The Application Of TBLT To Teaching Listening In Vocational College EFL Classroom

As the degree of reforms and opening up in our country deepens, and the foreign trade exchange expands, the need for foreign language talents becomes larger and larger. Therefore, how to develop a more comprehensive ability out of the students in using the language and in efficient foreign language communication becomes a public concern. In 2001, the New Curriculum Standard issued by State Educational Ministry, advocates for the first time TBLT (Task-Based Language Teaching) so as to foster students' comprehensive abilities in using language. Since TBLT is emphasized in the innovations of middle school English teaching, as for VCET (Vocational College English Teaching), taken as the continuum of middle school English teaching, which method should be adopted? Based on the analysis of the characteristics and advantages of TBLT, we propose a hypothesis: it has its research feasibility and necessity to carry out TBLT in teaching listening in vocational colleges (TLIVC), and it can be inferred that this research can help develop students' comprehensive abilities in using language. The present writer conducts an experiment in teaching listening in vocational college EFL (English as Foreign Language) classroom.This thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter 1 reviews different definitions of task, components of tasks, types of tasks and the features of task and TBLT. Chapter 2 explores the theoretical bases of TBLT: Language Acquisition Theory, Constructivism and Curriculum Theory. Chapter 3 goes further to discuss about the advantages of TBLT, the characteristics of students in vocational colleges, the objectives and demands of vocational English teaching and the advantages of implementing TBLT in teaching listening in vocational colleges. Chapter 4 probes into principles of instructed language learning, task designing and implementing TBLT and procedures of implementing TBLT. Underthe guidance of the above principles, Chapter 5 displays an empirical research, which includes experiment objectives, participants, instruments, procedures, and data analysis and discussions. Through detailed design and implementation, we obtain much useful information. The results from data analyses reveal that it has its meaning to implement TBLT in TLIVC and TBLT can foster students' comprehensive abilities in using language. Based on the data analyses of Chapter 5, Chapter 6 states some major findings: the feasibility and necessity of implementing TBLT in TLIVC and four factors which may affect the teaching results: the complexity of teaching materials and topics, the Test-oriented Education, amount of the students' vocabulary and the Contrast Effect. Based upon the major findings, we bring forward some pedagogical implications: strict adherence to the principles related to TBLT, full preparation of materials and topics, importance of encouragement and the importance of emphasizing on meaning and communication.In conclusion, we conclude the research feasibility and necessity of carrying out TBLT in TLIVC and deduce that this research is beneficial to developing students' comprehensive language communication ability. However, in the meantime, we also summarize the limitations of present study: Due to the limitations of the participants, experiment time, the subject being chosen, we are not so sure whether the same results would be obtained in other places and other subjects. Finally, we advance some suggestions for future research.