In this work a comparison between the task based and the action-oriented

approach will be taken over, after this small introduction we will present a brief
overview of both approaches and lastly we will indicate the similarities and
differences between them in a table.
.1. TASK-BASED AND ACTION-ORIENTED APPROACH TO
LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING
1.1. TASK-BASED APPROACH.
The Task-based approach dates back to the 1980s, a period defined by many,
though it may sound strange, as the post-communicative era. This approach
seeks to provide learners with a natural context for language use, as learners
work to complete a task in the classroom. Tasks like those we perform everyday
such as making the tea, writing an essay, talking to someone on the phone or
finding the differences between 2 pictures or texts. Thus the main focus is to
bring the real world contexts into the classroom. The learners have many
opportunities to interact and this interaction is what is believed to make learners
acquire language because they have to work to understand each other and to
express their own meaning (Larsen-Freeman, 2000:114). Another intention of
this approach is to develop students interlanguage by providing a task and then
using language to solve it.
According to Cerezal (1996:183) A task is a procedure or set of procedures
which can take one or more lessons - they have a beginning and a conclusion -
and can be oriented towards communication and a Task-based approach
can be defined as how a learner applies his or her communicative competence
to undertake a selection of tasks
In task-based instruction, the priority is not the bits and pieces of language but
rather the functional purposes for which language must be used. Main goal of
learners is thus to acquire the ability to do things with the language , that is, to
perform speech acts. And though the ultimate focus is on communication, focus
and meaning, the goals, however are linguistic in nature.

1.1.2. COMPONENTS OF THE TASK-BASED FRAMEWORK

Pre-task
Introduction to topic and task: Teacher explores the topic with the
class, highlights useful words and phrases, helps students understand task
instructions and prepare.
Task Cycle
Task: Students do the task, in pairs or small groups. Teacher monitors
from a distance.
Planning: Students prepare to report to the whole class( orally or in
writing) how they did the task, what they decided or discovered.
Report: Some groups present their reports to the class, or exchange
written reports and compare results.
Language
Focus
Analysis: Students examine and discuss specific features of the text or
transcript of the recording.
Practice: Teacher conducts practice or new words, phrases and patterns
occurring in the data, either during or after the analysis (Willis 1996: 38).

1.1. ACTION-ORIENTED APPROACH.
The CEFR was developed by the Council of Europe to provide a common
basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses, curriculum guidelines,
examinations, textbooks, etc. across Europe (Council of Europe, 2001:1). The
CEFR is not tied to any single method of language teaching but rather
represents a more general, action-oriented communicative approach.(B.
Rodrguez, 2010:68). It considers the learner as an agent in society- that is , as
an actor, who is given the opportunity to use language through communicative
acts(actions) rather than speech acts, though these actions are in fact realized
through different kinds of tasks. The tasks in the action oriented approach can
be linguistic or non-linguistic and are different from those used by the task-
based approach from the late 80s in that those were carried out in the
classroom and these are supposed to be performed in society.
The CEFR uses Can Do statements to describe L2 proficiency as L2 use
across five language activities (listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken
production, and writing) at six levels: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and
B2(independent user) and C1 and C2 (proficient user). That is, CEFR
descriptors focus on what L2 learners Can Do at different levels of different
skills. One of the novelties introduced by CEFR is that it includes the four skills
but distinguishes between spoken interaction and spoken production. These
skills, renamed as communicative activities, are elements of overall language
proficiency along with two new communicative activities, interaction and
mediation (Piccardo, 2010).
Language use, embracing language learning, comprises the actions performed
by persons who as individuals and as social agents develop a range of
competences, both general and in particular communicative language
competences. They draw on the competences at their disposal in various
contexts under various conditions and under various constraints to engage in
language activities involving language processes to produce and/or receive
texts in relation to themes in specic domains, activating those strategies which
seem most appropriate for carrying out the tasks to be accomplished. The
monitoring of these actions by the participants leads to their enforcement or
modication of their competences.(CEF, 2001:9). So, in other words, the
learner here has an active role because he/she is an agent in society, that is,
he/she must be able to deal with specific situations, accomplish these actions(
order a meal, start a conversation.)the learner has to use different
competences, general (take a bus) or communicative (the driver how much a
ticket costs), the learner will have to put different strategies in action ( linguistic
or non-linguistic) that best suit the task/s to be carried out. We can see then,
that the student analyses the discourse in depth in this approach.
Another characteristic of this approach is that it is plurilingual and pluricultural, it
concerns the ability to use languages to communicate and take part in
intercultural interaction (B.Rodrguez, 2010:68) It incorporates the teaching
of values and cultural know-how that had not been used in teaching methods
until now.
In what refers to the students role it promotes new language teaching
approaches which make the student more responsible for their own learning...
more autonomy through strategies of auto-evaluation and co-evaluation is
considered fundamental. (B. Rodrguez, 2010:68)
According to B. Rodrguez, 2010, whats new about this perspective is the
manner in which it values content as a learning devise with the potential for
enabling constructive action this is why it considers that the process of
learning/teaching should be comprehended through a constructive
interpretation where content plays a crucial role in the process of development
and socialization (p.69). Moreover, following a Cognitive view of learning, this
approach considers that the more language learning is related to content other
than the purely linguistic, the more firmly established it will be .Because the
language is taught in a way that is meaningful to them and has relevance in
their daily life. The act of learning in the action oriented approach, can be
considered in itself an action, a cyclical action, a complex dynamic
progress(p.69).
As B. Rodrguez concludes, The key to the learning and teaching of a foreign
language is in understanding and responding in communication. (2010:75)
SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES


