THE TBL FRAMEWORK

OVERVIEWand

PRE-TASK PHASE

ByPatricia Cánovas

Maria Eugenia PiedrasZinnia Zúñiga

TASK BASED LEARNING aims at:

Offering learners an opportunity to be

Independent, creative, co-responsible f their own progess

Offering learners a holistic experience of language in useHaving a natural progression from holistic to specific, from meaning to form

Providing the four basic conditions for language learning

Exposure, use, motivation, and explicit study of language form

In TBLThe teacher is the one who:

TEACHER ROLE IN TASK BASED LEARNING

FACILITATES LANGUAGE

SETS TASK UP

KEEPS CONTROL

The TBL framework consists of:

PRE-TASK TASK CYCLE LANGUAGE FOCUS

TASK BASED LEARNING

TASK BASED LEARNING

LANGUAGE FOCUS

Allows a closer study of some of the specific features naturally occuring int the language used during the task

TASK CYCLEOffers the learner to use whatever language he already knows and then to improve it

with the teacher guidance. Exposure to L2 can be provided at different stages

PRE-TASK

Introduces the class to the topic and the task.

TASK BASED LEARNING

The shortest stage in the framework

Pretask

TASK BASED LEARNING Steps in the pre-task phase

PRE-TASK

Advance preparation

Introducing the topic

Identifying topic language

Pretask language activities

Giving task instructions

Allowing preparation time

TASK

TASK BASED LEARNING Pre-task stages

•To fine-tune coursebook task plan or design your own carefully by:

•To find suitable material to introduce the task and to facilitate student’s learning

•To work out vocabulary building ideas

•To work out clear instructions

Advance preparation

•To help learners define the topic area or

•To introduce and create interest in doing a task on the chosen topic (Rooney, K. )

Introduce the task

•To help students recall and activate words and phrases that will be useful during the task and outside the classroom

•To introduce a few vital topic related words and phrases that students are unlikely to know so as to boost students’ confidence in handling the task.

Identify topic language

TASK BASED LEARNING Pre-task stages

• To explore topic language and give students relevant exposure

• To create interest on doing a task on the topic

Pretask language activities

•To ensure that all students understand what the task involves, what its goals are and what outcome is required.•To specify how students should begin, what each person should do, the time they have and what will happen once they have finished.

Giving task instructions

•For learners to plan how to tackle the task, think of what to say and how to say it•This may result in language use richer in complexity and variety of syntax, breadth of vocabulary and in fluency and naturalness

Allowing preparation

time

TASK BASED LEARNINGOther points to bear in mind whilst preparing our

students for a task:

Managing learner talk – some patterns of interaction

• Individual students on their own or circulating,• talking to different students. Students in pairs or in groups (with

or without one student leading). • Teacher working with pairs or groups in turn, or with the whole

class.

TALKATIVE STUDENTS

BALANCING TATGET LANGUAGE AND MOTHER TONGUE

TASK

TASK BASED LEARNINGOther points to bear in mind whilst preparing our

students for a task:

TASK BASED LEARNINGOther points to bear in mind whilst preparing our

students to a task:

Dealing with mixed ability classes

• People of different abilities naturally find their own level and ways of coping. Weaker students can benefit from working with better students.

• Two weak students may feel more comfortable working together and that may stop stronger learners from becoming frustrated.

• Fast pairs or groups should have something extra to do, like sharing with another pair or group, or exchanging tasks to be checked by others.

TASK BASED LEARNINGOther points to bear in mind:

Dealing with large classes

• Classes may be controlled with greater small group or pair work, plus understanding and acceptance of common goals. Doing tasks in whispers or sometimes total silence. Changing task to settle learners down. Setting time limit and sticking to it.

Deal

TASK BASED LEARNINGOther points to bear in mind:

Talkative students

• May dominate the group, but asking them to be the chairperson might help control their excessive talk.

• Using group work or self-assessment or appraisal sheets or recordings may help.

TASK BASED LEARNINGOther points to bear in mind:

Balancing target language and mother tongue

• Explain to students that if they wish to communicate in the language target they need to practice.

• Banning mother tongue use altogether may not be advisable. • Introduce rules for using mother tongue, or even better, involve students in the rule-making

process• It is useful to time the amount of target languague spoken in the class, then try to reduce it.