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Task-Based Learning: what it is? Task-Based Learning (TBL) is all about your students creating, producing, or designing something in class… it could be anything… anything at all. TBL includes the 21st Century skills of Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking and can also be described as a short interactive assignment that results in a finished product. The Task part of Task-Based Learning has been (more or less) defined by linguistic scholars as: • things people do in everyday life (Long, 1985). • a goal-oriented activity that leads to an outcome or result (Willis, 1996). • a completed work plan which can be assessed (Ellis, 2003). What kind of activity is a task? In 2007, Jane Willis and her husband Dave Willis came up with these following criteria in their book Doing Task-Based Teaching which can be used to discern a task: If your answer is yes to all these questions, you can be sure that the classroom activity you have in mind is task-like. • Will the activity engage learners’ interest? • Is there a primary focus on meaning? • Is there a goal or an outcome? • Is success judged in terms of the result? • Is completion a priority? • Does the activity relate to real-world activities? Task-Based Learning and Task-Based Language Teaching TBL is an approach to teaching, that was originally used by second or foreign-language teachers. It is an approach that stems from Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) – a language teacher methodology – which emerged in the 1970s. Language teachers originally adopted Task-Based Learning for a variety of reasons with the most important being the desire to make their classrooms more student-centered, communicative, and collaborative by incorporating more interactive tasks. Task-Based Learning (TBL) is also known as Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Task-Based Instruction (TBI). Its principal focus is on the completion of meaningful tasks. Such tasks can include creating a poster, producing a newsletter, video, or pamphlet, or designing a map of the school or neighborhood. The Task Cycle > Task / Plan / Report The TBL formula includes the following stages: Pre-task The teacher introduces the topic and gives students clear instructions and guidelines on what they will be doing during the task cycle. This phase will give students a clear understanding of what will be expected of them and include any important knowledge or details they need to know. This is also a good time to lead into the task by brainstorming or asking questions about the topic. Teachers can also get students ready for the task by presenting an example of the task or introducing a picture, audio, or video which will be useful in completing the task. Task Students get ready to do the task. Students are given what they need to complete the task (handouts and written instructions) and are assigned to work in pairs or small groups while the teacher monitors and offers encouragement when necessary. The teacher’s role is typically limited to one of a coach, guide, and facilitator. Plan Students work on the task in pairs or small groups and prepare to report or present their results or product. They make important decisions about their presentation and assign each person in the group with a part of the task to present, so everyone takes responsibility during the report stage. The group practice its presentation. The teacher walks around, helps if needed, and takes notes on anything that needs to be addressed after the presentations. report Students present their findings to the class in the form of a presentation. The rest of the class listens to the reports and writes down feedback which will be given to the presenters after all reports have been heard. The class can also ask questions or provide some quick oral feedback after each presentation. The teacher also gives feedback on the content as well. Students vote on the best presentation, report, or product. Advantages of Task-Based Learning 1. Students are at the center of learning. 2. Students are working on something that is personal and relevant to them. 3. Students gain practice in collaborating with others and making group decisions. 4. Students spend a lot of time communicating. 5. Students take on responsibility for engaged learning. 6. TBL is enjoyable, motivating, and a great place to start for teachers thinking about incorporating more Project Based Learning at their schools or classrooms. conclusion A Task-Based approach offers an alternative for teachers who are interested in creating a more student-centered environment in their classroom. In a task-based class, the lesson is based on the completion of a central task and its presentation. TBL is a great way to get students used to working on Project Based Learning (PBL) because it includes many of the same skills but, in a smaller, more digestible way. Whereas PBL requires working on a project for an extended period, TBL can be done in one or two lessons and can be a good starting point for teaching students how to communicate, collaborate and work on presentations with others.