Task-Based Language Teaching: True or False?

1. Great results with Task-based Language Teaching Jane Willis Writer and ELT consultant Honorary Visiting Fellow, Aston University, UK

2. TBLT …True or False? What do you think? No answers immediately: you will find out during the session… .. is designed to teach spoken rather than written English. .. is learner centred. .. rejects rote learning as a useful activity. .. does not allow the use of the first language in the classroom. .. does not provide learners with language input before expecting them to engage in a communicative activity. .. does not allow for the study of grammar. .. does not allow drills and pattern practice. .. requires a greater range of teaching skills and techniques than traditional approaches.

3. Characteristics of effective tasks • Would the activity engagelearners’ interest? • Is there a primary focus on meaning? • Does it have a clear outcome for learners to achieve? • Is success judged in terms of outcome? Is completion a priority? • Does it relate to real world activities?

4. Some examples of tasks & task sequences • Memory challenge – objects on a tray (teacher led>pairs) • Guess what I’ve got in my bag today! (teacher led>pairs) • Draw up your ideal school timetable (11-12 year olds) • Plan a class party for the end of term (mind map > group) • Describe in detail how to make your favourite food; classify dishes, then compare recipes • Earthquake safety – design a leaflet for overseas visitors

5. Things on a tray (1) – memory challenge! The teacher starts by collecting objects and talking about them (useful teacher talk – exposure to useful words and phrases) Memory challenge – test your teacher’s memory: What things? And where? --------------------- Now – you will have 30 seconds to look at a picture of things on a tray and try to remember what things were where… Ready?

6. Things on a tray (2) Tray task

7. How many things can you remember? Work in twos, make a list.

8. Possible task sequence for beginners: Memory challenge, True / False game, Do your own 1 How many objects can you remember? In pairs – quietly - tell each other and write / draw a list in English. 2. Where are they? Can you remember? 2.A Listen to your teacher – is she/he right? Yes or No? 2 B Read the sentences and look at the picture - True or False? The banana is on the right The keys are between the money and the banana … 3 Draw your own tray, then make your own true/false game - 5 sentences. You can play your game with other groups in class.

9. 2B Tray task - true or false?

10. Using your text book and adapting activities to make them more task-like by adding an outcome, being more specific.. Selecting a topic your learners like and generating a task sequence Tip: work with a colleague or two Designing tasks – save time by

11. From topic to task You can choose any topic (e.g. parties, school subjects, cats, cell phones, transport) and design a sequence of tasks using three or four different types of task from this ‘task generator’:

12. Seven types of task Listing Ordering & Sorting Matching Comparing Problem solving Sharing personal experiences Projects and creative tasks

13. Task sequence – topic: cats

15. How tasks can help • To learn a language, learners need opportunities to communicate, engaging in lots of meaning-focused interaction – using whatever language they have at their disposal. ‘Use it to learn it’. • Effective tasks will generate meaning-focused language use and help to motivate learners

16. Using tasks to promote languagedevelopment Tasks are most effective when used flexibly within a coherent Framework: Priming & Preparation (exploring topic, useful words & phrases) Task Cycle Task(s) >> Planning >> Report of outcome Form focus Analysis and Practice

17. CAT’S FEAT a text-based task - lesson plan Priming and Preparation Teacher might tell a story about a cat ; Introduce a Newspaper News in Brief text - give title Cat’s feat and dictionary entry: Feat /fi:t/ feats. A feat is an impressive and difficult act or achievement. EG He received a medal for his heroic feat. The construction of this bridge was a brilliant feat of engineering.

18. Cat’s Feat: Task cycles 1 and 2 1 Task: (individuals, then in groups) think of a story that could have the title: Cat’s feat Planning: plan how to tell your story with maximum effect Decide who will tell each part. Ask your teacher if any problems. Rehearse your story. Report: tell the class your story. Listen to the other stories – do any of them have similar themes? 2 Listening task: Listen to the story on the CD. Which group’s story was the closest? What similarities were there?

19. Cat’s Feat A sixteen-week-old kitten named Mor jumped 200 feet from a balcony of her 22nd floor apartment in British Columbia to the street and walked away without a scratch. Facts from this text >>How many short sentences can you write in two minutes? e.g. The kitten’s name was Mor >>Compare sentences with a partner. How many have you got? Cat’s Feat: Task 3 Read then write

20. Writing task Tell the class your sentences. Do not repeat any you have heard before. How many different ones can you get as a class? Without looking at the text again, try to put all those facts back into one sentence of exactly 30 words. Work in twos. You have ten minutes. (= Unpacking and repacking a sentence: M. Halliday) >At home: write up your group’s best cat story to…….

