南通市教育科学“十一五”规划立项课题

任务型教学在牛津高中英语阅读中的运用

Application of Task-based Language Teaching to Oxford English Reading in Senior High Schools

开 题 报 告

南通市天星湖中学 黄利萍

一、 课题研究的价值阐述

﹡The purpose and significance of the study

This study has aimed at investigating the effect of TBLT on Oxford Senior English reading teaching. As is known to all, reading is an essential part of teaching and learning English, but the question is how it can be done better toward enhancing students’ reading ability effectively and steadily. The author of this thesis believes that both teaching and learning could be greatly improved if Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) is adopted in the reading classroom, because TBLT shifts most attention onto the learners’ side, focusing on the concept of learner-centeredness and learning-centeredness. It emphasizes the importance of organizing a course around communicative tasks that learners need to do outside the classroom. Students are the center of the reading classroom. They are no longer passive receptors, and instead, each individual plays an active role in the reading class. Students will challenge themselves to complete meaningful tasks, and they will be motivated by the fact that they are going to be involved in pair and group work and a natural desire will be stimulated to improve their language proficiency, accuracy and reading strategies and skills. Students prefer to “do” rather than just “know”, which is the essence of task-based learning. The New Curriculum Standards also encourages the use of task-based language teaching to promote the quality of teaching reading. Therefore, in order to realize the goal of the reformed Curricula Criteria and use effectively the Oxford Senior English textbook, we must earnestly study the implication of TBLT and look into a feasible way to implement TBLT theory in Oxford Senior English teaching. The study is proposed to study the theory of TBLT and put it into use in Oxford Senior English reading teaching in the senior high schools to enhance the quality of the language teaching. Such questions as what a task is; what the task modes are; what the characteristics of TBLT are; what basic principles of reading task designs are; and how TBLT is being employed in the senior high schools and so on will be discussed in this study.

﹡The aims of the present study

The author has already been using the Oxford Senior English textbook for three years and has always been trying to use TBLT in her reading teaching classroom. In this study, she also presents the satisfying study results. The author is aimed at arising the other English teachers’ interests in using TBLT in their reading teaching and adjusting their teaching strategies, training students’ abilities of comprehensive language usage.

二、 课题研究的理性思考

（一） The concepts of the subject

1. Reading

Reading is one of the most important ways for people to get information, to take pleasure, and to obtain knowledge. For many students, reading is the most important of the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) to get a high mark in the examinations or to get a better job. According to the Syllabus for Full-Time Senior Middle School, “the objectives of the English course are, on the basis of the junior middle school English course, to strengthen and enlarge students’ basic knowledge, develop their basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with reading ability as the first priority…” “when training students in listening, speaking, reading and writing, developing students’ reading abilities should be emphasized…”

Based on the review on the definition of reading, we can find that reading competence contains the capacities of decoding, understanding, communicating, and constructive thinking which has something to do with intelligence.

Reading competence is one kind of verbal capacity which contains verbal comprehension and verbal expression (Hu Chundong, 1998:24). So, reading competence belongs to the range of verbal comprehension that covers four aspects of abilities. The first one is the ability to deal with language forms, which is related to recognizing words, identifying lexical ambiguity, making syntactic processing and having a semantics and sentence memory through the use of the reader’s prior linguistic knowledge. Hu terms this ability as “language aptitude of reading”. The second is the ability to gain the meaning of text, with which the reader is able to use his or her general pre-structure knowledge and experience to create meaningful discourse. Hu terms the ability as “reading talent”. The third one is the ability to realize the communicative notion. In this case, the reader is able to summarize the content and make predications, deduction, inferences, and decisions logically and reasonably. Hu terms this ability as “intellectual capacity of reading”. The fourth one is the ability to use some techniques to read efficiently, such as skimming and scanning, improving the responding speed of the eyes and brain, and forming a good habit of reading. Hu terms the ability as “reading skills”.

