LING 306 TEFL METHODOLOGY CONTENT BASED TASK BASED

LING 306 TEFL METHODOLOGY CONTENT BASED TASK BASED & PARTICIPATORY APPROACHES

CONTENT-BASED, TASK-BASED, AND PARTICIPATORY APPROACHES • giving priority to process over predetermined linguistic content 1 2 • Students ‘use English to learn it’, rather than ‘learning to use English; teaching through communication, rather than for it • Difference – their focus 3

CONTENT BASED INSTRUCTION n For years, specialised language courses have included content relevant to a particular profession or academic discipline, e. g. , for airline pilots, medical practitioners, lawyers n It integrates the learning of language with the learning of some other content, often academic subject matter – academic subjects provide natural content for language instruction n Motivated “language across the curriculum” movement for native speakers in England n Snow (1991) referred the approach as “a method with many faces”

CONTENT-BASED APPROACH MODELS LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM ADJUNCT MODEL SHELTERED INSTRUCTION COMPETENCY-BASED INSTRUCTION

CONTENT BASED APPROACH n In a second language environment, it offers the significant advantage that second language students do not have to postpone their academic study until their language reaches a high level n Competency-based instruction – an effective form of content-based instruction for adult immigrants – offers an opportunity to develop their language skills and vital ‘life -coping’ skills

CONTENT-BASED APPROACH PHILOSOPHY Uses the WHOLE LANGUAGE APPROACH – calls for language to be regarded holistically rather than by pieces Claims that students learn best when they are working to understand the meaning of the whole text Work from top-down – understand the overall text before work on the linguistics forms

CONTENT-BASED APPROACH PHILOSOPHY Whole language educators provide content-rich curriculum where language and thinking can be about interesting and significant content (Edelsky, Altweger, and Flores 1991) Errors are seen as part of learning process Embraces Vygotsky’s idea about social nature of learning – learning is best served by collaboration between teacher and students and among students

CONTENT-BASED APPROACH GOALS OF TEACHERS give priority to process over predetermined linguistic content ROLES OF TEACHERS Assist learners in understanding subject matter ROLES OF STUDENTS Study academic subject matters and learn a foreign language CHARACTERISTICS OF TEACHING/LEARNING PROCESS Integrates the learning of language with the learning of some content. Language objectives are dictated by content. Students are engaged in purposeful use of language NATURE OF STUDENTTEACHER/STUDENT-STUDENT INTERACTION While completing the academic tasks all interaction types are possible

CONTENT-BASED APPROACH FEELINGS OF STUDENTS No principles VIEWS OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE Since the purpose is content, it is easier to master the target language LANGUAGE AREAS Dictated by texts that are used for content LANGUAGE SKILLS All 4 skills ROLE OF STUDENTS’ NATIVE LANGUAGE No role for native language EVALUATION Evaluated for the content

TASK-BASED APPROACH n A task-based approach aims to provide learners with a natural context for language use n As learners work to complete a task, they have abundant opportunity to interact Ø Learning can be facilitated by the interaction in which learners work to correctly understand others and make themselves understood Ø Learners will have opportunity to acquire language that beyond their current level and use them later

TASK-BASED APPROACH n Prabhu (1987) identified 3 types of tasks: an information- gap activity, an opinion-gap activity, and a reasoning-gap activity (p. 148) Ø An information-gap activity involves the exchange of information among participants in order to complete a task Ø An opinion-gap activity requires that students give their personal preferences, feelings, or attitudes in order to complete a task Ø A reasoning-gap activity requires students to derive some new information by inferring it from information they have been given

TASK-BASED APPROACH Ø Prabhu feels that reasoning-gap tasks work best: Ø Information-gap tasks often require a single step transfer of information, rather than sustained negotiation Ø Opinion-gap tasks tend to be rather open-ended Ø Reasoning-gap tasks encourage a more sustained engagement with meaning, though they are still characterized by a somewhat predictable use of language

TASK-BASED APPROACH GOALS OF TEACHERS Provide learners with a natural context for language use ROLES OF TEACHERS Acts as counselors and consultants ROLES OF STUDENTS Learning language both functionally and linguistically by solving problems with the help of knowledge that students have CHARACTERISTICS OF TEACHING/LEARNING PROCESS Tasks practiced in the classroom have perceived purpose and clear outcome NATURE OF STUDENTTEACHER/STUDENT INTERACTION All interaction types are possible – student when completing the task, studentteacher when counseling and consulting FEELINGS OF STUDENTS Low anxiety and high motivation are vital

TASK-BASED APPROACH VIEWS OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE Linguistic and cultural knowledge are of great importance LANGUAGE AREAS Functional properties of language are stressed LANGUAGE SKILLS All skills ROLE OF NATIVE LANGUAGE Without simplifying the target language only foreign language is used EVALUATION No formal tests but through in class observation and feed back ERROR CORRECTION Reformulating and recasting what the students have said TECHNIQUES Information, opinion and reasoning gap

PARTICIPATORY APPROACH n In some ways the participatory approach is similar to the content approach Ø It begins with content that is meaningful to the students Ø Any forms that are worked upon emerge from that content n Difference – the nature of the content Ø It is not the content of subject matter texts, but rather content that is based on issues of concern to studen

PARTICIPATORY APPROACH PHILOSOPHY n What happens in the classroom should be connected with what happens outside that has relevance to the students Ø Education is most effective when it is experience-centred, when it relates to students’ real needs Ø A goal of the participatory approach is for students to be evaluating their own learning to increasingly direct it themselves Ø Students are motivated by their personal involvement Ø Teachers are co-learners, asking questions of the students, who are the experts on their own lives

PARTICIPATORY APPROACH PHILOSOPHY n The curriculum is not a predetermined product, but the result of an ongoing context-specific problem-posing process Ø Students can create their own materials, which, in turn, can become texts for other students Ø Focus on linguistic form occurs within a focus on content Ø Language skills are taught in service of action for change, rather than in isolation Ø When knowledge is jointly constructed, it becomes a tool to help students find voice and by finding their voices, students can act in the world

PARTICIPATORY APPROACH GOALS OF TEACHERS Expose language learners to the target language through issues of concern to students ROLES OF TEACHERS Conducts the flow of the lesson ROLES OF STUDENTS Active participants CHARACTERISTICS OF TEACHING/LEARNING PROCESS Content is determined by learners’ social, cultural and historical background NATURE OF STUDENTTEACHER/STUDENT INTERACTION All types can be observed FEELINGS OF STUDENTS Motivated by their personal involvement VIEW OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE Both go hand in hand

PARTICIPATORY APPROACH LANGUAGE AREAS Classroom experience and the outside world should be connected LANGUAGE SKILLS All skills ROLE OF NATIVE LANGUAGE No need for mother tongue EVALUATION No formal tests but students are evaluated in ongoing way in the classroom ERROR CORRECTION Self-correction TECHNIQUES Discussions, debates, and problems posed by the teacher