A Study on Application of Task-based Teaching Approach to College Oral English Teaching

卞少輝

（東北大學秦皇島分校，河北 秦皇島 066000）

1 TBTA in China

Based on the development of the second language acquisition(SLA),constructivism,cognitive theory and affective filter,Task-based teaching approach(TBTA),dated back to1980’s,emphasizes “learningby doing” and offersstudentsanopportunitytomakelanguagein theclassroommeaningful.Since New National English Curriculum Standard wasissued in 2001,TBTA is recommended in elementary and secondary schools.The new curriculum standard requirestheteacherstoadoptthe TBTAin China.

2 TBTA Research

Researcher found that most of the former researches have been conducted at the elementary and secondary level.So to move the process along,theresearcher conducted her own experiment with TBTA at college.

This research is a quantitative research.It is classroom-based,which lasted thirty weeks,with two meeting each week and each meeting lasting two teaching hours.In order to control the elements of the teaching research,the researcher taught both the control and experimental groups.

3 Results and Discussion

This research is conducted quantitatively.The researcher collected data of quantitative study from the following instruments：pretest and posttest and questionnaire.Through the quantitative analysis,the researcher discovers the advantages and disadvantages of TBTA employing in Chinese College oral English teaching,and meanwhile finds out the solution to those problems.

4 Major Findings of The Study

This research set out with the assumption that task-based teaching approach can arouse students’motivation to learn spoken English and is more effective than the traditional PPP approach in enhancing L2 learners’oral proficiency.The results from the study demonstrate the effectiveness of the experiment on arousing the students'interest and motivation and enhancing their oral proficiency.The major findings are as follows：

4.1 Arouse students’Motivation

One of the most successful aspects of the research is that the experimental students'interest and motivation of learning spoken English has been aroused and intensified.As we know,motivation is a kind of driving force,either internal or external,in human or subhuman beings.In psychology,motivation consists of internal processes that spur us on to satisfy some need.With a strong motivation,the learning can become an easier and pleasant activity,as well as productive.Students are encouraged to talk about or discuss the information in the tasks and put it into practice to solve problems in a real life,which undoubtedly can be regarded as one of essential factors of leading to successin language learning.

4.2 Improve Interactive Communication

The other achievement is that the experimental students really enhance their interactive communication.Because language does not occur in isolation,but occurs in a situational and social context and is to used to express social and functional purposes,the English language learning is not only the process of learning linguistic knowledge but also learning the culturally acceptable ways of interacting with others in different situations and relationships (Hymes 1972).In China,the traditional way of teaching English cannot meet the communicative demands the changing society,and in language teaching,it is not enough to teach only grammatical structures,for this cannot develop learners’interactive communication automatically.Therefore,using task-based teaching approach in spoken English at colleges is an effective way to improve the present situation.

4.3 Provide More Opportunities for Students

In China,it is very common that the English learning has been rich in study but relatively poor in practical using,for most college students have little chance to use English to actually communicate with other people.And it is also true with the participation in English oral class at college.According to Swain’s comprehensible output hypothesis(See 2.4.3.3),TBTA provides students with the maximum active participation in the form of pair work or group work,which definitely increase and improve their language practice opportunities.Language acquisition can be promoted when there are opportunities for pushed out.As a consequent,TBTA can improve students’oral proficiency.

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