Types of Tasks Task Based Learning

4 Problem Solving Problem-solving tasks make demands upon people’s intellectual and reasoning powers, and, though challenging, they are engaging and often satisfying to solve. The processes and time scale will vary enormously depending on the type and complexity of the problem. These tasks pose a problem to solve for the learners. It can be in the form of puzzles, real-life problems, fact-finding and investigation, or case study. 5 Sharing Personal Experiences These tasks encourage learners to talk more freely about themselves and share their experiences with others. The resulting interaction is closer to casual social conversation in that it is not as directly goal-oriented as in other tasks. For that reason, these open tasks may be more difficult to get going in the classroom. 6 Creative Tasks These are often called projects and involve pairs or groups of learners in some kind of freer creative work. They also tend to have more stages than other tasks, and can involve combinations of task types. Therefore, this kind of task will require longer time to finish compared with other tasks. Organisational skills and team-work are important in getting the task done. 14 Richard and Rodgers 2001 also classify tasks according to the analysis of communicative language use into these categories: 1 Jigsaw task In this task, learners have to combine different pieces of information in order to make them a whole, such as arranging three different parts of a story into a good order. 2 Information-gap task This task requires learners to perform the negotiation of meaning and find out the other learner’s information to complete the task. Therefore, there should be at least two learners having different but complementary set of information. 3 Problem-solving task This task is the same kind of task with the problem-solving task proposed by Willis 1996. 4 Decision-making task In this task, the learners have to discuss a problem which has some possible solutions and negotiate to decide which will be the best solution. 5 Opinion-exchange task Learners will be engaged in a discussion where they have to exchange their ideas. There is no fixed outcome in this kind of task. According to the strategies behind the tasks, Nunan 2004, p. 59 classifies tasks into five categories: cognitive, interpersonal, linguistic, affective and creative tasks. Each of them is divided again into several kinds of task. The classification proposed by Nunan is seen in Table 2.1. Table 2.1: Nunan’s Task Classification Nunan, 2004: 59 Cognitive Tasks • Classifying Putting similar things together in groups • Predicting Predicting what is to come in the learning process • Inducing Looking for patterns and regularities • Taking notes Writing down key information in own words • Concept mapping Showing the main idea of a text in the form of a map • Inferencing Using what you know to learn something • Discriminating Distinguishing main ideas from supporting ideas • Diagramming Using information from a text to label diagram Interpersonal Tasks • Co-operating Sharing ideas and learning with other students • Role playing Pretending to be someone else and act like them Linguistic Tasks • Conversational patterns Using expressions to start and maintain conversation • Practicing Doing controlled exercise to improve skills • Using context Using context to guess unknown words or concepts • Summarizing Selecting and presenting major points in a summary • Selective listening Listening to key information without knowing all • Skimming Reading quickly to get a general idea of a text Affective Tasks • Personalizing Sharing own feelings or opinions about something • Self-evaluating Thinking on own learning performance and rate it • Reflecting Thinking about ways you learn best Creative Task • Brainstorming Thinking as many new words or ideas as one can 16

c. Framework of Task Based Learning

The framework consists of three phases: pre-task, task cycle and language focus. The components within each phase of the framework provide a naturally flowing sequence, each one preparing the ground for the next. There are many ways in which the components within the framework can be weighted differently and adapted to suit learners’ needs. 1 Pre Task Phase Pre-task phase introduces the class to the learning topic. Here, topic-related words and phrases are activated. Teacher should help learners recall and activate words and phrases that will be useful both during the task and outside the classroom. Introduce words and phrases that they are unlikely to know. This phase also facilitates learners to explore and be familiar with the topic language by doing activities such as classifying words and phrases, matching, brainstorming or mind mapping. The point of this phase is to boost students’ confidence in handling the task, and give them something to fall back on. Teachers should also ensure that all learners understand what the task involves, what its’ goals are and what outcomes are required. Instruction-giving is a truly communicative use of the target language. It provides valuable exposure and a chance for learners to grapple with meaning and should be considered another learning opportunity. 17 2 Task Cycle Phase This is where the learners start working in small groups or in pairs to achieve the goals of the task. Teachers should encourage learners to work independently and to communicate on their own to achieve the set goals by keeping minimum interference on learners’ work. Therefore, there is often little concern for grammatical accuracy. After they have finished, teachers should ask them to prepare an oral or a written report on how they solved the task as well as the result of the task. Learners will psychologically feel encouraged to do their best when they know that they have to report their work to the class. It will make learners plan their reports effectively and maximize their learning opportunities. Therefore, they will try to deliver their work correctly and orderly, which will be the process that drives their language development forward. After that, the teacher should ask some groups or all of them if possible, to report their task to the class. This will give learners a natural stimulus to upgrade and improve their language. It encourages them to think about form as well as meaning; accuracy as well as fluency and to use their prestige version of the target language. It allows other students to hear or read what they have done, which provides useful exposure. In this phase, the teacher may provide brief feedback on students’ presentation. It is important that learners’ performance must not be devaluated. Teachers should emphasize their good points. Such positive reactions increase students’ motivation and self esteem and encourage them to do better next time. 18