Doing Task-Based Teaching (Willis & Willis, 2007)
Chapter 1
Traditionally we see teachers as the leaders in classrooms. Controlling students seems to be of paramount importance. In task-based classrooms, however, the challenge lies in a retreat from such leadership: teachers have to refrain themselves from interrupting and correcting students every time they speak! Minor language mistakes are ignored as long as they do not interfere with the communication process. In a way, to help the students is to resist the temptation of “helping” them at all.
Nonetheless, this is not to say that accuracy will not be taken into consideration. As what Chapter One informs us, what matters is the sequence. If students are exposed to isolated language structures first, they find it hard to focus on communication goals even though the following activity is a meaning-based one. Therefore, it might be helpful for teachers to start with a task and afterwards introduce students to useful structures as needed to complete the task.
One question that haunts me, though, is related to students’ proficiency level. I wonder if it’s possible to carry out task-based teaching even with beginning students, since they might know too little about the target language (its vocabulary, for example) to exchange messages effectively?
Chapter 2
Priming and preparation strike me as two important steps in building a task sequence, reminding me of a concept we learnt last semester: pre-learning. I especially like the idea of making these two steps as part of students’ homework, so that they have enough time to get ready before they perform the target task. Being prepared means that students play an active role and will come to the class with some confidence about the new lesson. This also contributes to building their own learning strategies, because to get ideas crossed they have to work on the language structures in advance.
I notice that the textbook recommends teachers to introduce new vocabulary during priming. I wish it could be more specific about the extent to which students should master these words, because if they need to use the words during the task, shouldn’t they at least have a rough idea about the usage? If so, how could teachers prepare them for the new words without losing a focus on meaning? Additionally, for beginning students who know too little to express themselves effectively, how can teachers make sure that all these new words needed to perform the task will not overwhelm them?
Chapter 3
I personally enjoy reading Chapter 3 and find it very helpful as it provides us with several practical tasks to carry out in language teaching, including interesting example written and spoken texts. It shows us what tasks might actually look like in the classroom, making it worth referring back to even after we have begun teaching. I notice that all tasks require students to report back to the whole class, no matter as individuals or representatives of small groups. By building up some competition among them, we can ensure students’ effort in performing the tasks so that they have to not only work out their own answers but also listen carefully and evaluate their fellow classmates’ answers.
Knowledge recycling is another important step for it draws students’ attention back to language forms. However, I am not sure if dictation and memorization tasks are appropriate for all text materials because students may be able to memorize every word in the text without fully understand their meaning or usage. In this case personalizing tasks might be more effective since students are able to use the structures they have learnt and incorporate their own experiences.
Chapter 4
Chapter 4 is as informative as Chapter 3 in providing readers with multiple task models under different topics or themes. Since most language textbooks follow a theme-based format, it might be easier for teachers to incorporate these tasks into their classroom. Additionally, placing tasks in terms of cognitive processes is quite unique yet helpful, and it is especially so with children. As they have not fully achieved cognitive ability, teachers need to make sure that the tasks are in line with their students’ cognitive developmental stage. Further, I notice that with each task – listing and ordering tasks particularly – the textbook recommends offering students specific number of items to achieve. To me this is a very nice detail, because teachers always want to make their tasks a little bit challenging but still doable, and specific task instruction not only helps achieving this goal but also notifies students of the completion of a task so that they would not keep thinking or searching endlessly (so it is good for time control as well!).
However, I am not so sure about the “International words” task. Admittedly, it would be perfect for beginners and it can help boost their confidence, but the task itself does not make much sense to me. It seems that students are just coming up with words without a clear goal. It might be better if they are given a specific topic or theme.
Chapter 5
My general feeling about Chapter 5 is that, the more I read, the more blessed I consider myself. With the second student teaching coming next week, the textbook gives me timely suggestion on creating tasks that are not only interesting and motivating, but also effective in language training. This chapter, together with the last chapter, shows me how to engage students in genuine tasks that require authentic communication rather than highly-controlled output with a focus on certain grammar structures. Although in the Chinese drilling class that we are about to teach, the instructor would still expect us to present some grammar practice, I now finally realize that all that requires is some more focused tasks.
