TBLTSara Gnida

Feb 2016

Speed Dating discussion:Your experience as a language learner (language experience paper)

What experiences have you had as a language learner and how successful have they been? What are your criteria for judging success?

Speed Dating discussion:Your experience as a language learner (language experience paper)

If you were clearly representative of all language learners, what could we learn about language learning or teaching from your autobiography?

Speed Dating discussion:Your experience as a language learner (language experience paper)

How has your experience as a language learner influenced you as a language teacher? OR How might it influence you?

Speed Dating discussion:Your experience as a language learner (language experience paper)

In your opinion, what does effective language teaching look like?

What is a task? What is task-based language teaching?

Review of Task-based language teaching

“The more confidently we can answer yes to each of these questions the more task-like the activity.◦ Will the activity engage your learners’ interest?◦ Will learners primarily focus on meaning?◦ Are learners free to use whatever language forms

they wish?◦ Is there a clear outcome that learners will work to

achieve?◦ Is success judged in terms of whether the outcome

is met, rather than in terms of language accuracy? ◦ Does the activity relate to real world activities?”

From Jane Willis (2011, 2013)

A task is a pedagogical activity in which... “Learners use language to accomplish a clearly specified

objective or outcome. That is, as is common in the real world, language is used to meet a non-linguistic and somewhat authentic goal.

Learners are focused on meaning as they interact with language. That is, although learners may give some attention to form, their primary intention is to convey or comprehend meaning rather than to demonstrate an ability to manipulate language.

What learners actually say, and the language they use to carry out a task, is not specified. That is, although certain tasks have potential to elicit certain linguistic forms, learners use their own resources (language, ideas) to carry out tasks. “

In other words (Gnida, 2012... Drawn from Ellis, Nunan)

Task-based language teaching Under the umbrella of “communicative language

teaching” Specified by the Canadian Language Benchmarks:.

◦ Tasks are described as the “basic building blocks” of syllabus design and planning units for language teaching.

◦ They provide demonstrable and measureable outcomes of performance.

◦ Language proficiency is described in terms of a learner’s ability to accomplish communication tasks.

◦ Learner assessment evaluates a learner’s ability to accomplish listening, speaking, reading and writing tasks.

In TBLT, Learners Use language to accomplish “genuinely

purposeful, problem-oriented, or outcome-driven tasks” (Plews and Zhao, 2011, p.42) – similar to how they would use L in the real world.

Focus on meaning and communicative purpose. They use their own resources and the content

they access through language (as they listen, view, read, discuss, interview) to do solve problems, convince, teach, design a poster, fill in a form, write an email, etc.

Focus on forms (grammar, vocab., pronunciation) or skills (RWLS) is contextualized in a task. ◦ Prior to a task, to enable learners to successfully

do the task◦ During the task to facilitate the task◦ After the task, to deal with issues/questions that

arose LSRW are integrated Learners give and receive feedback; have

opportunity to try it again.

Turning Tasks into Lessons

NunanEllisWillis

Real world tasks

Pedagogical tasks

Rehearsal tasks

Activation tasks

Enabling skills

Language exercises

Communicative activities

Components of task-based lessons: fitting it all together

Nunan, D. (2004). Task-based language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge, UK. pp 25.

STEPS/SEQUENCES EXPLANATION

1.Create schema. Schema building tasks introduce initial vocabulary, language, and context for the task.

2.Provide controlled practice. Learners engage in controlled practice in target language / structures / functions.

3.Provide opportunity for authentic practice.

Expose learners to authentic practice.

4.Provide opportunity to focus on linguistic elements.

Focus on grammar, vocabulary, etc.

5.Provide opportunity for freer practice.

Provide freer rehearsal practice for learners.

6.Introduce the pedagogical task.

Learners complete task.

Nunan: Lots of input and practice prior to the task

STEPS/SEQUENCES EXAMPLE

1.Create schema. Look at rental advertisement & id key words, abbreviations, match people with accommodations

2.Provide controlled practice.

Listen to a model conversation on renting an apartment. Practice conversations using info in #1

3.Provide opportunity for authentic practice.

Learners read an email from an apartment manager to a prospective renter, or listen to native speakers inquiring

4.Provide opportunity to focus on linguistic elements.

Perhaps focus on comparatives (cheaper, bigger, smaller), or Question grammar and intonation

5.Provide opportunity for freer practice.

Play the part of a prospective renter and call a rental agent about an advertisement.

6.Introduce the pedagogical task.

Complete a worksheet with 3 sections:•Requirements for a rental•3 rental options (from kijiji?)•3 questions to find answers toRoleplay calling a rental company (or really do so)

Nunan: Sample lesson

Pre, During and Post-task stages Focus on form integrated as needed into all or

some of the stages.Select one of the following tasks:

1. Role-play describing a lost item/child to security personnel in a mall.

2. Role-play phoning in to cancel a shift because of a minor car accident/ Receiving the call.

3. Give a 5-minute summary of an article to a group of students who read different articles related to the flu vaccine. (Jigsaw format) (Follow-up: based on the 4 summaries, groups come up with an essay outline in response to the prompt: Should healthcare workers be required to get the flu vaccine?)

4. Other:

Ellis

Pre Task Phase (Ellis, 2006)

Preparing learners “to perform task in ways that will promote acquisition”

Plan a pre-task activity for your task.

What language features, functions, or skills would you need to focus on?

