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Developing Learners’ Communicative Competence
Through Task-Based InstructionTask-Based Instruction
Overview
Goals of foreign language learning Current teaching practices “Exercise” vs. “Task” What is task? Why?--Task-Based Instruction—TBITBI How to design and use TBITBI? Question-answer
Language is …
used as a vehicle for communication communication
Communication is …
Lee (2000)• Expression• Interpretation• Negotiation of meaning
Long (1996) • Genuine human interaction • Input feedback output
Language Competence …
FluencyHow wellwell?
AccuracyHow accurateaccurate?
PragmaticsHow appropriateappropriate?
Real-Life Situation …
A sunny afternoon on the street in Granada, Spain …
María: Hmm … ¿Me puedo ,,, puedes decir donde ir a banco?
Desconocido: Bueno, está muy cerca de aquí. Pase por el semáforo y doble a la derecha en la primera calle. El banco está al lado del restaurante “Pollo Loco”
María: Hmm … ¿semáforo? [confused]
Desconocido: [point it out the light] luces
María: Ah …vvvvoy a banco para dinero
no restaurante, sí?
Desconocido: [took the pen out and started to
draw the picture] Mire …
María: Sí, sí, sí, gracias! [smiling] Tú eres muy amable.
“Poor Mary”
¿Tú or Ud.?
Pragmatics?
donde ir a banco
Accuracy?
Hmm…Ah… Hmm…
Fluency?
Expression
Interpretation
Negotiation of meaning
“Mary in Class”
María,
¡No hables más!Oye, ¿Me escuchas?
Blank, Blank, Blank …
Fill in each blank with the correct form of the verb.• Yo _________ (caminar) por el parque y
sus amigos ________(practicar) frisbi en la playa.
• Nosotros _________(escribir) composiciones y Luis __________(leer) el texto de español.
Matching
Column A
1. ¿Cómo es el profesor?
2. ¿Cuándo es la clase?
3. ¿Quién siempre saca buenas notas?
4. ¿Cuántos estudiantes hay?
5. ¿Dónde es la clase?
Column B
A. Veintitrés
B. En Horton Hall 303
C. Miguel DeRosa
D. Muy serio y perfeccionista
E. A la una de la tarde
Pattern Practice
Modelo Juan: ¿Vas a la escuela? María: No, no voy a la escuela.
1. ¿Vas a la biblioteca?
2. ¿Va tu amigo a la playa?
3. ¿Van tus amigos a la plaza?
4. ¿Vamos al parque?
Dialogue
Perform the following memorized dialogue.• María: ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?• Juan: Muy bien. ¿Y tú?• María: Regular. ¿Tienes clase ahora?• Juan: No. ¿Tomamos café juntos?• María: Sí. Me gusta “Green Mountain”• Juan: A mí también.
Communicative Drill
Your partner is asking what you did last week. Be sure to answer in complete sentences.
1. Buy Christmas gifts
2. Study for a exam
3. See Halloween decorations
4. Attend a birthday party
ExercisesExercises
ExercisesExercises
No More …
ExercisesExercises
Let’s Discuss …
Why are these “exercisesexercises”? What teaching method is used? What is the main focus? Is it sufficient to “practicepractice” the
language? Why?
Exercises …
Focus on “Form” No “creativity” Lack of “authenticity” Exhausting and boring
¡Estoy agotado!
¡Qué aburrido!
Limitations …
Teacher = “drilldrill” leader Student = “learner” but not “user” Focus = “form” Practice = perfect
• Audiolingual Method (ALM) Output = learned patterns
Changes …
Evolution NOTNOT Revolution
From ALM to Communicative Language Teaching—CLTCLT
From exercisesexercises to taskstasks
Differences …
Ellis (2002) Exercise
• Form-focused language use• Language “learner”• Intentional
TaskTask• Meaning-focused language use• Language “user”• Incidental
More Changes …
From “form” to
““meaning”meaning” + “form”“form” From Communication = question +
answer
to
Communication = expression, interpretation and negotiation of meaning (Lee, 2000)
TasksTasks
Task ...Task ...
A tasktask is an activity “where thetarget language is used by thelearner for a communicativepurpose (goal) in order toachieve an outcome.”
Jane Willis
Example #1: Fill in forms
Listen toListen to the conversation and write the missing information of each student.
Name: AnnaAge: 35Country:Birth Date:Married:Single:Occupation:Hobbies:
Name: AndrewAge:Country:Birth Date:Married:Single: Occupation:Hobbies:
Name: JohnAge:Country:Birth Date:Married:Single:Occupation:Hobbies: Jazz
Example #1: (continued)
Now compare your answers with your partner.
