The Effect Of Task-based Language Teaching On The English Learning Of Students In Higher Vocational Colleges With Different Cognitive Styles

Task-based language teaching(TBLT)is an extension of strong communicative approach,which has been valued and respected by language education experts since its rise in 1980's.The tenet of task-based language teaching is to make learners learn and master language by means of communication and a series of tasks.First of all,the activities involved in doing the task should always revolve around the task theme.Secondly,teachers should monitor and guide students effectively in the process of activities,and teachers should evaluate and feedback after tasks completed.In addition,in the process of teaching,teachers should first understand the characteristics of students and insist on teaching according to their aptitude.Cognitive style is an important aspect of students' individual differences,and field dependence and field independence is one of the dimensions of cognitive style,which has attracted more attention in English teaching.According to the different field cognitive styles of students,adopting different teaching methods,both accords with the principle of teaching students by their aptitude and is helpful to promote students' mastery of knowledge.According to the characteristics and principles of task-based language teaching and combining with the characteristics of students' cognitive style,this study explores whether task-based language teaching can promote students' English learning in different field cognitive styles compared with traditional teaching.72 students majoring in medical beauty in higher vocational colleges were selected as subjects.The subjects were randomly divided into experimental class and control class.The cognitive style of the subjects was tested by Embedded Figures Test(EFT)revised by the Department of Psychology of Beijing normal University.According to their scores,the subjects were divided into field independent and field dependent.Task-based language teaching method and traditional teaching method were respectively applied to the experimental class and the control class for one semester.The results show that:(1)Compared with traditional teaching,task-based language teaching have improved written and spoken English of students with different cognitive styles both in written English and spoken English.(2)For the field dependent students,task-based language teaching method is more effective than the traditional teaching method,and the students' English written and oral English scores have been significantly improved.Based on the experimental results,the following conclusions are drawn: compared with the traditional teaching methods,task-based language teaching can promote students' English learning effects(both written and oral scores),and has a significant effect on field-dependent students' English learning.The effect of English learning on field independent students is not significant.The enlightenment of this study is that in the process of teaching reform,a good teaching method is not always omnipotent and not effective for all students.When adopting the new method,we should take into account the individual differences of students,especially the differences of students' cognitive styles.