HANOI UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

ASSIGNMENT COVER

Unit: TESOL METHODOLOGY Unit Code: 5113

Lecturer: DR. DANG XUAN THU

Student: NGUYEN THI HOA

Class: 1PGN-27

Student ID:

Tel: 0977670186

Essay Title:

TASK-BASED LEARNING APPROACH – A CLEAR REFLECTION IN

SIMULATION PROJECT FOR THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS

AT FAST-TRACK GROUP, ULIS

Due date: November 7, 2014 Date of submission: November 7, 2014

Student declaration: I declare that this is my own work except where clearly

acknowledged.

Signature of student:

Hà Nội - 2014

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Lecturer’s feedback:

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Score (in number): ....................................................................................

Score (in words): .......................................................................................

Lecturer’s signature (& full name): ...............................................................

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Contents

Essay ...................................................................................................................................... 2

References .............................................................................................................................. 8

Appendix ................................................................................................................................ 9

Essay

TASK-BASED LEARNING APPROACH – A CLEAR REFLECTION IN

SIMULATION PROJECT FOR THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS

AT FAST-TRACK GROUP, ULIS

For the past three decades, task-based language learning (TBLL), task-based language teaching

(TBLT) or task-based instruction (TBI) have been captivating the attention of researchers,

teacher trainers and material developers (Sanchez, 2004). They have provided an advancing

assortment of examination proving the effectiveness of TBL in various real teaching situations,

thus along with communicative language teaching approach, task-based learning has increasingly

become a favorable approach of several curriculum designers and textbook writers. In order to

maximize learners’ autonomy, realize learner-centered objectives and learning-by-doing approach

of Fast-track Program at ULIS, VNU (Nguyen, 2010), lecturers there have chosen Simulation

Project, a typical illustration of task-based application. As a young lecturer and a former student

having accomplished one project, I am composing this short text with the aim to brief some

prominent features of TBL and the sound results that the real tasks included in the project can

benefit students.

1. Definition of task and task-based learning

There have been many different definitions of “task” and Willis (1996, p.23) provided one of the

most popular one “Tasks are activities where the target language is used by the learners for

communicative purpose (goal) in order to achieve an outcome.” Skehan (1996b:20 as cited in

Rodgers, 2001) also emphasizes result-oriented incline and genuine language utilization of tasks.

Nunan (2004) makes it clearer by giving the fundamental disparity between real-world or target

tasks, and pedagogical tasks: “target tasks, as the name implies, refer to the uses of language in the

world beyond the classroom, pedagogical tasks are those that occur in the classroom”.

Task-based language teaching is mentioned by Rodgers (2001) to be an approach focusing on

tasks to propose the plan in language teaching.

2. Key features of Simulation Project

Simulation is a speaking project targeted at third-year students of Fast track group at ULIS. The

final outcome of the project is that each group of four or five students playing the role of

employers have to carry out a 45-minute interview just like in the real life and the rest of the class

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become the employees actively participating in the interview, longing for becoming brilliant

candidates for the needed jobs. In order to have that final round, both the interviewers and

interviewees have to experience several other preparatory steps. Firstly, the host group (employers)

agree on their business and job vacancies with teachers’ approval. Then they have to think of all

the information related to the company/corporation and the interview, which is followed by

designing logo, website, introductory video clips, recruitment poster and PR project. Once the

recruitment has been released, the other class members have to decide which positions to apply,

prepare themselves carefully to role-play for those positions and send the CV to the host group.

After that, the employers finalize the marking criteria, categorize the CVs, prepare

certificates/cards and other necessities of the official interviews. Normally, the preparation stage

lasts for seven to eight weeks. On the official session, all class members dress appropriately for the

interview and there are usually four sequences: introduction, interview, tea-break time and wrap-

up (or result announcement). The teacher often plays the role of an honored guess to observe the

whole interview and give feedback in the end.

It can be seen that the whole project can be considered a big task which covers several other small

tasks. Because a job interview is a real-life situation, English is used as the means of

communication throughout the process and learners have to produce meaningful written work (all

written materials for the host group and CVs for others) and spoken language (the final interview).

Both the preparation and the official sessions brings learners certain results as listed in the table:

Stage Task/

Outcome

Interviewers Interviewees Teacher

Pre-task Big task 1 Decide business and job

vacancies

Give comments

and approval

Big outcome 1 The company name and available jobs are announced

Task

cycle

Prep

aration

Big task

2

design logo, website,

recruitment poster and PR

project

Search for related

information about

the company/

corporation

Observe and

give comments

to the host group

Big

outcome

2

A set of tools to introduce

the company or

corporation and connect

with the interviewees

Decisions about their

chosen jobs and

contact with

interviewers to

clarify the

requirements

Comments that

helps the host

group to

complete their

product

Big task

3

finalize the marking

criteria, categorizing the

CVs, prepare

certificates/cards, slides

and tea-break food

decide which

positions to apply,

prepare themselves

carefully to role-play

for those positions

and send the CV to

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the host groups

Big

outcome

3

A set of marking criteria,

CV categorization,

certificates, final objects

or arrangements.