Name: AnnaAge: 35Country:Birth Date:Married:Single:Occupation:Hobbies:
Name: AndrewAge:Country:Birth Date:Married:Single: Occupation:Hobbies:
Name: JohnAge:Country:Birth Date:Married:Single:Occupation:Hobbies: Jazz
Example #2: Fill in a chart
Listen toListen to the automated ticketing service for ‘What’s on around town this weekend’. Make a list of movies, and concerts and how much they cost.
Movies Concerts$$$ ________________$$$ ________________$$$ ________________$$$ ________________$$$ ________________$$$ ________________
Example #2 (continued)
First decide three activities you would like to do and then work with your partner to make up the schedule for the activities.
Activity 1
What?
Where?
How much?
What time?
Activity 2
What?
Where?
How much?
What time?
Activity 3
What?
Where?
How much?
What time?
Example #3: Role-play
You are in a clothing store and have $150 to spend.
Card B: You are clerk
--Offer to help--Tell him/her whatis on sale--Suggestions: a bottleof perfume for mom, a pair of pants for brother, watch for boyfriend--Go to the customerService
Card A: You are customer --You are looking forgifts for three people--Your mom, brother and boyfriend--Ask for suggestions --Ask for prices--Ask him/her to wrap the gifts--Thanks him/her
Example #4: Decision-making
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.
Example #4 (continued)
Axe (8 kilos) Waterproof sheets of fabric (3 kilos each.) Notebook computer (3.5 kilos) Rope (6 kilos). Fire lighting kits (500 grams each) Portable CD player and CDs (4 kilos.) Short-wave radio (12 kilos) Medical kit (2 kilos.) Bottles of water (1.5 kilos each) Packets of sugar, flour, rice, powdered milk, coffee, tea. (Each
packet weighs 500 grams) Cans of food (500 grams each) Box of novels and magazines (3 kilos)
Source: Nunan D. (2000)
Example #4 (continued)
Now work with three other students and choose the most important threethree items that you absolutely need to take with you.
Item #1
Item #2
Item #3
Example #5: Jigsaw
“Esteban’s routine” Student A: drawings—1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 Student B: drawings—2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 Generate the story orally with your partner Write an essay together on a blank sheet of
paper Time: 30 minutes
Textbook: ¿Sabías qué? (2002)
Esteban se levanta y se lava ….
Let’s Discuss …
Task? Why? What are the common features? Other types?
Task ...Task ...
Focus on both “meaningmeaning” and “formform”
• “Meaning”—information, idea
• “Form”—grammar, vocabulary
¡Qué divertido!¡Qué música!
Task-Based Task-Based InstructionInstruction
TBI …TBI …
promotes communication communication, interactioninteraction and negotiationnegotiation
fosters active active participation and scaffoldingscaffolding
allows extendedextended discourse
TBI …TBI …
requires linguisticlinguistic and cognitivecognitive skills
focuses on both accuracyaccuracy and fluencyfluency
engages in real-timereal-time language processing
One Step More …
From
Question-Answer
To
Task-based Activities Task-based Activities
Question-Answer Discussion
--What did you do last weekend?Teacher: Did you go to the library?(select a student)John: No, I went to see a movieTeacher: What movie did you see?John: “Shall we dance?” Teacher: Who else went to see a movie?(select a student)Mary: No, I watched TV and ate pop corn. Teacher: What program did you watch?Mary: “The Sopranos”
What did you do last weekend?What did you do last weekend?
Task-Based Activity
Step 1
Activity Dance at a party Running five miles Playing video games Playing a sport Reading a book Watching TV Writing a letter Making dinner
Sedentary Active
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Source: Lee (2000)
Step 2: Five More Activities
Activity ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
Sedentary Active
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
Step 3: Interview …
--Did you go fishing last week? --No, I read a book “How to become a
millionaire?”
Step 4: Compare …
Your partners responses to the categorizations you made in Steps 1 and 2.
Step 5: Conclusion …
Use the scale to rate your partner’s week.
very sedentary as sedentary very activeas active
1 2 3 4 5
Task-Based Activity
“The Most Interesting Person”
Steps …
Step 1• List 10 words that associate with “interesting”
Step 2• Describe the person in U.S./in Spain/in France,
etc. Step 3
• Compare your answers with your partner Step 4
• “Who is the most interesting person? And why?”
Criteria …
Identifying a desired outcome• Describe the person
Breaking down the topic into subtopics• 3-4 steps from easy to difficult
Creating concrete tasks• From words to sentences
Building in linguistic support • Vocabulary: adjectives • Grammar: to be/like/…
Types
Listing Ordering and sorting
• Sequencing/ranking • Categorizing/classifying
Comparing similarities/differences Problem solving
• Decision making• Information gap
Sharing experiences • Describing/narrating
Participatory Structure
Individual• Intra-personal (private speech)
Social • Interpersonal • Teacher-students• Student-teacher/other students• Student-student (group or pair-work)
ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
Incorporation of four skills plus culture
“Tasks” instead of “exercises”
Final Thoughts
Authentic materials/pictures
Feedback