Both approaches use language
learning tasks real- world tasks >




Both have communicative views of
language :
use of real communication
activities, use of meaningful
tasks,
use of language which is
meaningful to the student,
are learner-centred,
the teachers role is that of
facilitator,
use of pair work and group
activities, etc.





Meaning is important
In the task-based approach
tasks are meant to be carried-
out in classroom.
The tasks used by the AOA are
supposed to be performed in
society





But in the action-oriented approach
the student is even more autonomous
auto-evaluation and co-evaluation is
very important; his/her role is more
active because he/she is an agent in
society that must accomplish
particular tasks/actions.

But in AOA meaning is more important
because it views content as a learning
devise with the potential for enabling
constructive action. Thus, content is
crucial not only because it plays an
important role in socialization but also


















































because language is more firmly
established through content.

AOA is Multicultural and Plurilingual;
TBA is multicultural

In the action-oriented approach,
students are presented with a
scenario such as planning a family
holiday, in which they must
discuss their likes and dislikes and
come to an agreement regarding their
travel destination and details of their
holiday. That is, the teacher presents
an authentic situation in which people
might need to provide information,
such as registering at a hospital clinic,
where students may need to give
details such as the spelling of their
name, their address and telephone
number, email address, date and
place of birth, etc.. As students
progress, the tasks become more
linguistically and cognitively
challenging.
(The procedure of a task based lesson
has been given above in 1.1.2)

AOA= Actions; TBA= Speech Acts
In task-based instruction, the priority is
not the bits and pieces of language
but rather the functional purposes for
which language must be used. Main
goal of learners is thus to acquire the
ability to do things with the language ,
that is, to perform speech acts. And
though the ultimate focus is on
communication, focus and meaning,
the goals, however are linguistic in
natureIn task-based instruction, the
priority is not the bits and pieces of
language but rather the functional
purposes for which language must be
used. Main goal of learners is thus to
acquire the ability to do things with the
language , that is, to perform speech
acts. And though the ultimate focus is
on communication, focus and
meaning, the goals, however are
linguistic in nature. On the other hand,


Taking all things into consideration, we clearly conclude that a lot has been
achieved over the years. Applied Linguists have certainly benefited from
advantages of past methodologies and have also learnt from their errors. The
last outcome has been the CEFR, and its strength lies in 3 points: (1) the
importance given to the student and his/her needs, (2) the importance given to
the use of meaningful language for communicating in the real world, and (3) its
focus on plurilingualism and pluriculturalism, taking into account the rapid
evolution of today's society. These three changes are beneficial because they
make language learning more practical and interesting, thus greatly
encouraging the students motivation which is something crucial for both
teachers and learners.














Both use communicative approach
language skills: reading, listening,
reading and writing




AOA considers the learner as an
agent in society- that is , as an actor,
who is given the opportunity to use
language through communicative
acts(actions) rather than speech acts
and the more language learning is
related to content other than the
purely linguistic, the more firmly
established it will be, that is, it will be
easily retrieved and integrate into the
students long-term memory.

But AOA distinguishes between
spoken interaction and spoken
production, skills are renamed as
communicative activities and two new
ones are added: interaction and
mediation.