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1Tasked-basedLanguageTeachingApproachinMiddleSchoolEnglishTeachingContentsAbstract………………………………………………………………………1Introduction…………………………………………………………………2ChapterIthedefinitionoftasks……………………………………………31.1Whatisatask………………………………………………………31.2Thestructureandcomponentofthetasks………………………51.3Thedistinctionbetweentasksandexercises……………………6ChapterIITask-basedlearningapproach…………………………82.1DevelopmentofTBLT………………………………………………82.2Thestagesofthetask-basedlanguageteaching……………………92.3ComparisonoftheTBLwiththePPP(presentation-practice-production)………………………………………………………………………………12ChapterIIIApplyingtheTBLinpracticalEnglishteaching…………………………………………………………………143.1anexampleofTBLapproach………………………………………143.2theadvantagesofTBLApproachinmiddleschoolEnglishteaching3.3Severalsuggestionsaboutthetaskdesign…………………………15Conclusion……………………………………………………………………16Bibliography…………………………………………………………………172AbstractTheNationalEnglishCurriculumStandardsforPrimaryandSecondarySchoolsemphasizestheconceptof“languageuse”andsuggestsadopting“task-basedapproach”.ButformostEnglishteachers,theTBLisnew.BeforeweuseitinourEnglishteaching,wemustknowthekeyquestions:whataretasks?Whatistask-basedlearningapproach?Whatisthetheoreticalbasis?Howcanwedesignthelively,effectivetasks?InthispaperItrytoexploretheabovequestions.Thispapermakesageneraldescriptionaboutthetask-basedapproachinforeignlanguageteaching,whichisinvoguebothathomeandabroad,tentativelymakingasuggestionforourownchoice.Thepaperthenanalysesitsbasicfeaturesandthesignificanceofitsimplementation,pointingoutthepossibleproblemsworthournotice.3IntroductionCurrentteachingandresearchhaveincreasinglyfocusedoncognitivepsychologicalprocessesthroughcommunicativelanguageteachingandtask-basedlanguagelearningandteaching(TBLT)Inrecentyearsincreasingnumbersofteachers,inallsubjects,havebeenlookingforwaystochangethetraditionalformsofinstructioninwhichknowledgeistransmitted,inaone-wayprocess,fromadominantteachertoaclassofsilent,obedient,“passive”learners.Theyhavesoughtwaystomaketheclassroommore“student-centred”andhaveinvestigatedthedifferentwaysinwhichstudentscanplaymoreactiverolesindiscoveringandprocessingknowledge.“Teachingefficiencyisimprovedwhenthelearnersandtheirlearningarethefocusofattentioninsteadoftheteacherandhis/herteaching”.Thisdesiretomakelearningmorestudent-centredisreflectedinwidespreadattempts,indifferentareasofthecurriculum,tointroduceapproacheswhichengagestudentsactivelyinthelearningprocess.Theseapproacheshavebeendescribedunderavarietyoflabels:“experientiallearning”,“discoverylearning”,“problem-basedlearning”,“co-operativelearning”,the“activity-basedapproach”,andothers.Underlyingalloftheseapproachesisadesiretoinvolvestudentsinsomekindofpurposefulinteractionwithinformation,objectsand/orideas,ofteningroups,inordertodeveloptheirskillsandknowledge.Inthefieldoflanguageteaching,theapproachwhichiscurrentlybestknowninthisrespectis“task-basedlearning”.TheNationalEnglishCurriculumStandardsforPrimaryandSecondarySchoolsemphasizestheconceptof“languageuse”andsuggestsadopting“task-basedapproach”.Thetask-basedapproachtolanguage4learningplacesemphasisonlearningtocommunicatethroughpurposefulinteractioninthetargetlanguage.Learnerindependenceandtheirpositiveattitudetowardslanguagelearningarealsoessentialtomakelanguagelearningsuccessful.ChapterΙThedefinitionofthe“Task”1.1Whatisatask?Confusionoftenarisesindiscussionsoftask-basedlearningbecausedifferentteachersandwritersusedifferentdefinitionsoftheterm‘task’.Someteachersandwritersdefinealanguage-learningtaskasincludingalmostanythingthatstudentsareasked(orchoose)todointheclassroom,includingformallearningactivitiessuchasgrammarexercisesandcontrolledpracticeactivities,providedtheobjectiveoftheactivityisrelatedtolearningthelanguage.Thisistheview,forexample,ofWilliamsandBurden(1997,p.168):Ataskisanyactivitythatlearnersengageintofurthertheprocessoflearningalanguage.Long(1985a)suggeststhatataskisnothingmoreorlessthanthethingspeopledoineverydaylife.Hecitesasexamplesbuyingshoes,makingreservations,findingdestinations,andwritingcheques..TheLongmanDictionaryofAppliedLinguisticsprovidesmorepedagogicallyorientedcharacterization.Here,itissuggestedthatataskisanyactivityoractionwhichiscarriedoutastheresultofprocessingorunderstandinglanguage5(i.e.,asaresponse).Forexample,drawingamapwhilelisteningtoatape,listeningtoaninstructionandperformingacommand,maybereferredtoastasks.(Richards,Platt,&Weber,1985,p.289)Breen(1987)suggeststhatataskisanystructuredlanguagelearningendeavorwhichhasaparticularobjective,appropriatecontent,aspecifiedworkingprocedure,andarangeofoutcomesforthosewhoundertakethetask.'Task'isthereforeassumedtorefertoarangeofworkplans,whichhavetheoverallpurposeoffacilitatinglanguagelearning-from,thesimpleandbriefexercisetype,tomorecomplexandlengthyactivitiessuchasgroupproblemsolvingorsimulationsanddecision-making.(P.23.)Manyotherteachersandwritersuseamorerestricteddefinition.Theyexcludeactivitieswherethelearnersarefocusingonformalaspectsofthelanguage(suchasgrammar,pronunciationorvocabulary)andreservethete