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class situation, and the strengths of the implementation of TBLT. The discussion of the theories is presented in the following section.
a. The improvement of the students’ writing ability.
1 Task – Based Language Teaching TBLT can improve
students’ writing ability.
The findings of the research showed that TBLT can improve students’ writing ability. The improvement can be seen from the
improvement of writing achievement. The improvement could be achieved because TBLT provides better opportunities for language
learning to take place. It is supported by Richard – Rodger 2001: 223 who states that TBLT activity involves the activation of the
learning process. Swain in Richard – Rodger 2001: 230 underlines this concept by stating that task provides full opportunities for both
input and output requirements which are believed to be the key concept of language learning.
The enhancement of the writing achievement is also provided by TBLT by giving the chances to make experiment with the
language. Willis 1996: 24 states that in TBLT, learners need to feel free to experiment with language on their own, and to take risk. Task
is believed to foster process of negotiation, modification, rephrasing, and experimentation that are the heart of second language acquisition
Swain in Richard – Rodger, 2000: 228.
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Willis 1996: 10 states that TBLT is beneficial to develop learning strategies. Learning strategies in TBLT consists of the
process of : 1 meta cognitive, such as in organizing one’s learning, monitoring and evaluating one’s speech; 2 cognitive, such as
advance preparing for a class, using dictionary, listing or categorizing new words, making comparison with other; and 3 social such as
asking for help, interacting with native speaker. Having strong underlying education theories, it is not surprising that TBLT is
beneficial in improving students’ achievement.
2 Task – Based Language Teaching TBLT develops students’
ability in expressing ideas.
The findings showed that TBLT can develop students’ ability in expressing ideas. TBLT fosters the ability of expressing ideas as the
three phases of TBLT, namely pre – task, task, and language focus are colored by the activity of expressing ideas. From the teaching and
learning process, the common person to elicit questions is the teacher. The students express their ideas by answering the questions. Willis
1996: 76 states that teacher asks questions in the following phrases: a giving learners exposures to topic – related talk pre – task; b
monitoring and checking students’ understanding about the task task phase; and c checking students’ understanding about the form –
focused material language focus. The students’ ability in expressing ideas is developed through all those phases.
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3 Task – Based Language Teaching TBLT develops students’
ability in writing using appropriate vocabulary, correct grammatical form, mechanics, content, and organization.
There are three major phases of TBLT, namely the pre – task, task phase, and language focus Willis, 1996: 40. Pre – task phase is
used for introducing the topic and the task; and also for activating topic – related words and phrases. The task phase is applied for
offering the students the chances to use whatever language they had already known to carry out the task. The language focus phase is used
for conducting closer study to some linguistic features that occur in the language used during the task phase.
TBLT provides sufficient portion either for vocabulary building or grammatical discussion. From the three phases of the task,
it can be seen that building vocabulary becomes the crucial part of the task, and it is placed at the very beginning step; whereas discussion of
grammatical form, mechanics, content, and organization are also given sufficient portion, but it is placed at the end phase, after the task
phase. Willis 1996: 45 states that besides providing the students the
tool to convey meaning, the objective of vocabulary building in TBLT is also to boost students’ confidence in conducting the task. It can be
done in various ways including recalling and activating words and phrases that will be useful during the task and outside the class.
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TBLT does not stop at the task phase. Task only is not enough. Language focus is done after the task phase; it is applied in the
activity of examining and discussing specific features of the task; including grammatical pattern used in the task Willis, 1996: 54. In
language focus, teacher also applies discussion about using correct mechanics, content, and organization. Teacher conducts practices of
new words, phrases, and grammatical pattern and they can be done in written form with those correct aspects of writing.
b. The improvement of the class situation.
