Materials Development Theoretical Review
communicative…since it provides a purpose for a classroom activity which goes beyond the practice of language for its own sake.
Adapted from: Richards, et al. 1986: 289 in Nunan, 2004: 2
From the explanation above, the pedagogical tasks focus on the activities which are done inside the classroom. The statement above also states that it is better to use
different kinds of tasks so that the teaching and learning process can be more communicative. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of having a non-
linguistic outcome. Branden 2006 also makes a similar distinction in defining tasks. He
gathers many ideas from other scientists and in the end makes two categories to define tasks. First is the definition of tasks as language learning goal. Using a
language is a mean to an end: by understanding language input and by producing language output. The students get a better outcome if they use the language to
interact with people in a real life situation. The second definition of tasks is educational activities. It emphasizes that
there should be a close link between the activities or tasks done by the students with the outside world. Those tasks should be related to what the students are supposed
to do in the real world target tasks. So, needs analysis is needed to establish course content in terms of the real-world target tasks. In addition, this definition also
emphasizes on the primacy of meaning: the learners’ attention should be directed
towards meaning exchange. Tasks should facilitate the students with meaningful interaction. It should give them the opportunity to process meaningful input and
produce meaningful output to reach the expected goal. So, it means that tasks invite the students to act as language users, not as language leaners.
The idea stated by some scientists that Branden 2006 puts into one category of definition task as educational activity also points out that the
meaningful use of language should be regarded as complex skill, which demands from the learners that they draw on the linguistic resources as well as their general
cognitive resources. Since language use is facilitative for reaching all kinds of goals in the real world, task-based language teaching TBLT naturally evokes a wide
diversity of cognitive operation that people need to perform in order to function in real life. Tasks should encourage pupils to personalize language, pursue their
interests and use language in an independent and hopefully in creative way Jean Brewster and Gail Ellis with Denis Girard, 2003:50.