Another takeaway from this chapter is the importance of sequencing tasks in such order so that students begin with easy ones and gradually move on to more challenging ones. I am very much enlightened by the different types of tasks shown in the textbook that actually can go hand in hand with different steps in a task sequence. All in all, reading the recent two chapters has been a most eye-opening experience. Now I just can not wait to try out these tasks next week
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 presents two ways that could promote thinking about language among our students, namely language-focus and form-focus activities. I find the discussion on form-focus activities particularly helpful, because, as teachers, we can’t simply assume that students will notice, or more significantly, learn to use, important language forms just by doing tasks. Therefore, it is our job to draw their attention to these forms - whether explicitly or implicitly - and to train them on the usage. Personally, I like the idea of asking students to make sentences with the target language forms, since this way they will be actually producing language instead of mechanically memorizing things.
Pedagogic corpus is another interesting idea. While we strive to present students with different contexts that a single language form might be used in, we don’t want to overwhelm them. I always remember my English teacher at senior high school, who would list all the meanings as well as collocations of a single word and expect us to memorize them. For me, the ability to select the most frequently occurring contexts is sometimes more important than being comprehensive.
Chapter 7
My biggest takeaway from Chapter 7 is that, no matter the type of tasks that we employ in the classroom, we should never forget to remind our students of the things that they tend to neglect when they try to complete the tasks. This speaks especially to knowledge relating to the register of language and the social contexts in which conversations take place. Take e-mail composition as an example. While, of course, it is good to ask students to read authentic e-mails and engage in writing e-mails themselves, it might not hurt to draw their attention to the special register of e-mail language and ask them to compare it with written and spoken language.
Speaking of e-mails, I also feel quite strongly about the discussion on electronic communication. Though technology has greatly revolutionized the classroom, there is still room for improvement in terms of utilizing the right technology in class to promote learning among students with different demographic backgrounds. As classrooms in the U.S. become increasingly mixed, to make sure that students with different L1s are all able to comprehend class materials, communicate effectively with their peers and the teacher and make progress is likely to be achieved with the help of technology.
Chapter 8
Chapter 8 presents seven parameters that help us adapt our tasks according to students’ needs. Since quite a few tasks involve group-work, I find the discussion around group work very helpful. More often students’ proficiency levels in one classroom vary, and thus more proficient, or sometimes simply talkative, students can easily dominate group work. As teachers we want to make sure that each member will be able to contribute something to the group, so making use of the teacher’s leading role and assigning specific roles to students might help include less proficient and shy students into group discussion.
Another way to achieve the same purpose is that, instead of asking students to choose their own presenter during whole-group report, we can assign each member in the group with a different number and after group work, we call one number and ask the corresponding students to give reports.
Chapter 9
Chapter 9 presents steps in designing a task-based syllabus. It also gives valuable advice on integrating language form teaching in a task sequence. The discussion on teaching lexically really speaks to me, as I remember a phase in my own language learning history where I would use all kinds of fancy words to decorate my essay, without knowing that for most of the time I wasn't even using them correctly. I feel that it is highly possible that a lot of my students are going to have similar experience. Therefore, as the teacher, I realize the importance to teach them useful words and phrases instead of purely “good-looking” ones. Additionally, I like the idea of asking students to keep a phrase book instead of a wordbook, since it draws their attention to both the semantic and the syntactic aspects of the language.
The part that addresses the exam issue is also quite helpful. In China, language exams are still following the traditional format (emphasizing on grammar, reading and writing), making it even more necessary for us to highlight language form by the end of a task sequence, because while we want our students to practice authentic language use in class, we certainly don't want them to fail the exams.
Chapter 10
Chapter 10 deals with some very practical issues in implementing TBL in the classroom. Figure 10.1 (p. 200) covers most factors that inhibit a lot of language teachers from carrying out task sequences. For me, since I plan to go back to China and teach there after graduation, exams and the large number of students in class have naturally become my major concerns. Fortunately, now I know that neither of them can stop me from doing TBL!
Additionally, I realize that, though most language textbooks are not task-based, they still serve as a good start in creating authentic communicative tasks. Some of the main methods in tweaking a textbook activity include specifying goals, offering individual planning time and adding a report stage after the task. I also feel that creating more cognitive challenges is a good way to help our students generate genuine communication and negotiation, so that instead of simply asking them to make a list, we can ask them to think about the rationale behind their list.
One question that has not been dealt with in this book is that, since students – especially young learners – have a relatively short attention span and focus on language form often comes by the end of a class session, how can we make sure that they are still quite engaged and paying attention when we debrief them on the language form?
