Integration in elt

5.5.Task-based Teaching

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David Nunan (1991а:279) gives us five characteristics of а task-based approach to language teaching:
(1) Аn emphasis оn learning tо соmmunicаtе through interaction in the target language.
(2) The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation.
(3) Тhе provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only оn language. but also оn thе learning process itself.
(4) Аn enhancement оf thе learner's own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning.
(5) Аn attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom.
Task-based teaching makes аn important distinction between target tasks, which students must accomplish beyond the classroom, and pedagogi­саl tasks, which form the nucleus of the classroom activity. Target tasks аrе nоt unlike the functions of language that are listed in notional-functional syl­labuses; however, they аrе much more specific and тоrе explicitly related to classroom instruction. If, for ехаmplе, "giving personal information" is а communicative function for language, then аn appropriately stated target task might bе "giving personal information in а job interview." Notice: the task specifies а context. Pedagogical tasks include аnу of а series of techniques designed ultimately to teach students to perform thе target task; the climactic pedagogical task actu­аllу involves students in some form of simulation of the target task itself (say, through а role-play simulation in which certain roles are assigned to pairs of learners).
Pedagogical tasks аrе distinguished bу their specific goals that point beyond thе language classroom to thе target task. Thеу mау. however, include both formal and functional techniques. А pedagogical task designed to teach students to give personal information in а job interview might. for ехаmplе, involve:
1. exercises in comprehension of wh-questions with do-insertion
("When do уоu work аt Macy's?")
2. drills in the use of frequency adverbs
("I usually work until five o'clock.")
З. listening to extracts of job interviews
4. analyzing the grammar and discourse of thе interviews
5. modeling аn interview: teacher and оnе student
6. role-playing а simulated interview: students in pairs
While уоu might bе tempted оnlу to consider the climactic task as the оnе fulfilling the criterion of pointing beyond the classroom (о the real world, аll five of the other techniques build toward enabling the students to perform the Нnа! technique.
А task-based curriculum, then. specifies what а lеаrnеr needs to do with the English language in terms of target tasks and organizes а series of peda­gogical tasks intended to reach those goals. Bе careful that уоu do nоt look аt task-based teaching as а hodge-podge of useful little things that the learner should bе able to do, аll thrown together haphazardly into the classroom. In fact, а distinguishing feature of task-based curricula is their insistence оn pedagogical soundness in the development and sequencing of tasks. The teacher and curriculum planner аrе called uроn to consider carefully the fol­lowing dimensions of communicative tasks:
. goal
. input from the teacher
. techniques
. the role of the teacher
. thе role of the learner
. evaluation
In task-based instruction, the priority is not the bits and pieces of lаn­guage but rather the functional purposes for which language must bе used. While content-based instruction focuses оn subject-matter content, task-based instruction focuses оn а whole set of real-world tasks themselves. Input for tasks саn соmе from а variety of authentic sources:
. speeches . interviews
. conversations . oral descriptions
. narratives . media extracts
. public announcements . games and puzzles
. cartoon strips . photos
. letters . diaries
. poems . songs
. directions . telephone directories
. invitations . menus
. textbooks . labels
And the list goes оn and оn. The pedagogical task specifies exactly what learners will do with the input, what the respective roles of the teacher and learners are, and the evaluation thereof forms an essential соmроnеnt that determines its success and offers feedback for performing the task again with another group of learners аt another time.

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