The Study Of Task-Based Language Teaching In Intensive Reading Of Business English In Higher Vocational Colleges

Since 1990s, Higher Vocational Education (HVE) has developed rapidly. It is playing a more and more important role in Chinese educational system. The objective of HVE is to train practical talents in production, service, technology, management, etc. With the economic globalization and China's entry into WTO, people with the knowledge of English and business are in great demand. To cater for the demand, many vocational colleges have set up Business English programs, aiming at developing students'overall language proficiency in business contexts and stressing the importance of business communicative competence. However, the present teaching approaches can't meet these requirements.In order to improve the present situation of teaching approaches in Business English programs of higher vocational colleges, more and more teachers have been engaged in or trying the practice and research of task-based language teaching approach. Task-based language teaching emphasizes not only the teaching of language, but also the training of the overall language proficiency. It is a challenge to the traditional language teaching approach which is teacher-centered and text-centered. This paper intends to explore the task-based language teaching approach, and tries to appraise the feasibility and validity of TBLT approach in teaching intensive reading of business English.The subjects for the study were 86 sophomores in two parallel classes with 43 students respectively from Shandong Institute of Commerce and Technology. According to Willis'framework of task-based language teaching, the author designed teaching procedure and contents for intensive reading of business English. After 16-week experiment, comparing the results of pre-and post-test of two contrast groups, the author found that the language proficiency of both groups was improved. And the experimental group which carried out task-based language teaching approach made more satisfactory progress than the control group. So it shows that the implementation of TBLT approach in intensive reading of business English can effectively facilitate students'English learning. And the more important is that TBLT approach can be efficient in remarkably improving students' language proficiency.The research findings in the present study provide some implications for the teaching practice in higher vocational colleges. During the process of teaching, the teacher should put students in the center, design the teaching procedure from the angle of learning, and combine the language form and meaning, aiming at improving students'English language proficiency. The role of the teacher in the task-based classroom is more than imparting knowledge. The teacher should be the designer, organizer, facilitator of the task.