Learners do a similar task as a whole class in preparation for doing it individually.Learners observe/analyse a model of a task being performed (e.g., a sample text, a videoed interaction) to raise awareness of language features and functions and/or pre-train in the use of strategies.Gathering ideas (brainstorming, reading, listening, mind maps, viewing, research) Gathering/priming linguistic resources (predicting vocabulary/gambits, glossing, dictionary work)Pre-task planning time. guided or unguided focus on fluency, form or content shorter or longer (shorter amount of time

promoted fluency; longer amounts of time necessary to promote complexity)

individually, in groups, or with teacherOther: Elicit a list of criteria for successful

completion of task

During Task Phase (Ellis 2006)

What choices would you make for the task while learners are doing it?

Task performance options• time pressure (to encourage fluency) or no

time pressure (to promote complexity and accuracy)

• access to text/input (to encourage learners to “borrow” language as they complete the task), or not.

• Introducing surprise elements during a task (to increase amount of talk, interest), or not.

Process options• Discourse that is primarily conversational or

discourse that encourages “the explicit formulation of messages”

• Pairs, groups, individuals• Opportunities to for learners to temporarily

focus on form (i.e., in response to learner error) implicitly though requests for clarification and recasts, or explicitly through correction, grammar explanation, questions, advice

Post Task Phase (Ellis, 2006)

Post-task phase: “Following up on task performance”

What would you do to follow-up on the task?

Repeating a performance •privately, to increase complexity and fluency•publically, to provide experience using a more formal style.

Reflecting on the taske.g., in the form of a written or oral report (how they did the task, what they learned/decided, evaluating performance, how to improve, etc.)(Other: completing a rubric with a peer)Focus on forms•Awareness raising and noticing tasks (comparing to a model)•Reviewing learner errors and gaps (i.e., forms that were used incorrectly, or useful forms that they failed to use)•Practicing and automatizing forms•Traditional practice of forms (to help learners automatize forms)

Pre-task◦ Shortest stage 2-20 minutes◦ Activate schemata/vocabulary◦ Textbook may be a good source of pre-activities

Ex: mind maps Ex: brainstorm Ex: match phrase to picture

◦ Give task instructions

Willis: Task first, then language focus

The task cycle Stop teaching; No ESL assistance; instructor keeps

learners on task/checks participation/time keeper

Learners have time to learn about the task expectations

They plan how to complete the task They engage in the interaction needed to do the task They plan and present a report (oral or written)

Willis Continued:

Language focus◦ From meaning to form◦ Generated from the various stages of the task

cycle ◦ Predicted by the instructor

◦ Lots of samples on the Willis&Willis website.

Willis continued

Outcome Students will be able to describe incidents in the past and give opinions in small group discussions and class presentations (CLB 5).Language focus: used to; didn’t used to

Pre-task Brainstorming for important inventions; Discussion of what life was like before the cell phone.

Task Cycle Groups select an invention.•List 3 things people did differently before that invention•List advantages and disadvantages of the invention•Write a summary of their discussion.Students listen to presentations of the summaries to determine which invention had the greatest effect.

Language focus

Raise awareness: Instructor presents on the cellphone, using “used to/didn’t used to”.Teach about grammar (used to), usage, and pronunciation. Perhaps do a fill in the blank grammar activity on “used to”Students re-write summary incorporating target forms.

Sample Task adapted from Huang (2010)

1. Read what the research says about the effects of your assigned task design feature.

2. Be prepared to explain the design feature and its effects to others who read a different article.

3. Discuss implications of the design features for planning and instruction in your practicum placement.

Planning timeTask repetition

Pre-task modelingFocus on form (pre-, during-, after-task)

Task design features (p.125,TCDSB handbook)

Ellis, R. (2006). The methodology of task-based teaching. Asian EFL Journal, 8(3), Article #2. Retrieved from http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/Sept_06_re.php

Ellis, R. (2008). Principles of Instructed Second Language Acquisition. CAL digest. Retrieved February 6 from http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/instructed2ndlang.html

Gnida, S. (2012b). Task Based Language Teaching. In Moving Professional Learning to Classroom Practice: An Instructor Handbook, pp.122-127. Toronto District Catholic School Board. http://wiki.settlementatwork.org/w/uploads/Instructor_Handbook.pdf

Huang, J. (2010). Grammar instruction for adult English language learners: A task-based learning framework. Journal of Adult Education: Information Series, 1(39), 29-37. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ891084.pdf

Kaskens, A., Light, J., & Peters, C. (2012). Moving professional learning to classroom practice: An instructor handbook, Chapter 4. Toronto, ON: Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB).

Nunan, D. (2004). Task-based language teaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Willis, J. (2011). The truth about task-based learning: Myth and reality. ELT Task Based Language Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.willis-elt.co.uk/

References

Designing Task-based lessons (CLB) 1. Select a task goal (function/context),

connected in some way to a real-life need or interest of your learners. For example:Read a personal email from a friend containing an apology.

(CLB Support Kit, p. 22)

2. Relate the task to a CLB skill level and competency. For example:Understand simple personal social messages (such as invitations, thanks, apologies, quick updates, and arrangements) within predictable contexts of daily life.

(CLB Support Kit, p. 22)

3. Do a task analysis. (What will learners need to be able to do to successfully perform the task?) Break the task into components. (See the “Indicators of ability” and the “Profile of ability.”)For example:Get the gist of the message, identifying important details (sender, date, situation, reason for apology).ID purpose of the text and writer’s intent.ID words that indicate level of formality and tone...

(CLB Support Kit, p. 22)

4. Develop a task so that learners can demonstrate what they are able to do.For example:Learners read several short email messages containing an apology and complete short- answer questions to identify main points, relationship of speakers, intent of speakers, and specific details.

(CLB Support Kit, p. 22)

5. Plan activities that help learners develop the skills and language necessary to accomplish the task. For example:Brainstorming for various phrases and words used to apologize (varying levels of formality; intensifiers) Using those words and phrases in role-plays (requiring varying levels of formality and regret)