Task-based Language Teaching And Its Application In ELT In Senior Middle Schools

Task-based instruction to language teaching and learning has been considered as one of the most promising methods of the communicative language teaching approach since 1980s and has recently gained considerable support within second language teaching community. It is also the approach recommended to be applied in senior middle schools by China's Ministry of Education. The task-based approach aims at providing opportunities for learners to experiment with and explore both spoken and written language through tasks which are designed to engage learners in the authentic, practical and functional use of language for meaningful purposes. The use of tasks will also give a clear and purposeful context for the teaching and learning of grammar and other language features as well as skills. Such language focus components in turn enable learners to construct their knowledge of language structures and functions.This thesis attempts to explore the implementation of Task-based approach in English language teaching in senior middle schools and to test the hypothesis that TBLT, as a teaching method, is more effective than the other formerly used teaching method (namely, the PPP teaching method in this thesis).There are mainly five parts in this thesis. The first part is an introduction, which states indirectly the purpose and significance of this study; the second part is about literature review, with emphasis on task types and characteristics and two exemplars of implementing TBLT; the third part gives a detailed description of the rationale for task-based learning; and the fourth part deals with the experimental design of this study. To test the hypothesis of this study, the author conducted an experimental research in two classes of No 7 Middle School in Meiji District with around 105 students aged on average 17 over a period of twenty weeks. Two tests were given to the subjects both from the EC and the CC. Then in the fifth part the relevant data was collected and analysed. The sixth part comes up with the conclusion.The statistical results reveal that TBLT is really more effective than the PPP teaching method. From the classroom observations and teaching practice, the author finds out that TBLT has many advantages. Finally, some limitations involved in this study are pointed out and some suggestions for further research are put forward, too.