An Empirical Study Of Task-Based English Writing In A Suburban Junior High School

Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) is a relatively new approach which originated in the 1970s and has gained considerable currency in the 1990s. It emphasizes the approach of learning by doing, whose concern is doing things with the language, and turns the basic concept of language use into practical class teaching method. It is one of the most effective and meaningful language teaching approaches. It provides learners with favorable learning environment, adequate time and opportunities for learning the language.Willis'(1996) task-based teaching model includes pre-task, task cycle and language focus. According to this model, teachers can divide the class into three procedures. At the pre-task stage, teachers introduce the topic and task to the students and give them time to think. At the task cycle stage, teachers ask the students to use English in order to complete the task. At the language focus stage, the students would study further to consolidate and master the features of language. Therefore, the students can understand what the task is in the beginning and are motivated by the task to learn the new language. Based on Wills'model for TBLT, the author has done experiment in Grade Two in Shenyang No.182 High School of Liaoning Province from March 2009 to July 2009 to test whether TBLT is effective in English writing in the Suburban Junior High School (SJHS).The study is designed to explore: 1. Can TBLT improve students'writing proficiency in SJHS? 2. Can TBLT enhance students'confidence in English writing in SJHS?In order to find the answer to the questions, the author did a teaching experiment. The comprehensive analysis both in qualitative and quantitative methods has been conducted on the use of TBLT in English writing in SJHS. The author used SPSS 14.0 to analyze and compare the statistical data from the students'average score, and the questionnaire. The statistical data and the analysis fall into three sections: The first is about writing test which includes the pre-test and the post-test both of the experiment class and the control class. The second is the questionnaire on self-confidence, attitude towards writing, mode of writing, difficulty of writing before and after the experiment. By comparing the scores of the pre-test, the post-test and questionnaire, we can see whether there is some significant difference between them. Meanwhile, the t-test has been used to test whether there are any correlations between the writing scores and the use of TBLT. The third is about interview. All the responses to the interview came from the students in EC. By the quantitative analysis of the responses, we have got the students'views on TBLT.The results from the experiment shows that the TBLT-oriented writing tasks for students can do well in their language learning so that students have improved their writing proficiency through doing all kinds of tasks related to the real world; Most of students in EC have grasped the writing skills and learned writing in a quite happy way so as to have confidence in English writing and finally to promote the students'English writing level; Students generally have the eagerness to succeed in completing the task with the help of each other, under the atmosphere of activity, support and democracy and have raised the spirit of cooperation meanwhile. It is feasible to apply TBLT in SJHS in China.