UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO
Implementing TBLT in my Teaching Context
BY
CLAUDIA CIPATLI BAUTISTA FUENTES
Implementing TBLT in my Teaching Context
Unit 4: Activity 4.6.
As a French teacher I can say that there are some problems which refer to the difficulties in
pronunciation, included in the speaking skill. The variances between the consonants and the
vowels are complicated in basic levels. However tasks are an interesting solution for this
problem, because they represented different applications for the students, who can
recognizes the sounds, the intonation, and the rhythm in the natural and native language.
Therefore this approach introduces communicative strategies in the students’ practice,
related to improve the pronunciation.
For Dornyei (1995), speaking and listening skills can guide us to the suggestion for using
tasks in a communicative way, so that he mentions the six procedures that the tasks have:
 Raising learner awareness about the nature and communicative potential of
communication strategies.
 Encouraging students to be willing to take risks and use communication
strategies.
 Providing L2 models of the use of certain communication strategies.
 Highlighting cross-cultural differences in communication strategies use.
 Teaching communication strategies directly.
 Providing opportunities for practice in strategy use (Méndez, 2007, p. 75)
The case about difficulties in pronunciation in a real context is essential for developing
skills to achieve the genuine pronunciation in a solid French ambiance. Expressions,
sentences even words must be pronounced in a correct way, because the interlocutor could
understand a false message.
However, TBLT introduces to the students a learning responsibility for their own learning.
This approach focuses on using necessary tools for success in language learning,
Working by tasks, the teacher has the opportunity to apply different actions in his tasks.
In pronunciation, there is an aspect that could support the practice: training by workshop.
To develop it, one suggestion is to divide the project in three moments: before-workshop,
during-workshop, and after-workshops.
In the institution where I work, each level has 36 hours, so the activity could be developed
for two weeks.
Pronunciation is related to the speaking and this one with the listening comprehension so
that, the main objective of this workshop is a practice through speaking and listening skills.
Therefore the objectives of the workshop refer to apply listening strategies for the students
to reinforce listening habits and to give them the opportunity to practice the approaches and
be aware of the use and application with different audio exercises.
The moments for dividing the workshop are:

Before-workshop. It is important to plan and decide the kind of exercises and
activities that should be included, for example, to choose the interview, the pre-task
and the retrospection. It is possible also to decide with the students how, when and
why to apply language learning strategies.
After all these activities, the teacher and the students can define the selection of exercises to
be used during the workshop.

During-works. The first 3 sessions will be developed to recognize specific and daily
information. Some activities are: spellings, say tongue twisters, make predictions,
etc.
Depending on the strategy used, the exercises can be repeated. In this moment the students
have guided by the teacher who explained the process. It is important that, for every
session, the teacher needs to include pre-listening, while-listening and post-listening
activities. Afterwards, the repetitions of words, ideas, or sentences, will complete the
activity.
In the end, the students include a written work, and think about their self-evaluation.

Post-workshop. Using the different reflections and diaries, the task can be
presented. In the end, the students realize that their learning is not based only on
listening or pronunciation, but in a real and communicative practice.
This proposal is related to the main definition of task. In this sense, using this kind of
activities, the students can support feeble points, like in speaking skills, resolving through
listening comprehension with the main objective of imitate accents, sounds, rhythm or
intonation.
In my teaching experience, I can say that I try to implement activities to influence my
students and their learning.
On the other hand, the results obtained in the workshop can motivate:

Use of communicative strategies.

Practice in a natural context where the students develop their French knowledge.

Provide to the students confidence when they interacting in French
In conclusion, for implementing activities, it is essential to know the students’ necessities,
and in a workshop proposal, to create a real ambiance to training the ideas and the useful
model for learning foreign languages.