Exploration And Application Of Task-based Approach In Senior Middle School Writing Instruction

Language study is a process consisting of input and output. Writing, being one of its basic skills, is a process of output communicating ideas in the target language. Therefore, without writing, there would be no complete language study. As one of the significant means of communication, writing not only can consolidate what has been learned, check the sentence structure and usage in the target language but also can facilitate the internalization of learners'knowledge and accelerate automation in the performance of target language, and therefore, promote the acquisition of this language. However, writing is a complex activity and probably the most difficult of all the macro-skills --- listening, speaking, reading and writing. And even many native speakers can never master this kind of skill. For foreign language learners, the challenges are even more enormous. Therefore, it is very necessary to study writing instruction in senior middle school so that teachers can help learners to master the skill.Having been teaching in senior middle school for several years, we find that students usually meet a variety of difficulties while writing. In general, these difficulties fall into two categories. One is that students do not know what to write; the other is that they do not know how to write. Faced with these difficulties, teachers and researchers have introduced various teaching approaches to English writing. At present, the product approach is one of the commonest in senior middle school English writing instruction. Just as the title indicates, this approach focuses on the end result of the learning process, and favors classroom activities in which learners are engaged in imitating, copying and transforming models of correct language. However, the product approach neglects the dynamic role that learners play in the language study, which can be proved by the fact that the average score of compositions is 13 or so in Liaoning's recent entrance exams to universities (full score is 25). So the product approach is not an ideal one to help students to achieve the anticipated target of language study.In recent years, increasing attention has been focused on the task-based approach, which can overcome the disadvantages existing in the traditional teaching mode. That is because the task-based approach stresses not only the study process as well as language study but also the influence of learners'previous experience on the classroom study. What's more, it contends the combination of language study inside and outside classroom and emphasizes that language study should be a many-sided rather than linear process. So the task-based approach will solve the difficulties of"what to write"and"how to write". In other words, it is important to improve students' writing ability in the classroom of the task-based approach. With the world entering the 21st century, English has become more and more important. But English writing instruction in our country cannot keep pace with the development of its economy. It has aroused great attention of the whole educational circle to develop students'practical English writing ability. The writer probes the problem by carrying out the task-based approach in the English writing instruction in senior middle school and combining theories with practice. The whole essay is divided into five parts:1. The problems of English writing instruction in senior middle school and the importance of this research.2. Explaining the theories of the task-based approach, and pointing out the key issues of the research.3. Operating the task-based approach, combining theories with practice to research into the way of carrying out the task-based approach in the English writing instruction.4. Discussing the roles of teachers and students and their abilities in the task-based approach.5. Discussing the limits of the task-based approach in the English writing instruction in senior middle school and the possibilities of further study.