Nunan, D. (2004). Task-Based Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Task as work plan:
4 basic opportunities for students sharing their own personal experience as scaffolding for the listening text and reading text on the same topic. The task offer practical real life general knowledge as well as pedagogic goal to use expression to give advice, in this case advice for tourists. The task is performed through discussion in pair work and is drawn on learner experience with the prompts and support from teacher experience Learner purposes: achievement orientation and survival orientation corresponding to their own perceived learning needs internal criteria genuine progress. Survival purpose external criteria learners need inferior.( p,26) Task outcomes can be seen as the function of the actual contributions of the individual learner, the particular task type and the situational conditions within which the task was completed (p24) b Task content of whatever kind has to be assumed to be only potential content for learning. A task should explicitly require learners to seek out and specify aspects of content which are familiar to them. On this basis, learners should then identify as precisely as possible those aspects of the content which then become the focus of learner work, and such work should directly build upon already-known content (p 31)
Breen, M. P. (1987). Learner contributions to task design. In C. C. Murphy (Ed.), Language learning tasks (Vol. 7, pp. 23 - 46). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall International.
What do you think about these customs ? Do these seem unusall to you ? Do yournations follow these customs? Think in 2 minutes What would you do in these sort of situations ? How can a person point to something with your foot? (marizar)s Oh yah, like this way we can do this we have to use both hands to give something to an older person like this we have to do like this (shova) T; ok so is it normal or weird in your culture to do these kinds of custom? Think about in 2 min (ask individual?) and then you can discuss it with your friend Weshould be ther on time yeah Yes it is T which one you should tell us which one Yeah if you are insulting someone we have to point with our foot, basically we do it between friends not between adult So can you point your foot to someone else Maybe? I dont know Yeah its weird So howabout if you are sitting face to face definitely pointing my foot to your ? Likethis Yeah If Im sitting this way definitely Im pointingmy foot to your We did notsit in frontof the elder person this way We can not sit out here The task is used as a leading into the reading text on the topic of cultural differences The task goal would be improving communicative goal , create opportunity for students to exchange interpersonal relations and through this to exchange information, ideas, opinions, attitudes and feelings and to get things done (Nunan, p.43) Forthis purpose, the task partly achieve its goal. Communicative breakdown The teacherthought that the instructional material and of the teacher is really clear, however, they actually confused and discuss with others in the time suppose spent planning individually, thus the period of time intended for online planning is not effective as expected. Familiarity in this case ofeer different reaction: what has been true of research until now, for Marizar, familiarity is a boring routine in fact, in reaction to the normal customs not shocking of other countries he reply with a monotonous attitude however, for th weird and different one, he has a really strong reaction. Famliarity in it self is a notion bring a lot of contrast, relate to learner background and characteristics skeptical cognitive learning syles and critical skills illustrate best learner contribution to the progress and failure of task, unintended outcomes, open ended tasks on the one hand, might be argued to intrigue learner motivation, yet, the open tasks with unpredicted outcomes would be a more valuable and intrigue resource for observation and in depth qualitative studies. The characteristics of unstability make it un irrisitable for contrast and denying all the linear and monotonous routine of classroom culture where teacher give and student takes. Disparity between task as work plans and task in actions thus draw out unexpected outcomes and the initial communicative breakdown at the beginning of the task. Adapted from Ellis ELT Journal Volume 51/1 January 1997 Oxford University Press 1997 The empirical evaluation of language teaching materials http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/ Realworld task or pedagogic task the continumum rather than a dichotomous relationship. The task itself wpould be in the middle of the scale. While the would be giving advice for a visitor to your country it can be adapted into give your friend s some advice about some custom in your country or tell your firend some common coutersy in your countries that would be more personalizing langaue and experience