Traditionally we see teachers as the leaders in classrooms. Controlling students seems to be of paramount importance. In task-based classrooms, however, the challenge lies in a retreat from such leadership: teachers have to refrain themselves from interrupting and correcting students every time they speak! Minor language mistakes are ignored as long as they do not interfere with the communication process. In a way, to help the students is to resist the temptation of “helping” them at all.
Nonetheless, this is not to say that accuracy will not be taken into consideration. As what Chapter One informs us, what matters is the sequence. If students are exposed to isolated language structures first, they find it hard to focus on communication goals even though the following activity is a meaning-based one. Therefore, it might be helpful for teachers to start with a task and afterwards introduce students to useful structures as needed to complete the task.
One question that haunts me, though, is related to students’ proficiency level. I wonder if it’s possible to carry out task-based teaching even with beginning students, since they might know too little about the target language (its vocabulary, for example) to exchange messages effectively?
Chapter 2
Priming and preparation strike me as two important steps in building a task sequence, reminding me of a concept we learnt last semester: pre-learning. I especially like the idea of making these two steps as part of students’ homework, so that they have enough time to get ready before they perform the target task. Being prepared means that students play an active role and will come to the class with some confidence about the new lesson. This also contributes to building their own learning strategies, because to get ideas crossed they have to work on the language structures in advance.
I notice that the textbook recommends teachers to introduce new vocabulary during priming. I wish it could be more specific about the extent to which students should master these words, because if they need to use the words during the task, shouldn’t they at least have a rough idea about the usage? If so, how could teachers prepare them for the new words without losing a focus on meaning? Additionally, for beginning students who know too little to express themselves effectively, how can teachers make sure that all these new words needed to perform the task will not overwhelm them?
Chapter 3
I personally enjoy reading Chapter 3 and find it very helpful as it provides us with several practical tasks to carry out in language teaching, including interesting example written and spoken texts. It shows us what tasks might actually look like in the classroom, making it worth referring back to even after we have begun teaching. I notice that all tasks require students to report back to the whole class, no matter as individuals or representatives of small groups. By building up some competition among them, we can ensure students’ effort in performing the tasks so that they have to not only work out their own answers but also listen carefully and evaluate their fellow classmates’ answers.
Knowledge recycling is another important step for it draws students’ attention back to language forms. However, I am not sure if dictation and memorization tasks are appropriate for all text materials because students may be able to memorize every word in the text without fully understand their meaning or usage. In this case personalizing tasks might be more effective since students are able to use the structures they have learnt and incorporate their own experiences.
Chapter 4
Chapter 4 is as informative as Chapter 3 in providing readers with multiple task models under different topics or themes. Since most language textbooks follow a theme-based format, it might be easier for teachers to incorporate these tasks into their classroom. Additionally, placing tasks in terms of cognitive processes is quite unique yet helpful, and it is especially so with children. As they have not fully achieved cognitive ability, teachers need to make sure that the tasks are in line with their students’ cognitive developmental stage. Further, I notice that with each task – listing and ordering tasks particularly – the textbook recommends offering students specific number of items to achieve. To me this is a very nice detail, because teachers always want to make their tasks a little bit challenging but still doable, and specific task instruction not only helps achieving this goal but also notifies students of the completion of a task so that they would not keep thinking or searching endlessly (so it is good for time control as well!).
However, I am not so sure about the “International words” task. Admittedly, it would be perfect for beginners and it can help boost their confidence, but the task itself does not make much sense to me. It seems that students are just coming up with words without a clear goal. It might be better if they are given a specific topic or theme.
Chapter 5
My general feeling about Chapter 5 is that, the more I read, the more blessed I consider myself. With the second student teaching coming next week, the textbook gives me timely suggestion on creating tasks that are not only interesting and motivating, but also effective in language training. This chapter, together with the last chapter, shows me how to engage students in genuine tasks that require authentic communication rather than highly-controlled output with a focus on certain grammar structures. Although in the Chinese drilling class that we are about to teach, the instructor would still expect us to present some grammar practice, I now finally realize that all that requires is some more focused tasks.
