After reading Chapter 9 in Anthology and Skehan's article I have mixed opinions about task-based language teaching. I like the idea of it, because I could see how it could push the students and get them doing real-life interactions, but I don't think it would be a good idea to have this as the only approach used in a classroom. If it were to be the only approach, it seems like it would work better with more advanced language learners. In my opinion, the beginner level still needs explicit grammar instruction as well as some communicative language teaching. After both of these have been implemented, I think the task-based teaching would work best.
I was most confused about how to measure the student's performance during and after the task is being done. With the example in the book of the Japanese students completing a 12 week task, the students are doing so much of the interaction and research outside of the classroom that it would be difficult to see which areas they are struggling in and which areas are easiest for them. I'm also wondering, if all of the students are at different language levels in the classroom, how do we differentiate for them? Some students might have a way easier time completing a certain task while someone else in the class may find it nearly impossible. Is this still considered beneficial for all of the students? Shouldn't the tasks be assigned according to their abilities? I remember learning that with content areas, we should have the students work in their "zone of proximal development." I'm sure this is the same for language learning, but its not going to be possible that every student in the class is at the same level. This confirms my realization that grammar instruction combined with CLT is most beneficial in a language learning classroom.
No comments:
Post a Comment