Information on the

chosen application

position

Big task

4

Make a video clip to

introduce the corporation

with creative and fun

content

Big

outcome

4

A video clip to be shown

during the tea break for

the teacher and other

class members to see

while the host group give

marks to candidates.

Official in

terview

Big task

5

Arrange the classroom,

divide the task among

group members to lead

the whole interview

Play the role of

interviewees by

answering the

questions and

showing themselves

Observe the

whole session or

role-play as an

honor guess if

required

Big

outcome

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A full interview whose

final outcome is a

selection of the best

candidates for each

position

Results decided by

the interviewers

Feedback about

the pros and cons

of both

interviewers and

interviewees.

Language

focus

- writing (CV, announcement, report)

- communication skills, especially advanced skills of

speaking English fluently, giving critical questions and

answers and negotiating.

Table 1: Tasks and outcomes of Simulation

It is also important to note that the whole project consists of three main phrases of a task which are

pre-task, task-cycle and language focus (Ruso, 2007). Moreover, each big task can be scrutinized

into various smaller tasks and task elements but due to the limit of this essay, I will make it as

concisely as possible.

3. Task types

As Nunan (2004) claimed “There are as many different task types as there are people who have

written on task-based language teaching”, this essay bases on only one most popular classification

of Willis (2008) to analyze the Speaking Project.

Willis (2008) assumes that six types of task to advocate successful language learning are listing,

ordering and sorting, problem solving, sharing personal experience and creative tasks, each task

type has its own components and outcomes. All those tasks are covered in the Simulation Project.

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The first task type is listing which involves brainstorming and fact finding. At the very beginning

of the project, host-group students’ duty is to determine the field to invest on, which then leads to

finding information about the related real organizations. Other aspects of recruitment such as job

description or criteria also requires some lists of facts. As a result, the lists of requirements in

commencing announcement, job description and job requirement are created [see Appendix 2 part

1,3,4]. Those elements are not only relevant to the task requirement, but also consistent with each

other and close to reality. As for the candidates, listing is essential to them when they come to find

out information about the company and the field or position to apply, some knowledge about their

unreal characteristics or qualities is also needed to promote themselves in the CVs or in the official

interview.

The second task type is ordering and sorting in which the learners have to sequence, categorise,

rank and classify. The utmost function of this task is evidently shown when interview board

accomplishes the task of categorize the CVs once they are sent to the company email. Those CVs

are then put into different position categories. Another stage to perform this task type is when the

managers evaluate their candidates according to specified criteria [see Appendix 2 part 8 for

example]. Interviewers’ final outcomes are their decisions about which candidates are more well-

qualified and which ones are not.

The third task type is comparing which occurs when learners have to search for similarities,

differences and at the same time, information is matched accordingly. This task offers the chance

for interviewers to compare and take their candidates’ performances into consideration. Just like

the sorting task, final decision of this task relates to the announcement about more suitable

candidates.

The fourth task type is problem solving which is generally considered one of indispensible parts

[see Appendix 2 part 8 for example] and the most challenging question for every candidate. Some

typical, arduous situations or even hypothetical scenarios are selected to challenge the job seekers,

thus they have to reason and make decisions. Even the interviewers have to prepare the solutions to

those cases thoroughly beforehand in order to give fair evaluation to the candidates’ responses.

The results from these tasks are solutions to such problems which are then evaluated by

interviewers.

The fifth task type is sharing personal experiences, the most common strategy to start an interview

[see Appendix 2 part 8 for example]. The interviewers have to narrate, describe and explain

attitudes, reactions and opinions, which can help show their own ways of life. The outcomes

should be individuals’ experiences shown in a way the benefit them most in the interview.

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The sixth and last task type is creative tasks, which is the most valuable feature of this speaking

assessment form as compared to other speaking lessons. The students are free to utilize their

creativity in designing their own logo, poster [see Appendix 1 for example], websites or even

introductory clips of high quality, just as these products are made by professional designers.

Students are also inventive in giving the teachers active roles like honored guests, counselors or

president of the corporation, so that they can observe the whole class in a natural way. In my

opinion, this task type is unique in the way it combines many other activities that other types need

such as brainstorming, fact-finding, ordering, comparing and problem solving.

4. Procedures/ activities with learners’ roles and teachers’ roles

Throughout the long process for the whole class to carry out the project, it is seen that both

teachers and students play various roles.

To begin with, the teachers are task instructors, who guide the learners at the start of the course on

how to make the whole project happen, at the same time they begin the role of course planner.

During the course, their counseling role proves to be helpful when students need advice. When it

comes to official class, teachers do not interfere in students’ performance but their roles are to

observe, analyze students’ performances and give comments.

