Research On Tasked-based Language Teaching

TBLT (task-based language teaching) is the approach recommended to be applied in English teaching by China's Ministry of Education. It refers to a type of language teaching which takes 'tasks' as its key units for designing and implementing of second language instruction. TBLT has been widely adopted since 1980's throughout the world. Outside China much research has been done and the achievements are great. But the definition and explanation about TBLT, especially those concerning the key word of TBLT, task, vary from scholar to scholar. In China research on TBLT approach just began in 2001. More research should be done in order to apply successfully this teaching model to classroom teaching. This paper will first explain the essence of TBLT systematically and thoroughly by surveying and analyzing the references both international and domestic. Then the paper probes the solutions to the problems that may appear in using TBLT. This paper deals with TBLT in the following aspects: essence, characteristics, rules in implementing, procedure and difficulties in implementing. The last three aspects are the main topic of this paper.The thesis is composed of four chapters:Chapter One deals with three issues: to explain why TBLT approach has come into being by tracing its history back to its original form; to define what task-based language teaching approach is; and to explore the theoretical foundation of TBLT approach.Chapter Two describes the procedures and workable framework for TBLT to be carried out in the classroom. The framework of TBLT includes three steps: pre-task, task cycle and post task. The three steps can be subdivided into six stages.Chapter Three generalizes the fundamental principles followed by the TBLT approach and undercover the educational and language teaching ideology underlying the principles.Chapter Four deals with the difficulties in carrying out TBLT. According to the experience learned from the experimental base, the author gives some advice to the implementing of TBLT.At the end of the paper, the author draws the conclusion: Originating in the communicative teaching theory, TBLT overcomes the shortcoming of communicative teaching. But the introduction of TBLT can never be an exclusive option because on the one hand TBLT itself has its own limitations, and on the other hand the situation in the countries where TBLT has been shaped and developed significantly, where English has an official position, and where TBLT has been used to teach learners who are learning English as a second language, the situation is different from that in China. All this suggests that the most important use of TBLT methodology is to learn from its essence and to modify TBLT to be suitable for foreign language teaching in China.