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Addapting Books To Task Based Teaching

This document summarizes Jane Willis' presentation at the 2006 IATEFL Conference on adapting textbooks for task-based teaching. It provides guidelines for determining how task-like textbook activities are and describes seven common task types. It also offers tips for incorporating tasks into class time and adapting textbook activities based on goals, preparation time, interaction patterns, and follow-up activities. The document concludes by recommending resources on task-based learning.

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782 views

Addapting Books To Task Based Teaching

This document summarizes Jane Willis' presentation at the 2006 IATEFL Conference on adapting textbooks for task-based teaching. It provides guidelines for determining how task-like textbook activities are and describes seven common task types. It also offers tips for incorporating tasks into class time and adapting textbook activities based on goals, preparation time, interaction patterns, and follow-up activities. The document concludes by recommending resources on task-based learning.

Uploaded by

yesopunk
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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IATEFL Conference Harrogate 2006

Adapting your Text Book for Task-based Teaching


Jane Willis
Honorary Visiting Fellow, Aston University

‘Few textbooks present material in a TBL cycle, but often it only takes a little tweaking (e.g. adding
a goal, or changing the order of activities) to produce a TBL lesson. You don't have to create from
scratch, nor do you have to look for ready-made TBL packages.’ James Hobbs (Japan).

Identifying tasks: not ‘Is this a task?’ but ‘How task-like is it?’

‘We can determine how task-like a given activity is by asking the following questions. The
more confidently we can answer yes to each of these questions the more task-like the activity.

a) Does the activity engage learners’ interest?


b) Is there a primary focus on meaning?
c) Is there an outcome?
d) Is success judged in terms of outcome? Is completion a priority?
e) Does the activity relate to real world activities?’

These criteria do not constitute ‘a watertight definition of what constitutes a task, but they will
provide us with guidelines for the design of activities which are task-like in that they involve
real language use.’ (Dave Willis & Jane Willis (in press, 2006) Doing Task-based Teaching OUP)

Seven types of task:


do your text books have any of these types? Or similar activities?

Listing, Ordering & Sorting (sequencing, ranking, classifying), Matching, Comparing, Problem
solving, Sharing personal experiences, Projects and creative tasks?

Making time for tasks in class

Use class time for experience of real language in use that learners might not get outside class,
especially spontaneous spoken interaction.

Out of class: some text book activities are best done at learner’s own pace – set these for
homework, to be checked quickly at start of next lesson. Get learners to:

• prepare topic and task related vocabulary at home prior to the task
• do form-focused exercises (grammar, vocabulary) for homework
• do the listening / reading and follow up activities in their own time

Encourage independent vocabulary learning.


Adapt activities - four parameters you can adjust:

1. Goal / outcome

Make sure the final goal / outcome is clear to students; break it down into stages (with
opportunities for exposure and output) so learners know (precisely) how to achieve it. Put in
extra steps for a lower level class.

2. Pre-task preparation time

Individual learners can think ahead how to do the task (strategic planning) and plan the language
they need. This helps to stimulate engagement.
But sometimes let them do a task without preparation, spontaneously (different skills).

3. Interaction patterns: individuals, pairs, groups, whole class. Plus or minus roles:
chairperson, spokesperson, secretary, editor, language advisor.

4. Post-task activities

• planning and giving a report of the task


• reflecting & repeating the task with other partners
• comparing recordings of task done by others
• form focused study, noting useful words, phrases and patterns
• learners recording themselves summarising or repeating the task
• reflecting and evaluating on the process.

Task-based teaching with a text-book: some principles

Ø Aim at richer interactions in class


Ø Use your text-books flexibly: bend them, ‘taskify’ them
Ø Explore what happens when you do this: get learner feed-back
Ø Collaborate with your colleagues.

For more on task-based learning see our website www.daveandjane.demon.co.uk/ELT/

And finally - suggest a theme for my 2007 IATEFL session - on a slip of paper now - or by
email to [email protected] Thank you! Jane Willis April 2006

The text-books used to illustrate my talk were: Face2Face Pre-intermediate, Chris


Redston and Gillie Cunningham. 2005 CUP; Natural English Intermediate, Ruth Gairns and
Stuart Redman. 2002 OUP; Face2Face Elementary, Chris Redston and Gillie Cunningham.
2005 CUP; New Headway English Course Beginners. Liz and John Soars. 2000 OUP; Inside
Out Intermediate, Sue Kay and Vaughan Jones. 2000 Heinemann Macmillan; New Cutting
Edge Elementary, Sarah Cunningham and Peter Moore with Frances Eales. 2005 Longman.
Further Reading on TBL and References

On how people learn languages (in and out of classrooms):

Lightbown, P. and Spada N. (2004) How Languages are Learned Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Williams, J. (1995). Focus on form in communicative language teaching: Research
Findings and the classroom teacher. TESOL Journal, 4(4),12-16.

On applying and researching a TBL approach, designing tasks, making recordings, and
exploring task-based interaction:

Edwards, C. & J. Willis (eds) 2005. Teachers Exploring Tasks in ELT. Palgrave
MacMillan. Prize winner - British Council ELT Innovations Awards 2006
Willis, D. and Willis, J. (due Nov. 2006) Doing Task-based Teaching OUP
Willis, J., & Willis, D. (1996). (Eds.). Challenge and change in language
teaching. Oxford: Heinemann ELT.
Willis, J. (1996). A framework for task-based learning. Harlow, U.K. Longman
Addison- Wesley.

Some books and articles about Task-based Learning


Bygate M. P. Skehan and M. Swain (eds) 2001. Researching Pedagogic
Tasks: Second language learning, teaching and testing
Ellis R. 2003. Task-based Language Teaching and Learning. Oxford, OUP
Estaire S. and J. Zanon, 1994. Planning Classwork: a task-based approach.
Oxford: Macmillan Heinemann
Foster P. 1996. ‘Doing the task better: how planning time influences students’
performance’. In Jane Willis & Dave Willis (eds) Challenge and Change
in Language Teaching. Heinemann pp17-30
Leaver B.L. & J. Willis, (eds) 2004. Task-based Instruction in Foreign
Language Education: practices and programs. Washington DC,
Georgetown University Press. (See Chapter 1 for an overview of TBL
perspectives and practices).
Littlewood, 2004. ‘The task-based approach: some questions and suggestions’
in ELT Journal Volume 58/4:319-326. O U P
Prabhu N.S. 1997 Second Language Pedagogy. Oxford University Press
Ribe R.1997. Tramas creativas y aprendizaje de lenguas: prototipos de
tareas de tecera generacion Universitat de Barcelona
Skehan P. 1996. ‘Second language acquisition research and task-based
instruction’. In Jane Willis & Dave Willis (eds) Challenge and Change in
Language Teaching. Heinemann pp17-30
2002. ‘A non-marginal role for tasks’ in ELT Journal Volume 56/3:289-
295Oxford University Press
Willis D. 2003. Rules, Patterns and Words: Grammar and Lexis in English
Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press

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