Task-based Instruction
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Aims to provide learners with a natural
context for language use.
Ss work to complete a task.
Ss have abundant opportunity to interact.
This interact facilitates language acquisition.
By interacting, Ss have to check if they have
comprehended correctly and get to listen to
lang. beyond their ability.
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Do not focus on a particular function or a
form of the language.
Pedagogic focus on task completion instead of
on the language used in the process.
T uses a wide variety of linguistic forms to
make context clear.
Prabhu (1987)- 3 types of tasks
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Information-gap activity: exchange info. to
complete a task.
e.g.: Ss describe a picture for another S to
draw.
Opinion-gap activity: Ss give their personal
preferences, feelings to complete a task.
e.g.: topic on unemployment and be ask the
solutions.
Prabhu (1987)- 3 types of tasks (cont.)
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Reasoning-gap activity: derive new info. by
inferring from info given.
e.g.: Ss are given a railroad timetable and
asked to work out the best route to get to a
particular place.
Work the best because it encourages a more
sustained engagement with meaning.
Project-based Approach
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1st stage: in the classroom
planning, collaboration w/ T, content, scope
of the project.
2nd stage: outside the classroom
Gathering necessary information- conducting
interviews, taking photos, preparing visual
materials.
Project-based Approach (cont.)
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3rd stage: Review the project
monitoring work, receiving feedback from T.
T works with Ss as a counselor , not the
project director.
Help Ss bridge the gap between language
study and use.
Conclusion
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Candlin and Murphy (1987):
“The central purpose we are concerned with is
language learning, and tasks present this in
the form of a problem-solving negotiation
between knowledge that the learner holds and
new knowledge.”