Learners in this case are the center of the classroom and the lesson as Van den Branden (2006)

agrees, meaning students play the great role in the learning process. Typical roles of a student are

an explorer of the topic, a performer of different tasks and a reporter of the whole session. The role

of an innovator that Rodgers (2001) mentions is also shown in this project when a lot of creative

ideas are developed. More importantly, the special feature of this project is that although creating

resource materials is teachers’ duty, the host students in this project are given the chance to be a

resource to provide essential information for other class members and other students, as

candidates, also a resource of themselves when they find out relevant information to promote

themselves in their CVs and in the interview. This feature is practical in that it prepares these

students, who major in English teacher education, not only resource skills but also many other

communication and management skills that they need in their future career and life.

5. Advantages and disadvantages of task-based language teaching

Kavaliauskien (2005) has analysed six advantages of TBL and they can be well applied in this

speaking project. Firstly, “there is no language control in production stage”, which means that

when students participate in the task, they are free to produce their responses naturally without any

control of teachers or the host group. Secondly, “learners use their language knowledge and

resources”. As mentioned in the previous part, students both have to combine their present

knowledge and self-generated resources to complete their roles in the interview. Thirdly, “learners

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experiment with language during task completion”, as the whole project lasts for a long period of

time, the whole class of students, especially the host group, have experience with both written and

spoken language. Furthermore, “learners’ communicate and collaborate during activities”, it is not

just in the official interview, but a high level of collaboration and a great deal of communication

are required during the process of preparing for a successful project. Moreover, the fact that “target

language emerges from students’ needs” is crucial as English is the only means of communication

if the students wish to complete this multi-task activity. Last but not least, “TBL offers reflection

on language usage” is shown when the host group evaluate their candidates, when students give

peer comments and teachers provides learners with feedback.

In addition to Kavaliauskien’s idea, another good point of this task-based activity is that it is the

challenge and also the motivation for teachers to think of creative ideas to apply in the classroom.

Willis (1996: 23) claims that tasks that the teacher should prepare must have “a suitable degree of

intellectual and linguistic challenge and promote learners’ language development as efficiently as

possible”. As students from fast-track group are required to meet high requirements of the course

and their drive to face challenges is huge, a well-constructed task can enhance language learning

motivation and engagement of both students and teachers.

Despite those benefits, it can not be denied that the project takes quite long time and enormous

effort from the students. Sometimes with the huge workload, learners’ tension and depression for

lack of time or creative ideas are unavoidable. However, this is also a good chance for students to

be trained to face stress and manage their time well. Besides, as this multi-task activity requests

abundant group work, some uncooperative students do cause trouble and make their peers

troubled, in these cases, it is pivotal that group members report constantly and refer to their

teacher’s help so that his or her interference or adjustment can be worthwhile.

6. Final thought

As a practical approach in applying authentic materials in the classroom, TBLT in this speaking

project has proved to be very helpful for upper-intermediate and advanced students of Fast-track

group at ULIS. In fact, according to Acar (2006), “The most important characteristic of a task is its

communicative purpose in which the focus in on meaning rather than form”, in case of Simulation,

various meaningful tasks have been performed and have explored self generation of knowledge,

skills and creativity from students. The benefits that this project brings far outweighs its

drawbacks, thus this activity continues to be developed by both teachers and students at Fast-track

Group and have been applied to second-year mainstream students for one year now. As a teacher at

ULIS, I do hope to be able to smartly apply TBLT in similar situations for the effectiveness of my

students’ learning process and for my own motivation in teaching. (2536 words)

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References

Acar, A. (2006). ‘Models, Norms and Goals for English as an International Language

Pedagogy and Task Based Language Teaching and Learning’. Asian EFL Journal,

8 (3). Retrieved from www.asian-efl-journal.com/September_2006_EBook_editions.pdf

Kavaliauskiene, G. (2005). Task-based learning and learning outcomes in the ESP classroom.

Kalbų Studijos, (7), 66-70.

Nguyen, T.L.H. (2010). Đảm bảo chất lượng trọng việc sửa đổi chương trình khung để phát triển

bốn kỹ năng tại bộ môn CLC. Retrieved October 20th

, 2014 from

data.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/.../1/15%20HANG%20Nguyen%20Thu%20Le.pdf

Nunan, D.( 2004). Task- Based Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge University

Press.

Ruso, N. (2007). The Influence of Task Based Learning on EFL Classrooms. The Asian EFL

Journal, 17.

Sanchez, A. (2004). The Task-based Approach in Language Teaching. International Journal of

English Studies, 4(1), 39-39. Retrieved from

dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/919479.pdf

Van den Branden, K. (2006). Task based language education. From theory to practice.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Willis, D., & Willis, J. (2008). Doing task-based teaching. Oxford University Press.

Willis, J. (1996). A Framework for Tasked-Based Learning. London: Longman.

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Appendix

Appendix 1: poster