Another takeaway from this chapter is the importance of sequencing tasks in such order so that students begin with easy ones and gradually move on to more challenging ones. I am very much enlightened by the different types of tasks shown in the textbook that actually can go hand in hand with different steps in a task sequence. All in all, reading the recent two chapters has been a most eye-opening experience. Now I just can not wait to try out these tasks next week
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 presents two ways that could promote thinking about language among our students, namely language-focus and form-focus activities. I find the discussion on form-focus activities particularly helpful, because, as teachers, we can’t simply assume that students will notice, or more significantly, learn to use, important language forms just by doing tasks. Therefore, it is our job to draw their attention to these forms - whether explicitly or implicitly - and to train them on the usage. Personally, I like the idea of asking students to make sentences with the target language forms, since this way they will be actually producing language instead of mechanically memorizing things.
Pedagogic corpus is another interesting idea. While we strive to present students with different contexts that a single language form might be used in, we don’t want to overwhelm them. I always remember my English teacher at senior high school, who would list all the meanings as well as collocations of a single word and expect us to memorize them. For me, the ability to select the most frequently occurring contexts is sometimes more important than being comprehensive.
Chapter 7
My biggest takeaway from Chapter 7 is that, no matter the type of tasks that we employ in the classroom, we should never forget to remind our students of the things that they tend to neglect when they try to complete the tasks. This speaks especially to knowledge relating to the register of language and the social contexts in which conversations take place. Take e-mail composition as an example. While, of course, it is good to ask students to read authentic e-mails and engage in writing e-mails themselves, it might not hurt to draw their attention to the special register of e-mail language and ask them to compare it with written and spoken language.
Speaking of e-mails, I also feel quite strongly about the discussion on electronic communication. Though technology has greatly revolutionized the classroom, there is still room for improvement in terms of utilizing the right technology in class to promote learning among students with different demographic backgrounds. As classrooms in the U.S. become increasingly mixed, to make sure that students with different L1s are all able to comprehend class materials, communicate effectively with their peers and the teacher and make progress is likely to be achieved with the help of technology.
Chapter 8
Chapter 8 presents seven parameters that help us adapt our tasks according to students’ needs. Since quite a few tasks involve group-work, I find the discussion around group work very helpful. More often students’ proficiency levels in one classroom vary, and thus more proficient, or sometimes simply talkative, students can easily dominate group work. As teachers we want to make sure that each member will be able to contribute something to the group, so making use of the teacher’s leading role and assigning specific roles to students might help include less proficient and shy students into group discussion.
Another way to achieve the same purpose is that, instead of asking students to choose their own presenter during whole-group report, we can assign each member in the group with a different number and after group work, we call one number and ask the corresponding students to give reports.
Chapter 9
Chapter 9 presents steps in designing a task-based syllabus. It also gives valuable advice on integrating language form teaching in a task sequence. The discussion on teaching lexically really speaks to me, as I remember a phase in my own language learning history where I would use all kinds of fancy words to decorate my essay, without knowing that for most of the time I wasn't even using them correctly. I feel that it is highly possible that a lot of my students are going to have similar experience. Therefore, as the teacher, I realize the importance to teach them useful words and phrases instead of purely “good-looking” ones. Additionally, I like the idea of asking students to keep a phrase book instead of a wordbook, since it draws their attention to both the semantic and the syntactic aspects of the language.
The part that addresses the exam issue is also quite helpful. In China, language exams are still following the traditional format (emphasizing on grammar, reading and writing), making it even more necessary for us to highlight language form by the end of a task sequence, because while we want our students to practice authentic language use in class, we certainly don't want them to fail the exams.
Chapter 10
Chapter 10 deals with some very practical issues in implementing TBL in the classroom. Figure 10.1 (p. 200) covers most factors that inhibit a lot of language teachers from carrying out task sequences. For me, since I plan to go back to China and teach there after graduation, exams and the large number of students in class have naturally become my major concerns. Fortunately, now I know that neither of them can stop me from doing TBL!
Additionally, I realize that, though most language textbooks are not task-based, they still serve as a good start in creating authentic communicative tasks. Some of the main methods in tweaking a textbook activity include specifying goals, offering individual planning time and adding a report stage after the task. I also feel that creating more cognitive challenges is a good way to help our students generate genuine communication and negotiation, so that instead of simply asking them to make a list, we can ask them to think about the rationale behind their list.
One question that has not been dealt with in this book is that, since students – especially young learners – have a relatively short attention span and focus on language form often comes by the end of a class session, how can we make sure that they are still quite engaged and paying attention when we debrief them on the language form?