2. Task-based Language Teaching

Numerous linguists around the world have attempted to define the term “task” as it relates to task-based language teaching (TBLT) since the 1980s. Task is variously defined. Long gives the definition in a broad sense:

Task is a piece of work undertaken for oneself or for others, freely or for some reward. Thus, examples of tasks include painting a fence, dressing a child, filling out a form, buying a pair of shoes, making an airline reservation, borrowing a library book, etc. In other words, by ‘task ’is meant the hundred and one things people do in everyday life, at work, at play, and in between.

(Long, 1985:89)

Richards, Platt & Weber offered a more pedagogically oriented definition.

Task is an activity or action which is carried out as the result of processing or understanding the language. For example, drawing a map while listening to a tape, listening to an instruction and performing a command, may be referred to as tasks.

(Richards, Platt & Weber, 1986:289)

Candling and Breen provided a more detailed but rather confusing definition of “task” in his paper as

Task is assumed to refer to a range of work plans which have the overall purpose of facilitating language learning----from the simple and brief exercise type, to more complex and lengthy activities such as group problem-solving or simulations and decision making.

(Candling and Breen, 1987:23)

Though these definitions are from different angles, they share one thing in common: they all imply that tasks involve communicative language use in which the user’s attention is focused on meaning rather than linguistics structure. David Nunan’s definition of task reflects these characteristics. He specially stressed meaning for the first time and defined a task as

A piece of classroom work which involves learner in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than on form.

(David Nunan, 1989:10)

According to Nunan, classroom tasks are generally identified as “real-world task” and “pedagogic task” two types. Real-world task requires learners to approximate, in class, the sorts of behaviors in real world beyond the classroom. Real-world tasks are designed with reference to learners’ needs analysis and they enable learner to rehearse real-world behavior. Examples of a real-world task might be: the learner will listen to a weather forecast and identify the predicated maximum temperature for the day or decide whether to take an umbrella and sweater to school.

While pedagogic task requires learners to do things which it is extremely unlikely that they would be called upon to do outside the classroom. Pedagogic tasks are designed with reference to theories of second language acquisition. They stimulate learners’ internal psycholinguistic processes of acquisition. Skills or knowledge acquired in pedagogic tasks can be applied to real-world performance. An example of pedagogic tasks might be: the learner will listen to an aural test and answer questions afterwards on whether given statements are true or false.

Long and Crookes further developed the concept of Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) by defining the term “task” as

a piece of work or an activity, usually with a specified objective, undertaken as part of an educational course, or at work.

(Long and Crookes, 1993:27)

This definition of task is getting close to the dictionary definition of task as a piece of work, which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project,

(Collins COBUILD English dictionary).

Following on from Long and Crookes, Jane Willis’s “A Framework for Task-based Learning (TBL)” stated that

a task is an activity in which: meaning is primary. Learners are not given other people’s meaning to regurgitate. There is some sort of relationship to comparable real-world activities. Task completion has some priority. The assessment of the task is in terms of outcomes.

(Willis,J., 1996:34)

She also provides a detailed guideline for teachers to use a task-based approach in their classrooms. She gives a very comprehensive description of how to teach a task-based lesson. This framework followed this basic outline: pre-task, task cycle and language focus.

Peter Skehan in his book “A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning”, lays a solid foundation for defining a task from a pedagogical perspective by reflecting a broad consensus among researchers and educators, suggests four defining criteria:

A task is an activity in which a) meaning is primary b) there is some communication problem to solve c) there is some sort of relationship to comparable real-world activities d) task completion has some priority e) the assessment of the task is in terms of outcomes.

(Skehan, P., 1998:95)

（二）The Significance of Applying TBLT

◇ Introduction of the textbook

Oxford Senior English consists of eleven modules and each module provides 3-4 units. Each unit provides 7 sections. They are: Welcome to the unit, Reading, Word power, Grammar and usage, Task, Project and Self-assessment. The textbook itself emphasizes the importance of organizing a course around communicative tasks that learners need to do outside the classroom.

Reading section provides a main reading passage. All the activities and exercises are carried out round the main reading passage. The major purpose of it is to aid students to learn the knowledge of language, culture and so on, to form the good reading strategies and to improve their reading competence. Three or four questions are given in Part A, that is, pre-reading activity, to aid students to read with these questions. It is mainly aimed at the general idea of the passage and easy and obvious detailed content. Students can solve all these questions only by skimming or scanning. Part B offers passages of different styles and subjects. Before the passage, the background or the comment of the story is introduced. After the passage, there is a reading strategy just for understanding the passage of this unit. Different strategies are provided for different kinds of passages. In Parts C & D (while-reading activity), various of styles of the exercises are designed to help students understand the passage deeply. It can develop students’ competence of gaining and handling information. The aim of word exercises is to help students to clear the new words while reading, to gain the ability of guessing the new words and comprehending the meaning of the passage. Part E is also in the form of the passage and again presents the main content by varying the roles, situations and styles. Part F (Post-reading) puts forward some creative questions after a short dialogue, guiding students to discuss about the main reading passage in order to gain the deeper understanding of the passage. So to the reading section, teachers can design different levels of the tasks to develop and improve students’ reading abilities.

Task Section is a learning content which requires students to conduct open and task-based activities. The aim of the designing tasks is to use English during the process of completing tasks and to develop students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing comprehensive skills in the form of tasks. In this section, students use English to take part in and complete various real and meaningful activities which are related to daily life, study and work. Students can experience language practice and realize the target of tasks through pair work, group work and cooperation of the whole class. This section includes three steps. Each step provides students with real situations and design tasks with clear aims. Step One lays emphasis on training students’ abilities of getting information (receptive). Step Two stresses to encourage students to learn to cooperate, developing the competence of communicating with others, thus realizing the interaction between teachers and students (interactive). While Step Three is designed for students to complete a situational writing task (productive). To fulfill the activities above better, there is also Skills Building before every step, giving detailed instructions and introductions. The specific designs are as follows: Step One offers students a clear and definite task, demanding students to change what they have listened or read into forms, outlines or memorandum books. Its purpose is to complete tasks by listening and reading. Step Two usually designs a language situation closely related to realistic life and provides students with language materials, the main points of activities and so on, making students well prepared for activities. And then it creatively designs different kinds of activities for classroom cooperative learning, completing communicative tasks by activities in the forms of interactive dialogues, group discussions and so on, with the purpose of developing students’ abilities of working hand in glove with each other and interpersonal coordination. In Step Three, students can learn to analyze information, handle information and then complete a writing task based on having gained some information. This step shows the positive result of this task section, designs various writing tasks full of situations and suited to students’ competence, such as: a notice, an e-mail, a letter and so on, and finally puts forward some relevant demands, so that students can know of the patters and demands of all kinds of literary styles and master basic writing skills by conducting writing practice.

Project Section guides students to conduct inquiry learning, developing classroom practice of listening, speaking, reading and writing to outside of the classroom. First, this section provides specific reading materials related to the subject of this unit, arising students’ interest of performing some activities in English. And then students do something through various activities of group discussion, division and ordination, investigation and conversation, information retrieval, exchanging and reporting, and so on. And at last, students present the learning results, creatively complete learning tasks and develop the abilities of using language comprehensively.

◇ The Significance

Firstly, reading is the main part of Oxford Senior English textbook. Reading materials are of various of subjects. In order to use these materials better, teachers usually design specific tasks for students to conduct in the process of teaching. While students learn to complete and perform all these tasks when they are learning not only in the classroom but also out of classroom. Thus, students can develop their reading abilities. Meanwhile, the textbook itself contains a lot of tasks--- basic and creative tasks. From the analysis of the textbook above, we can easily find that Task-based Language Teaching approach is suited to be used in Oxford Senior English teaching. And in the class, students will be motivated by the fact that they are going to be involved in pair and group work and a natural desire will be stimulated to improve their language proficiency, accuracy and reading strategies and skills by challenging them to complete meaningful tasks.

In my task-based reading class, reading tasks are designed to facilitate comprehension. Through doing tasks, students are involved in the active construction of knowledge, i.e. thinking, obtaining information and applying knowledge rather than simply receiving such knowledge fully specified by the teacher. Four skills are applied in the language learning. Students focus on the integration of strands of knowledge. In my class, reading lessons are planned in a pre-task, task-cycle and post-task framework in order to use the reading process. Students interact with each other, with texts or other forms of representation. So my study is tended to employ the model of task-based teaching and learning in Oxford Senior English reading to test whether the approach is effective and whether it can foster students’ reading interests. Through a series of tasks, I want to explore how to cultivate students’ independence of learning and facilitate their reading competence to change their learning styles from passive reception to self-access, cooperation and exploration

三、 课题研究的现状扫描

Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) is becoming more and more popular in English teaching circles in China. As Oxford Senior English is now being widely used in Jiangsu Province, more and more English teachers are becoming interested in the research of TBLT. The author herself also has already been trying using the TBLT in her continuous search for effective, practical and innovative teaching methods. And with the research going on, the author has found that the TBLT is not only useful in teachers’ teaching English but also effective in students’ learning English. In this section, the author describes the background, the purpose and the significance of her study. Meanwhile the author outlines the structure of the whole thesis.

The teacher-centered teaching has long been a traditional practice, strictly adopted and is now more or less welcomed in China’s English classroom, which focuses mainly on language knowledge presentation, but not on student’s language ability training. It overstresses teacher’s leading role while neglecting students’ main role in class. As a result, students form the habit of learning English passively in class and even lose interest and confidence in learning English well.

In the last ten years or so, language teaching has changed greatly in China. Learners have become the center of teaching. Exam oriented education has given more or less way to quality education. Language teaching has shifted from training little “linguists” to a more practical concern on what learners can actually do with language. So a new teaching approach—TBLT becomes popular.

TBLT has become a heated topic and a very popular teaching method not only in many parts of the world but also in China. It has been advocated in the New National Standard for English Curriculum (2001). According to the new curriculum, the essence of it is summarized in four points. They are: learning by doing, co-operative-learning, encouraging projects and formative evaluation. A new version has been put into use in many middle schools. But still some teachers lack the relevant knowledge on TBLT. This greatly hinders the development of teaching in some areas. So it is necessary for all teachers to learn how to use this kind of teaching, especially in Jiangsu province, where Oxford Senior English is now being widely used. As a teacher who has been using this kind of textbook for three years, I am trying to study the task-based teaching approach and design learning tasks to help with students’ learning in my daily teaching.

四、 预期成果和保障措施

From the study of using TBLT approach in the Oxford Senior English reading teaching, we can discover that the TBLT approach is a workable and efficient way to teach English in the teaching class of the Oxford Senior English. It can motivate students’ interest in learning as well as their initiative so that their reading ability has been promoted. And Task-based learning used as a tool in the classroom also makes the learning process more pleasant meanwhile it improves students’ learning efficiency. Therefore, TBLT is much potential, but still it has a long way to go before it can be claimed empirical success in the English teaching and learning.

本课题由教务处主任助理主持，并负责各子课题的落实与推进，学校副校长参与，并且各子课题的任务分工明确，职责到人。这样就保证了课题研究过程的管理是有秩序的。本课题的研究资料来源丰富：一是学校的图书馆藏书比较丰富，有相当多的教育教学理论书籍可供参考；二是学校订阅的期刊杂志品种比较齐全，涉及中学教育教学的中文类核心期刊几乎都有；三是学校向华东师范大学、南京师范大学等图书馆付费申请了查阅数字图书资源的资格，有足够的数字图书、期刊杂志等资料可供下载。以上这些就保证了本课题的研究资料是富足的。学校为本课题的研究拨了专项经费，包括前期研究的准备、中期研究的推进和后期的结题都能给予充足的资金保证。本课题组的成员在同一所学校，中青年居多，精力充沛，研究积极性高。并且课题组规定了定期召开阶段性研究交流会，随时调整研究进程，在时间上能保证课题的研究按照预订的计划实施与完成。

总之，参与本课题研究的教师素质、本课题的前期准备以及课题后续研究等各个方面的要求

都能得到有效保障，从而使本课题能按照预期的计划有序地推进，到2010年底能顺利结题。

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