Task based learning-I need help with it

angelyah · Post by **angelyah** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:03 pm

I'm writing a diploma paper about task based learning. Unfortunately due to lack of books in the library I do not even know what to start with:( Can you think of any books where I could find any info about it? Thanx. Angela

Andrew Patterson · Post by **Andrew Patterson** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 7:00 pm

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examinations Board might be your first place to look. (I teach LCCI courses and am also an oral examiner for them, btw.)

The written examination lends itself to task-based learning which is basically what it sounds - a task is given by the teacher and the students learn by collaborating to complete the task. It is technically possible to complete tasks individually too. The main advantage that is usually cited for task-based learning (especially by the LCCI) is that it can be used in mixed ability classes. Ideally the task should be of a type that can be simply stated, but which can be done to different standards by students according to their ability. Each student contributing what they can.

I'm not a fan of mixed ability classes, but given a mixed ability class, it's probably just about the only approach that you can take.

The website is:
http://www.lccieb.com/Web/lccieb/index.aspx

There is a little more in the examination centre section, but unfortunately, I'm not alowed to give you the code. (More than my job's worth, mate.)

You could always email them from the website.

Good luck with your own project, which is I suppose also task-based. I'd be very interested to know what your research turns up.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:57 pm

http://www.oup.co.uk/isbn/0-19-442159-7
http://www.oup.co.uk/isbn/0-19-437217-0
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/sea ... C%20David/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 50-8092410
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 50-8092410
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/tg/det ... 98-5515216
http://www.developingteachers.com/artic ... nicola.htm

Frrebie, well worth printing out and reading: http://www.cels.bham.ac.uk/resources/LexSyll.htm

Another freebie:
http://repository.ust.hk/dspace/handle/1783.1/1352
http://repository.ust.hk/dspace/bitstre ... etpt07.pdf

Andrew Patterson · Post by **Andrew Patterson** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 10:13 pm

http://www.cels.bham.ac.uk/resources/LexSyll.htm

So good that the Hamster put it in two different posts.

Is this about how task-based learning can be incorporated into the lexical approach?

Well, I think you've got a bit more material from the Hamster there, Angela.

What do y'all think about my assertion that task-based learning is pretty much the only way to deal properly with a mixed ability class?

ssean · Post by **ssean** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 10:45 pm

task based learning seems to be all the go, i know sheehan and now R Ellis have written a lot about the benefits of TBL. and the current series of Cutting Edge leans towards TBL. i have found it difficult to implement in monolingual classes, since when the overriding concern of the students is to complete the task they sometimes take a short cut (path of least resistance) and complete the task in their L1

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 11:07 pm

http://www.iei.uiuc.edu/tesolonline/topics.html
http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/TESL-EJ/ej27/f1.html

Those are two of the more interesting results of a yahoo search I did for "prabhu+task-based learning".
http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=slv1- ... d+learning

Good point about monolingual classes, ssean!

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:33 am

3 cheers for darimana for posting an OUP link to free pdf downloads of Prabhu's Second Language Pedagogy!
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/v ... php?t=4147

Andrew Patterson · Post by **Andrew Patterson** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 4:15 pm

Nice set of links FH. Actually, right now I'm in a situation where I am pretty well forced to use a task-based approach. I've got a group of 4 engineers one of whom is pre-intermediate, two about intermediate and one who I took through half an FCE course last year.

On top of that, they want specialist language for use in engineering.

I've had a look at a lot of task-based materials and find that there is a lot of stuff about for discussion work but very little to do with writing apart from perhaps as an extension. I'm actually having trouble visualising how task-based learning could encompass writing, other than to give an assignment that alows for a answers of varying details, but as most of the actual teaching of writing is to do with how to plan a piece of writing, I'm drawing a blank as how to do it.

Reading is less of a problem - instructions for discussions have to be sufficiently clear that all can understand, this can be made easier by giving easier roles to lesss able students and monitoring ability to do the task as a measure of reading comprehension.

Any ideas anyone?

towamba · Post by **towamba** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:34 pm

Hi All

A bit late for Angela but I've just finished reading Designing learning for diverse classrooms and it has three chapters + on task based language learning - not just theory but real examples from the classroom - good for primary/middle school teachers. It's published by the primary English Teachers Association in Australia - you can check their website. Also anything by Rod Ellis should see you through.

Mark

stephen · Post by **stephen** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:11 pm

I'm actually having trouble visualising how task-based learning could encompass writing, other than to give an assignment that alows for a answers of varying details, but as most of the actual teaching of writing is to do with how to plan a piece of writing, I'm drawing a blank as how to do it.

I don't know if you've seen it, but there is a good book for business correspondence writing called "Company to Company: A Communicative Approach to Business Correspondence in English" by Andrew Littlejohn.

This features a lexical approach in developing the English necessary to perform various functions in written correspondence. This works well as many kinds of business letters are fairly formulaic in the type and order of function they contain. Following this students are divided into three groups representing different companies. They, then, have to write to the other groups with the goal of achieving the aims of their company. What I like best about it is after the first round of communication (of which there are three) the groups of students are responding in part to the letters/emails they have received from the other groups.

I think letter writing for business offers plenty of good oportunities for task based learning, or at least task based components of lessons as students correspondence must perform a clearly defined function.

Incidentally, I think the above book is excellent. It is suitable for pre-intermediate to intermediate students, and if I remember correctly is published by CUP.

Hope this hits the mark

Stephen