Task-Based Language Teaching

 

Task- Based Language Teaching method is an analytic syllabus composed of tasks basically. The goal of teachers who use this method is to facilitate students learning language by engaging them in a variety of tasks. In this method, the role of the teacher is to create relevant tasks with clear outcomes. It means that tasks should be related to possible situations that students might present out of the classroom; this way, they could feel motivated doing tasks that prepare them for any real life situation. To make students understand the outcomes and the relevance of the tasks, teachers can use pre-tasks and post-tasks. In the first one, the teacher can introduce whatever language is needed to allow students to comprehend the existing steps to complete the tasks. In the second one, the teacher can work on students´ errors after he/she has evaluated their progress in the previous tasks. In order to do this, the teacher can provide a brief grammar explanation, reformulate, model or recasts different tasks based on the level and students´ needs to reinforce their learning or to reduce any problem that they might be presenting in the learning process. 

Additionally, depending on the category of the tasks, educators can teach their classes using either focused or unfocused tasks. On the one hand, the unfocused tasks provide opportunities for allowing students to communicate in a generally manner. They can complete the task using their own language resources and general knowledge about something to succeed in the tasks the teachers tells them to do. In the other hand, focused tasks are the ones that provide opportunities for communicating using some specific linguistic items, for example grammar structures.

 Likewise, the TBLT method includes three different types of tasks which allow students to interact with other members of the group to share information. The three different types of tasks are information gap, opinion gap and reasoning gap. In the information gap tasks, students have to exchange information with one another to complete a task. In the opinion gap task, students can express their personal feelings, thoughts and attitudes, making the task an open- ended activity because they have to share their own points of view and beliefs. In the reasoning gap tasks, students have to infer some information required by including or analyzing the information they have already been given; usually, tasks are presented in a form of problem solving negotiation. 

Finally, depending on the structure of the tasks, teachers can organize the information and the kind of language performance that is needed to fulfill the teacher´s objectives. It means that educators should not teach a linguistic item without having used the language they have been seeing all along the tasks because one of the main objectives of the Task- Based Language Teaching method is to help students acquire better the language they need when they have to use it in different tasks; this way, students are able to communicate in the four main language skills of a target language.

University of Costa Rica
Atlantic Branch – Turrialba Campus
Lesson Plan
Institution:
Date:
Group: 8-3

Target Content N° 6: PERSONAL TRAVEL PLANS
Linguistic Objectives	Mediation Activities	Evaluation of Learning Outcomes and Strategies	Time allowed
SWBT: To identify vocabulary related to personal travel plans making an oral research of information To produce a visual representation  according to a description given   To apply the use of simple vocabulary in the description of pictures, places, people.	Note: In previous classes, students had to name their favorite places for traveling. According to the list they mentioned, along with the teacher they divided the places by different categories, for example if the place was located in a mountain, in a river, in a beach, etc. According to the place they chose, they had to create a list of the elements they will need for traveling to that place, including the mean of transportation, the place they will rest, the items etc. The teacher picked up the list, checked it over at home and will hand in it this class.   1. Teacher greets students and indicates the objectives of today´s class. (2 min) 2. After that, the teacher hands in to students the list of elements reviewed and asks then to stand up and to research for the classmates who also chose their same category.  In order to do this, they have to compare the elements they wrote with their classmates’ elements. They have to form groups based on what they find. (8 min) 3. The teacher has prepared at home some descriptions of the places and elements based on the information and categories that their students gave him.  After the students have formed groups, the teacher gives them a written general description of a place based on the corresponding category. Students have to prepare a visual representation (drawing) based on the description of the place. Besides, they have to include as many elements as they can in the drawing. Also, they have to indicate how many times the element was repeated among members of the group. (20 min) 4. When they finish, they have to present their visual representation in front of the class. They have to mention what place they chose, what elements are needed for traveling to that place, how many times they repeat the elements (for example if three or two of them have the same element, they have indicate the frequency). (10 min)	Students must be able the compare the answers with other classmates using the target language Teachers constantly evaluate the language they use Teacher notices students´ errors and provides feedback  when necessary by modeling, recasting or giving brief grammar explanations Teacher adapts tasks to students´ level and needs Students must be able to work in groups and to interact with classmates	40 min
Resources: Color pens, color pencil, markers, the sheets with descriptions, large pieces of papers for drawing.
Chronicle: