Is Task-based Language Teaching or Communicative Language Teaching more effective in helping young learners to learn speaking skills?
Trang 1TRA VINH UNIVERSITY School of Foreign Languages
English Teaching Methodology
Topic: Is Task-based Language Teaching or Communicative Language Teaching more effective in helping young learners to learn
speaking skills?
Instructor: PhD Chau Thi Hoang Hoa
Student: Nguyễn Hoài Nam
Student’s code: 910922015
Class: CHTA- TV2208
Tra Vinh 2023
Trang 2Is Task-based Language Teaching or Communicative Language Teaching more effective in helping young learners to learn speaking
skills?
Abstract
This assignment explores how effective CLT and TBLT are in the teaching of speaking skills in Vietnam respectively This will enable teachers to implement the appropriate method enabling Vietnamese learners to improve and develop their communicative competence This paper derives from an in-depth study to help to improve the learning and teaching activities in the future It is theoretically evident here that both approaches can be used
to improve the communicative competence in the teaching of spoken English in the Vietnamese context Considering all the points mentioned, this study aims to investigate if CLT or TBLT is more effective in the teaching of speaking skills for young learners
Keys: Communicative language teaching, Speaking skill, Task-based language teaching
Introduction
English is one of the most common international languages in the world Learning English helps students form and develop their English communicative ability by practicing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills English learning is also a beginning step in forming and developing long-life studying skills, working ability in the future and cultural-social activity participation at the same time Besides, English study gives students a chance
to form their idea-expressing ability confidently, independently and creatively In Viet Nam, English is a compulsory subject in the general education curriculum from grades 3 to 12 (MOET) As one of the instrumental subjects in school, English not only enables students to formulate and develop their communicative competences in English but also contributes to the formation and development of general competences to live and work more effectively,
to learn other subjects well and for lifelong learning
In terms of methodological innovation, the new English curriculum advocates “two popular approaches in education and foreign language teaching internationally and domestically: the learner-centered approach and the communicative approach in foreign language teaching, in which Task-based language teaching is the principle method of teaching” (Decision N0 1400/QD – TTg by MOET 2008) Brown (2001:232), classified
Trang 3the skills at English namely listening, speaking, reading, and writing Furthermore, he divided listening and reading as receptive skills, otherwise speaking and writing as productive skills Speaking as a productive skill is an important aspect in language learning
By speaking, we can convey information and ideas, express opinion and feeling, share experiences, and maintain social relationships by communicating with others In classrooms
of today, we see more and more learners' responses taking place As a result, the English syllabus has also been revamped to produce youths which will be able to communicate proficiently in English and not merely in grammar theories Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) have been utilized to teach second and other foreign languages to learners in most nations, including Vietnam, throughout the last few decades CLT aims to make communicative competence the goal of language teaching and to develop techniques and procedures for teaching language skills that are based on the symbiotic relationship between language and communication On the other hand, TBLT can be useful in the foreign language learning where students have minimal or no exposure to the target language beyond the class (Jeon, 2006)
1 Task-based language teaching (TBLT)
1.1 Definitions
Before revisiting definitions of TBLT, I would like to first discuss definitions of Tasks Defining a task has been a subject of debate A pioneering study on language tasks is from Prabhu (1987, p 24) who sees a task as "an activity which required learners to arrive at an outcome from given information through some process of thought, and which allowed teachers to control and regulate that process" Willis (1996) also agrees that a task is an activity in which the focus is to thrive learners’ interaction to reach the task outcome A task, in Nunan (1989, 2004) view “a communicative task is a piece of classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing, or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form The task should also have a sense of completeness, being able to stand alone as a communicative act in its own right” According to Lee (2000) a task is “ (1) a classroom activity or exercise that has: (a) an objective obtainable only by interaction among participants, (b) a mechanism for structuring and sequencing interaction, and (c) a focus on meaning exchange; (2) a language learning endeavor that requires learners to comprehend,
Trang 4manipulate, and/or produce the target language as they perform some sets of work plans” [7, p.23]
Among the above definitions, the one given by Lee (2000) can be considered as easy to understand, complete and scientific as well as logical Because it is present in almost all that
is mentioned by other authors
In addition there are many different definitions and views about TBLT as well as about Task, TBLT refers to “an approach based on the use of tasks as the core unit of planning and instruction in language teaching” (Richards & Rodgers, 2001, p 223) Chen (2017) describes TBLT as a further development of communicative language teaching in which students should construct their communicative competence through completing tasks given
by their teacher in various situations Moreover I would like to introduce a definition that is considered to be the most convincing of TBLT by David Nunan (2001), and has been recognized by a researcher Vietnamese studies by Le Van Canh reused in the book published in 2004 (a) an emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language (b) the introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation (c) the provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on language, but also on the learning process itself (d) an enhancement of the learner's own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning (e) an attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom.”
1.2 Framework of TBLT
The classroom instruction model of the TBLT teaching method proposed by Willis (1996) is the clearest model and the most widely agreed upon by scholars This model includes three phases: Pre-task (before Task execution), Task Cycle (Task execution phase) and Language Focus (Post-Task phase and/or Language analysis phase) Thus, it can be seen that the classroom instruction model proposed by Willis has stated very specifically the tasks that teachers and learners have to perform at each stage This model has the following outstanding advantages: (1) Very clear and specific than any classroom teaching model of any other foreign language teaching method, (2) Easy to follow, (3) Very flexible because the small steps in the same phase can be swapped, done completely or omitted if not needed, (4) Learners feel interested because the Tasks are often related related to the activities of the outside life, and because they are involved in solving problems of practical significance, (5) Highly scientific because learners not only use language to communicate but vice versa
Trang 5is to use communication itself to solve the task, (6) Learners not only improve their task-solving skills and communication fluency, but also pay attention to accuracy, (7) Learners' ability is steadily and surely improved because this model not only helps learners to learn according to the philosophy of "learning by doing" Vygotsky (1978) [13] and Bruner (1980) [1] was mentioned
Figure 1.2: A framework of TBLT Willis (1996)
1.3 The strengths and weakness of TBLT
Task based language learning offers a lot of advantages as it is communication based and allows the learners to transfer previously acquired knowledge to new communicative contexts (Nunan,1989).It encourages the learner to emerge as a language user It intends to engage the language learner in a meaning focused language usage (Breen 1989 as cited in Ellis, 2009) In addition TBLT is aimed at developing learners’ capacity to engage in significant and fluent communication (Bui, Thi Tuyet Ngan as cited Ellis, 2003; Willis & Willis, 2009) Students in college prefer to learn knowledge connected with their daily life rather than learn fixed
or obsolete articles from a text book because they consider grammar to be no practical help to them TBLT meets the need of learners by helping to engage with meaning in order to develop a language system (Beglar & Hunt, 2002; Willis & Willis, 2009) According to Willis & Willis (2007), TBLT provides many opportunities for learners to use the language that they know without being penalized for their inevitable failures in accuracy
However not everyone accepts these strengths and it remains a controversial approach Bruton (2002) agreed with Swan (2005) that TBLT is unsuitable for low-level learners In the task-cycle phase, students are required to communicate with their classmates and weak learners often lack proficiency to communicate in the target language to fulfill the assigned task According to Tavakoli (2009) the difficulty of a task can be estimated from the performance of learners, the
Trang 6factors that actually contribute to task difficulty are studied so that it is useful to integrate and sequence the tasks in language teaching syllabus Studies indicate that the same classroom event is often interpreted differently by the teachers and learners (Kumaravadivelu, 2003 )
Seedhouse (1999) stated that it results in impoverished language use that is of little acquisitive value Students may resort to communicating in their native language instead In addition, the large size of English classes is a problem for TBLT Students hardly get a chance to speak if the group is large because tasks are usually time-limited
Last but not least, the assessment of task-based learning can be challenging The nature of TBLT prevents it from being quantifiable by the more controlled and conventional tests
1.4 TBLT in the teaching of speaking
The theory of teaching speaking is sometimes neglected The teaching approach used is still ignored, though how best to approach the teaching of oral skills has long been the focus of methodological debate In fact, many students learn speaking for quite a long time, but they still cannot be able to practice speaking in the process of speaking improvement This condition gives more intention about how teaching speaking methodology will affect the teaching and learning speaking in the class
Speaking learning materials also play an important role to help students succeed in learning speaking Materials created in the class must concern the students’ need to learn Material development should not become the obstacle to teach the students as there are
a lot of ways used to design it Developing students' learning materials becomes the procedure of preparing teachers to teach in the classroom One of the learning approaches proposed to help teachers design materials is Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) It suits the current issues of teaching and learning methodology of the day The teachers are focusing on procedure or the series of pedagogical tasks to perform for students to speak Based on the research done by the writer using TBLT, it shows that the use of TBLT is effective in teaching speaking (Musliadi, 2016)
2 Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
2.1 Definitions
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a method of teaching second and foreign language This method highlights 'interaction' as both the technique and objective for
Trang 7learning a language In addition, it is known as the communicative approach to teaching foreign language or simply put, the communicative approach CLT was said to have originated from Britian during the 1960s Hadley (2001.116) has shown that CLT is the result of British research, adopted by linguists, typically Willkis, Widdowson, Candlin, Christopher Brumfit, Keith Johnson and many other American educators like Sauvignon… Many linguists have given different definitions, Richard & Rorger (1986: 66) “CLT is
an approach that aims to make communicative competence the goal of language teaching of four language skills that acknowledge the interdependence of language and communication” , Wikipedia (2008) Communicative language teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching
of second and foreign language that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language It is also referred to as “communicative approach to the teaching of foreign language” or simply the “Communicative Approach”
2.2 Framework of CLT
In the Communicative Approach, language is viewed as a means of communication (Richards & Rodgers, 2014) Hence, the goal of language teaching is to achieve communicative competence Communicative competence refers to the knowledge and skills
of individuals to use the language for diverse purposes and functions (Richards & Rodgers, 2014) which requires know-how in four areas: “grammatical competence”, “sociolinguistic competence”, “discourse competence”, and “strategic competence” (Canale & Swain, 1980,
p 4) In CLT, as the view of language and the goal of teaching reveal, communication is the basic feature of the instructional process Hence, the effectiveness of the classroom activities, the teacher’s and learners’ roles, and student-teacher interaction are assessed according to how much they promote communication Larsen-Freeman and Anderson (2011), for example, described the roles of the teacher in the CLT classroom as facilitating communication while the learners are communicators
Trang 8Figure 2.2: Canale and Swine’s Model of Communicative Competence (CC)
2.3 The strengths and weakness of CLT
A variety of communicative activities i.e role-play, interviews, information gap, games, conversation, questionnaires, group work, etc are integrated in CLT classroom (Larsen-Freeman, 1986) Belchamber (2007) also stated that if there is an atmosphere of trust and support in the classroom, students were more likely to contribute One way of encouraging this is to allow peer checking of answers before open-class checking occurs while another is
to include an avenue for students to discuss a task in small groups In addition stressed that one of the main advantage of CLT is that the teacher can incorporate all four the language skills into the lesson, and even into one lesson The CLT approach enables the teacher to assume the role of
“facilitator” The teacher is able to observe the students through various activities and subsequently and respond to the students.( Bui, Thi Tuyet Ngan as cited, Geyser, 2008)
The CLT method can be tailored to any level from Pre-Beginner to Advanced and is applicable for classes with students from different linguistic backgrounds and communicative competence; this allows the learners to intermingle with each according to their level of proficiency
By applying CLT in the classroom, the students will feel more involved in the learning process
However, David Nunan (2004) stated that in reality CLT is not a teaching method, but rather
a mixture of diverse approaches Harmer (2009) stated the CLT approach has been criticized for being prejudiced in favor of the native language teachers as the activities create an unrestricted range of language forms by learners making it difficult for non-native teachers to respond to the multitude of language problems which may arise This made it very difficult for teachers who are not very proficient in the second language to teach effectively Moreover, The CLT is not designed for students coming from cultures with conventional educational systems Vietnamese learners, for example, come from a conventional educational background where they were (and till today) taught
Trang 9using grammar-translation methods These students are used to a strict teacher-centered and formal environment
