Task Based Learning

1. Task Based Learning In your classroom

2. Useful things to Know • Four stages of language acquisition

3. Stages of Language Acquisition

4. Task Based Learning • Learning in which students work together to complete an item of work using English as a tool to communicate. • Provide an opportunity for students to speak to others in the class. Sara Davila 2009

5. Stages • Pre-Task • Short language introduction or review • Task • What students will do • Post Task • Presentation or Reflection Sara Davila 2009

6. What TBL Allows • Combine the areas of required English practice: Speaking, listening, reading, writing • Can be designed to focus on specific areas • Utilize student strengths by allowing students to work as a group

7. Consider • Classrooms have a range • Address each level of learning • Consider moment of learning and where you want individual students to be in the future.

8. Cooperative Learning • Cooperative groups and pair groups maximize language production time. • Allow students to learn from each. • Provide teacher with freedom and flexibility to focus on students with greatest need.

9. Best Strategy • Create Base Groups • Group students in groups of four. • Don’t group students by level alone! • Rearrange desks and classroom as necessary • Use pairs within groups for mini tasks that can be shared with the whole group and then class. • Occasionally have students with other groups to practice or study.

10. Analyzing your Program • Books and Materials • Co-teachers • Language Goals • Communicative Goals • Student Interaction Sara Davila 2009

11. Tasks You can Use Sara Davila 2009

12. Sample Tasks • Information Gaps • Have students create information personally or in teams • Rearrange the class to discuss and find the information • http://iteslj.org/t/tmm/ Sara Davila 2009

13. Information Gaps • In a basic information gap • One or both students have different information • Students use language to share information • When finished students have the same information Sara Davila 2009

14. Interview • Questions from materials • Students ask and answer each other • Can be designed for small group or large whole group communication Sara Davila 2009

15. Card Games • Have students make the games and the cards • Students keep the materials, part of the portfolio • Sharing materials between classes so peers can see what others are doing • www.saradavila.com Sara Davila 2009

16. Diagrams • Diagrams and charts can help organize information • Bar Graphs and Line Graphs can be used with and interview to find out what students have learned • (excellent with a Jigsaw) • Venn Diagrams excellent for comparing information in different areas • Builds higher level critical thinking skills Sara Davila 2009

17. Hole Stories/Dialogues • Using a dialogue or story from the materials • Students re-write to create missing spaces • Working in pairs, one reads, partners listen and fill in the holes Sara Davila 2009

18. Bingo • Fun for the Students • Expands on learner creativity and control • Easy to create several games in a single class Sara Davila 2009