sorting out the misunderstandings ijal_231 221..246 Rod Ellis Shanghai International Studies University and University of Auckland

1. TASK-BASED LANGUAGE
TEACHING: SORTING OUT THE
MISUNDERSTANDINGS
Rod Ellis
PRESENTER: SHIDAK RAHBARIAN
May, 2017
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2. Prabhu (1987)
Candlin and Murphy’s (1987)
Nunan (1989; 2004)
Crookes and Gass(1993)
Estaire and Zanon (1994)
Willis (1996)
Skehan (1998a)
Ellis (2003)
Leaver and Willis (2004)
Edwards and Willis (2005)
Van den Branden (2006)
Garcia Mayo (2007)
Eckerth and Siekmann (2008)
Samuda and Bygate (2008)
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Has its origins in Dewey’s (1913) views
And researched and practiced by

3. TBLT has been subjected to criticism by the following critics:
Sheen (1994; 2004)
Swan (2005)
Widdowson (2003)
Seedhouse (1999 and 2005)
Li (1998)
Carless (2004)
Butler (2005)
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4. A TASK MUST SATISFY THE FOLLOWING CRTERIA:
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TASK

5. 5
UN
Opportunities for communicating
and using language in general
Opportunities for communicating
and using specific linguistic features

6.  Design:
 type of tasks
 the content of the tasks
 the sequence of the tasks
 Methodology:
 the structure of a task-based lesson
 the type of participatory structure to
employ.
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A task-based lesson can involve three phases
pre-task phase MAIN TASK PHASE post-task phase
OBLIGATORY

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CHARACTERISTICS: Long’s (1985) Skehan’s
(1998a)
Ellis’s (2003)
1- AUTHENTICITY
2- LEARNER-
CENTEREDNESS
Not necessarily
3- FOCUS ON
FORM
Corrective feedback Pre-task All phases
4- TASKS
Unfocused- Focused Unfocused Unfocused- Focused
5- REJECTION OF
TRADITIONAL
APPROACHES

8. 1) The definition of a ‘task’
2) Semantic vs. pragmatic meaning
3) Impoverished interaction
4) Task-as-work plan vs. task-as-process
5) Inadequate coverage of grammar
6) Attention to form
7) Consciousness-raising tasks
8) Vocabulary and pronunciation
9) Output vs. input-based task based lan.
teaching
10) The role of the teacher
11) Acquisition-rich vs. acquisition-poor
environments
12) ‘Legislation by hypothesis’
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9.  Skehan (1998) provides the following definition:
 1. Meaning is primary.
 2. There is a goal that needs to be worked towards.
3. The activity is outcome-evaluated.
 4. There is a real-world relationship.
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1- It does not distinguish semantic and pragmatic meaning
2- it is not clear what Skehan means by ‘goal’
3- a successful outcome to a task may not result in any learning if only minimal
language is involved.
4-The nature of the ‘real-world relationship’ is not specified
Widdowson (2003) CRITICIZED this definition as it is loosely formulated as mentions that:

10.  Tasks prioritize PRAGMATIC MEANING
 and neglects SEMANTIC MEANING
Widdowson’s Example:
I am walking to the door.
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Criticism by Widdowson is about pragmatic and semantic meaning of task:

11.  Performance of tasks by learners, will just result in poor language use
as in the below information gap task, they just have INDEXICALIZED
and PIDGINIZED language (Fossilization than acquisition
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Seedhouse (1999) objects that:

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Sheen (2003) and Swan (2005) complains inadequate coverage of grammar
Long and Crookes (1993) defended this criticism by the idea that
 Focused tasks comprise the linguistic content
 Unfocused tasks has no place for grammar
 Sheen 2003 complains inadequate coverage of grammar in TBLT syllabus
 Swan 2005 insists that TBLT outlaws grammar syllabus.

13.  The term was coined by Long (1991)
 Now imagine the following situation
 It is all true, but is this partial really recast accepted?
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Sheen 2003 criticizes that the only practice in grammar happens during a problem while
communication.

14.  Misunderstanding arises from the term FOCUS ON FORM, ( it does not only indicates
the grammar)
 William (1999) mentions that this form can be lexical
 Ellis (2001) identified forms in a 12-hour TBLT class of adult learners:
 Loewen (2005) has worked on another case of 32 hours TBLT class of adult learners :
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Swan 2005 claimed that theoretical rationale for TBLT limits it to learning grammar but
not vocabulary and phonology.
• 159 lexical
• 76 pronunciation
• 163 grammar
429 focus on form
• 43% Vocabulary
• 22% pronunciation
• 33% grammar

15.  That TBLT does not provide new language to learners, the following
questions arise:
 Ellis (2003) worked on listening tasks called them ‘listen-to-do tasks’ can be
enriched with new vocabulary as well as reading.
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• How is this claim measured in traditional approach and in TBLT approach?
• What does “new language” refer to?
Swan 2005 provides us with an astonishing criticism that TBLT

16.  Teachers’ role changes to facilitators and managers.
 Prabhu (1987) challenges this claim and distinguishes between
 A pre-task which is performed by teacher
 And the main task which is performed by learners individually
 Teachers are generally rolled as “skilled communicator” not just as facilitators
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Swan 2005 proposed that TBLT promotes learner-centeredness and discusses
about the role of teachers as follows:

17.  Although Prabhu (1987) and Beretta and Davies(1985) had evaluations in
this regard.
 The findings were as follows:
 the tests favouring the traditional group, this group did best.
 the tests favouring the task-based group, this group did best.
 the neutral tests, the task-based group did best.
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Sheen (2003) and Swan (2005) argues that there is no empirical evidence to support the
hypotheses that underlies theoretical rationale for task-based teaching.
This evaluation suggests that TBLT is superior to traditional teaching.

18. Here are a number of principles that, if followed, may help to make the problems better
 The proficiency levels of the students
 Tasks should result in appropriate L2 use
 Teachers need a clear understanding of task
 Awareness of the purpose and rationale of the task
 The teachers must be also involved in the development of the task materials(Ideally).
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No1 is :
Carless (2004) in Thailand who examined
the implementation of TBLT in the
context of Hong Kong’s ‘target-oriented
curriculum’ in elementary schools.
No 2 is :
McDonough and Chaikitmongkol (2007)
who reported on an innovative task-based
course for students at Chiang Mai University.

19.  But despite all the abovementioned criticisms, Ellis provides us with some of the
advantages of a task-based approach;
 TBLT offers the opportunity for ‘natural’ learning
 It emphasizes meaning over form
 rich input of target language
 Motivating
 learner-centred educational philosophy
 development of communicative fluency
 alongside a more traditional approach
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20. THANKS FOR YOUR KIND
ATTENTION
SHIDAK RAHBARIAN
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