Last but not least, CLT focuses on fluency but not accuracy During communicative activities, students are left on their own to solve their communication problems and they tend to form incoherent and grammatical incorrect sentences
2.4 CLT in the teaching of speaking
In an EFL context, mastery of speaking is greatly dependent on the approaches to teaching speaking as the classroom is the decisive place where students learn and practice the language Predominantly, the approaches to teaching speaking are categorized into two main types: direct approach and indirect approach The direct approach, also known as a controlled approach, to teaching speaking, focuses on the practice and development of isolated language forms (Goh & Burns, 2012) According to Novakova (2016) claimed that structural accuracy and the use of language forms are the concern of the direct approach An indirect approach to teaching speaking, on the other hand, focuses on the creation of conditions for oral interaction to enable learners to engage in communicative activities (Goh
& Burns, 2012; Richards, 2008)
3 Background CLT and BTLT
3.1 Similarities between CLT and TBLT
CLT is an approach to the teaching of foreign languages by emphasizing the use of communication or interaction as the means and the eventual goal of learning a particular language
It is also often recognized as “a communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages” or
“the communicative approach” TBLT on the other hand does not have a clear definition, but some proponents present it as the logical development of CLT because of the fact that its basic principles were derived from the CLT movement of the 1980s (Littlewood, 2007) Moreover, Task-based Language Teaching is believed to have originated from CLT (Kumaravadivelu, 2006; Nuna, 2004; Richards & Rodgers, 2001) TBLT is based upon several key CLT principles For example, states CLT represents a “broad philosophical approach to language curriculum developed upon the theories and research in linguistics, anthropology, psychology, and sociology” while “TBLT represents an application of this philosophy at the levels of curriculum design and methodology” (Nunan,2004 p.10) Understanding CLT, therefore, may be regarded as a necessary move to understanding TBLT
3.2 Differences between CLT and TBLT
Trang 10However CLT and TBLT are differences Tuyet Ngan Bui then cites other study: The introduction of CLT in foreign language acquisition in the early 1980s resulted in strong emphasis being placed upon the learners’ communicative ability TBLT has also drawn the attention of many researchers as a result of its process-based syllabus which is aimed at increasing learners’ actual language use for communicative purposes TBLT applies a learner-centered approach (Ellis, 2003; Nunan, 2004; Richards & Rodgers, 2001); which includes certain key characteristics such as goal, procedure, and specific result (Murphy, 2003; Nunan, 2004; Skehan, 2003); it emphasizes content-based and meaning-content-based tasks as an alternative to linguistic forms (Carless, 2002; Littlewood, 2007) There are also some distinct differences between the two methods with regards to the teacher-student roles
Application in the teaching of speaking in EFL context
English has been taught and learned in Vietnam as a foreign language for decades As reported in Canh & Barnard (2009: 23), the newly documented English language curriculum
in Vietnamese high schools (Ministry of Education and Training [MOET], 2006) aims to eventually equip students with basic communicative competence in all four skills, as well as
a formal knowledge of English and an appreciation of the cultures of English-speaking countries We can clearly see that the Vietnamese Education curriculum is also starting to play catch-up with its peers in the region
TBLT and CLT provide a new style for teaching and learning listening and speaking The last phase is language focus, allowing us a closer study of some of the specific features that naturally occur as a result of the language used during the task-cycle (Willis, 1996, pp.40) Some listening and speaking knowledge would be embedded in the tasks, and would motivate learners to study in the 'language focus' section For instance, teachers would ask
us to think about how 'would' is used and the effect of this high frequency word We might work alone or in pairs before focusing on sentences and phrases to show the different meanings and uses
This study focused on answering whether CLT or TBLT was more effective in the teaching of speaking in Vietnam, especially on students’ performance and their speaking results Through observations in classroom it was seen that student centered environment was attempted to assure in classes through talking about their favorite activity About creating a collaborative learning environment, students in TBLT class were collaborative to complete all task-based activities Through task-based activities, students could improve