The Implementation Of A Focus-on-form Task By TCSOL Teachers In Chinese Oral Class For Beginners

This thesis uses qualitative case study data to explore how two novice TCSOL(Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages) teachers implement a form-focustask in their classrooms. It describes the task procedures in intact classes of OralChinese for the beginners based on the classroom observations and field notes.Analysis of the transcripts of record and the interviews data show the teachers’reinterpretations of the task, their attitude towards Task-based teaching and learning,and the factors in the implementation.The observations show that there are some differences in the task frameworks andthe time allocation although the same task is undertaken. The teachers’reinterpretations of the task are similar to the definition of task in TBLT literature. Theteachers regard the task as a holistic activity and the task efficiency can be improvedin practice. Learners are allowed to use their mother tongue or English to reduce thecognitive burden and to solve the linguistic problems. The teachers provide learnersthe negative evidence in order to facilitate them to notice the linguistic forms.Thechallenges for teachers to implement the tasks are identified: to seed the form focusinto the task input data, to ensure all learners to understand the task instructionscorrectly at the same pace, to perform the role of the classroom manager and tocomment on learners’ reports. The factors in the implementation of task-basedteaching and learning are the task design and its conditions, teachers’ attitude towardsTBLT, peers’ support for teachers, and learners’ contributions to the task. Theimplications for the TCSOL teaching and learning are discussed. More form-focusedtasks should be designed, implemented and shared. TCSOL teachers educationprogram should apply the TBLT theory into task implementation in intact class. Thetask-supported teaching and learning approach can be adapted in Speaking Course inTCSOL context.This case study is a fieldwork which fills the gap in the field of TBLTimplementation in TCSOL classroom.