21. Form Focus: based on text and/or transcript • Look at the transcript of the recording. • Circle 6 phrases with the word that or That. What do some have in common? Think of 2 or 3 ways to categorise them. Ah, that’s amazing! Something like that, anyway That’s incredible! That’s funny actually, because the other day… They are very good at that, yes. That’s right!

22. Find – in the spoken transcript – 8 examples of words ending in –ly. Notice the phrases they are in. Try saying the whole phrase out loud quickly. I reckon it probably jumped out the window Oh actually I think I read this somewhere… That’s funny actually because the other day… Because I recently heard of a similar story But certainly it’s fairly common. • Test your partner – say the phrase without the -ly word – can he /she remember the whole phrase? (You can say beep instead of the word.) Try this with the next slide.

23. Oh ………….. I think I read this somewhere… I reckon it …………. jumped out the window That’s funny …………, because the other day… Because I ……….. heard of a … But certainly it’s ………… common.

24. When to work on language and focus on form? Priming & Preparation Key lexis & useful phrases Task >> Planning >>>> Report of outcome Language extension >> Prestige language use Form focus Analysis & practice of language features from texts (written or spoken) that learners have read or heard

25. TBLT … True or False? If you have taken part in this whole session, you will realise now that these are all false. They are simply common myths. .. is designed to teach spoken rather than written English. .. is learner centred. .. rejects rote learning as a useful activity. .. does not allow the use of the first language in the classroom. .. does not provide learners with language input before expecting them to engage in a communicative activity. .. does not allow for the study of grammar. .. does not allow drills and pattern practice. .. requires a greater range of teaching skills and techniques than traditional approaches.

26. What kind of results? • Willingness to ‘have a go’ in lessons (Japan) • Learners develop a feel for language and for what sounds right • Increased confidence in speaking outside class (Hungary) • ‘Students come to life during the task cycle’ (Japan) • Increased motivation among students (everywhere) • More autonomous learners who are likely to go on learning after their language course.

27. Useful sites and reading – see handout! And now a final task for your homework: • Which is colder – the North Pole or the South Pole? To find out, visit www.willis-elt.co.uk - free lesson plans, articles and useful links And try doing some Task-based Teaching with your learners! All the very best!

28. www.willis-elt.co.uk References • Edwards C. and J. Willis (eds) 2005. Teachers Exploring Tasks in ELT. Palgrave MacMillan. British Council ELT Innovations Award 2006 • Leaver B. and J. R. Willis 2004 Task-based Instruction in FLE: practices and programs Georgetown University Press • Liria, P. (ed) 2009 L'approche actionnelle dans l'enseignement des langues SBL • Willis D. 2003. Rules, Patterns and Words: Grammar and Lexis in English Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press • Willis D. and J. Willis, 2007 Doing Task-based Teaching Oxford University Press Useful websites: • An excellent introductory article on TBL by Richard Frost: • http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/a-task-based-approach • Four articles on TBL by Jane Willis can be found at: • http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/criteria-identifying-tasks-tbl • Free sample task-based lesson plans at http://www.willis-elt.co.uk/taskbased.html

29. Extra slides follow

30. So why Task-based Learning? • TBL provides learners with natural exposure (input), chances to use language to express what they want to mean (output), to focus on improving their own language and to analyse and practise forms. • TBL is more likely to keep learners motivated since it builds on whatever language they know in a positive way. Learners are actively engaged throughout the task cycle, and get chances to think for themselves and express themselves in the security of their group. • Learners become more independent and feel empowered, gaining satisfaction from successfully achieving things through the FL.

31. Implementing and exploring TBL… • Aim at richer interactions in class – focus on meaning first, form later. • Use your text-books flexibly: ‘taskify’ them. • Explore what happens when you use tasks: get learner feed-back, adapt tasks and try again. (Edwards and Willis (eds) Teachers Exploring Tasks)

32. Teachers’ advice on TBL ‘Collaborate with your colleagues – it saves time – and it makes teaching much more rewarding…’ ‘Collaboration is the key’ ‘Don’t give up - it really works!’ www.willis-elt.co.uk