Language Focus
Finding, identifying, and classifying common words and phrases. Practice
of classroom language and social phrases. Keeping personal dictionaries
Figure 2.3. Task-Based Learning Framework for Beginners and Young Learners Willis, 1996: 116
e. The Implementation of Task-Based Learning
In order to implement such a method in real classroom setting, a teacher should be acquainted with what should be covered in the implementation. In
implementing Task-Based Learning as a teaching method, the discussion is addressed on learning activity and the role of teacher, learner, and material in the
process of implementation. 1. Learning activity
In carrying out the learning process, it is better for a teacher to select what sort of learning activity to be delivered to the learners. Willis 1996: 26 agrees
with this idea. He states that learning activity can be exploited to give rise to various tasks, from less complicated task to more complicated task. For instance
Longer Pre-Task
Introduction to topic and task. Lots of teacher talk about the topic; use
of pictures, demonstrations, songs.
Task cycle More
Sets of short tasks, followed by lots of teacher chat about the tasks.
Gradual increase in emphasis on these:
Planning Report
listing, ordering and sorting, comparing, problem solving, sharing personal experiences, and creative task.
A brief explanation on types of tasks as proposed by Willis 1996: 26 is described in the following. The first activity is listing tasks. In listing tasks,
learners can generate talk by expressing their ideas. It can be done by brainstorming their knowledge on a topic. For instance for elementary school
students, teacher can ask them to list items in their bags. Their findings might be various and it invites learners to express what they have found.
The second one is ordering and sorting activities consisting of four major activities. Those are sequencing items in logical or chronological order, ranking
items based on specified criteria, categorizing items in groups under given specification, and classifying items in which the categories are not provided.
These kinds of activities can train learners how to arrange items based on particular categories to be an appropriate order.
The third activity, comparing activity, demands learners to compare information that they have found on a similar topic but from different sources.
The activities include matching items, finding similarities, and finding differences. For instance, teacher can ask learners to get as much information as
possible about kinds of signals to express meaning found in their country and another country.
Fourthly, problem-solving tasks require learners’ intellectual and reasoning powers. In these activities, learners are demanded to solve given
particular problem through argument. This is challenging for learners since their PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
intellectual ability can be sharpened. Moreover, this activity expects them to think critically on a given situation.
Fifthly, sharing personal experience tasks will be encouraging for learners. In this activity, they can share their personal experiences or tell themselves to
others. Learners are invited to talk and interact more when they are to perform in front of others.
The last one is creative task. Creative tasks demand learners to work creatively to get the tasks done. Teacher can create any activities that lead learners
to creativity. Thus, combination of various tasks can be employed in order to put learners in more practice.
Task selection from less complicated to more complicated as what is explained previo usly is occupied in order to provide learners with task level of
difficulty. It means that different learners need different tasks, too. In other words, selecting the suitable task for particular language learners needs to be done
carefully. The underlying reason is that language learners have their own language proficiency to perform particular task. Therefore, it is to say that a teacher is to
choose appropriate tasks for the learners. The employment of task under the framework of Task-Based Learning is
based on particular considerations. Willis 1996: 35 says that task enables learners to interact not only with the task itself but also with other learners to
complete it. Interaction made by learners to get the task done facilitates them to express what they mean so that others can catch their points. Thus, through task
employed in language classroom, language learners can interact with both other learners and the task itself particularly to practice the target language.
In addition, Willis 1996: 30 also confirms that task provide opportunities for meaningful use of the target language to learners. From this statement, it is
clear that task is considered as a crucial issue in language learning since learners are able to make use of the target language through task. This means that learners
can learn a language by performing such task. In performing task, learners are involved in learning activities. Getting learners to involve in learning experiences
using task provides them a greater chance to learn. That is why, task can be employed in language learning to make learners attempt to speak the language.
2. Role of teachers, learners, and materials In order to implement a method in a classroom, each aspect such as
teachers, learners, and materials should play their roles appropriately. Both teachers and learners occupy their own roles in utilizing and working with the
materials being used in language classroom. Each role of teachers, learners, and materials will explained further in the following paragraph.
The main role of a teacher in Task-Based Learning is to facilitate the learners to learn. Moreover, within this method, learners should engage actively in
class activities in order to make them learn a language optimally. Willis 1996: 40 agrees that a teacher plays a role as a facilitator for the learners to study.
Therefore, clear description of teacher’s roles in phases of Task-Based Learning is provided below.
In pre-task phase, a teacher is to introduce topics and help learners recall their knowledge. This is a phase for learners to have enough exposures of
language before they learn further. After learners have had enough exposures of the language, a teacher can provide them clear instruction on what the learners are
to do with the tasks. During the process, the teacher should monitor learning activities whether there are any difficulties faced by learners. Here, a teacher can
act as a ‘language guide’ by providing feedback needed by the learners. Lastly, in language focus phase, a teacher can have review on what has been learned by
bringing useful words and phrases to the class. Task-Based Learning requires learners to involve actively in class. In other
words, this method pinpoints more on learners’ proportion during learning. Hereby, learners’ roles during learning are as follows. In pre-task phase, learners
are to prepare for the task for example noting down useful words and phrases. It is done to make them ready to do the tasks individually or in groups. Meanwhile, in
task-cycle phase, learners are as reporter of their work. They can do it by reporting what they have found and decided after completing the tasks. To do this,
learners need interaction with the intended tasks and their pairs. It is a good activity for learners to utter their ideas and is encouraging to communicate in the
target language. In short, those activities are done to practice what they have obtained during learning, for instance, by processing language features, new
words and phrases that they have learned. One of factors that contributes to a process for learners to study is the
availability of learning materials. Learning materials are said to be important to PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
support learning activities. Learning materials can be obtained from realia e.g. pictures from magazines and newspaper, audiovisual sources e.g. video and
television, or from internet. The materials are to provide learners with sufficient sources of learning, to encourage learners to learn, and to offer rich contents of
language exposures for the learners.
B. Theoretical Framework
Learning English requires learning its vocabulary. Therefore, learning English will be easier for learners who have much stock of words. Having much
stock of words helps the learners both actively and passively towards learning second language vocabulary, for instance in reading a textbook, understanding
others’ talking, and giving a basic knowledge to speak. Knowing the importance of learning vocabulary, it is better to start
teaching vocabulary when learners are still young. In addition, children as young learners are easier to learn a new language since they are in the critical period. It
enables them to process the language in their left hemisphere, where the language is processed, much more easily.
As a part of language teaching learning process, language-teaching method is occupied from past to now on. This study occupies Task-Based Learning to
