classifying Tasks (Prabhu, 1987) Information-gap activity
Transfer of given information from one person to another that calls for decoding and encoding of information
Reasoning-gap activity Deriving some new information from given
information through inference, deduction, partial reasoning, or perception of relationships or patterns
Opinion-gap activityIdentifying and stating a personal preference, feeling, or attitude in response to a situation
Discussing the Research Components of TBLT
Comprehensible Input and Comprehensible Output
Communication as Negotiation of Meaning From Teaching Method to Learning Strategy
Grading and Sequencing of Tasks
beyond testing grammatical complexity
grading/gradation may be based on the complexity of the item, frequency in written or spoken English, or importance to the learner (Richards, Platt, & Weber, 1886)
Three Factors in Grading and Sequencing of Tasks
Language factors: length or reading/listening passage, density of information, frequency of vocabulary, speed of spoken texts, number of speakers involved, and explicitness of information
Learner factors: confidence, motivation, prior learning experience, learning pace, observed ability in language skills, cultural knowledge/awareness, and linguistic knowledge
Procedural factors: relevance, complexity, amount of context provided, processibility of language of the task, amount of help available to the teacher, grammatical accuracy/fluency/complexity, time available to the learner, and follow-up/feedback
Giving Consideration to Learning Styles and Strategies
Learning style is a learner’s natural and preferred way of learning.
Learning strategy is the mental and communicative process a learner must use to complete a task successfully.
Learning Styleso Cognitive – the way people mentally
organize ideas (field dependency, global vs. analytic)
o Sensory – preferences like seeing, hearing, or manipulating (visual, auditory, tactile, kinaesthetic)
o Personality – reflect introversion or extroversion (global vs. analytic or intuitive vs. active)
Learning StrategiesCognitive: classifying, predicting, inducing, taking
notes, concept mapping, inferencing, discrimination, diagramming
Interpersonal: co-operating, role playingLinguistic: conversational patterns, practicing, using
context, summarizing, selective listening, and skimming
Affective: personalizing, self-evaluating, and reflecting
Creative: brainstorming
Seven principles for TBLT
Principle 1: ScaffoldingLessons and materials should provide supporting frameworks within which the learning takes place. At the beginning of the learning process, learners should not be expected to produce language that has not been introduced either explicitly or implicitly.
Principle 2: Task dependencyWithin a lesson, one task should grow out of, and build upon, the ones that have gone before.
Seven principles for TBLT
Principle 3: Recycling• Recycling language maximizes opportunities for learning and activates the ‘organic’ learning principle.
Principle 4: Active learning• Learners learn best by actively using the language they are learning.
Seven principles for TBLTPrinciple 5: Integration• Learners should be taught in ways that make clear the relationships between linguistic form, communicative function and semantic meaning.
Principle 6: Reproduction to creation• Learners should be encouraged to move from reproductive to creative language use.
Principle 7: Reflection• Learners should be given opportunities to reflect on what they have learned and how well they are doing.
The Place of Grammar within TBLTFocused vs. unfocused taskFocused task – a particular structure is required in order for a
task to be completedUnfocused task – learners are able to use any linguistic resource
to complete a task
Deductive vs. inductive approachDeductive approach – the teacher provides a grammatical
rule/principle which they subsequently apply through various exercises
Inductive approach – the learners work with samples of language containing the target structure and come to formulate the rule or principle for themselves, through a process of guided discovery
Assessing StudentsAssessment – judging how well learners are doing like student’s
progress or achievement, a component of evaluation
Evaluation – how well the curriculum is helping the learners achieve their goals that includes collection and analysis of data towards informed educational decisions
- can be formal (involving external individuals) or relatively informal (involving classroom teachers) (Brown, 1995; Rea-Dickins & Germaine, 1993)
- essential to successful education, it forms the basis for appropriate and effective decision-making (Genesee, 2001)
Checklist for Evaluating Communicative Tasks
Goals & Rationale reflects real-world and pedagogic rationale, nature of language and learning and shows if the task appropriate to the learners’ proficiency level
Input Considers authenticity and appropriateness of the task
Procedures Stimulates learners’ processing skills with emphasis on aspects of forms
Roles & settings Differentiates roles of teachers and learners, levels of complexities in the classroom organization
Implementation Encourages meaning negotiation and prompts genuine communicative interaction
Grading & Integration
Reflects the principles upon which tasks are sequenced and incorporates exercises in learning-how-to learn
Assessment & Evaluation
Measures how learners have performed with success and utilizes realistic tasks in terms of resources and teacher expertise
Higher Order Thinking Skills and Advanced Tasks
WRITING FLYERS & BROCHURES
Tasks and Outputs are assessed by using:
Evaluation Checklist
Question and Answer
Linking High School and College English through Task-based Language Teaching