ApplicationofTBLTtoEnglishReadingClassinJuniorHighSchool任务型教学在初中英语阅读教学中的应用

任务型教学在英语阅读教学中的应用Application of TBLT to English Reading Class in Junior High School摘要阅读是人们学习语言的四种基本技能之一，是人们获取信息的一个重要途径。学生一旦具备了独立阅读的能力，就将为以后的语言学习打下坚实的基础。因此长期以来，阅读一直受到国内外外语教育界的广泛关注。但是在现如今的外语教学中，尽管老师和学生在阅读方面投入了大量的时间和精力，然而，学生的阅读能力和阅读现状并不令人满意。绝大部分学生的阅读能力与教学大纲要求甚远。阅读课上学生缺乏学习的主动性、积极性，教学效果低。值得幸运的是新的英语课程标准提倡的任务型教学途径将会改变学生被动学习的局面。然而，在英语教学中，尤其在英语阅读教学中怎样运用这种教学模式是一个值得研究的课题。基于以上原因，本文旨在探讨以下问题：1）任务型阅读是否能够激发学生学习英语的兴趣？2）任务型阅读是否对于提高课堂效率提高学生阅读能力有帮助？3）实施任务型阅读教学是否比传统的阅读教学方法更能促进学生学习成绩的提高？ 本文研究的目的主要是探讨任务型教学在英语阅读教学中的应用，从而找到提高学生英语阅读能力和培养学生英语阅读兴趣的方法。本论文作者先对本校初中英语阅读教学现状进行了问卷调查研究，找到了英语阅读教学中存在的问题，然后通过实验试图在初中英语阅读教学中贯彻实施任务型教学的理念，对初中英语任务型阅读教学进行研究。作者在葫芦岛市实验中学的初二的两个平行班中118名学生中进行了实验。其中实验班60人,控制班58人.实验时间从2007年9月到2008年3月.笔者通过测试和采访收集数据信息。实验结果显示，采用任务型教学的班级比采用传统教学法教学的班级在阅读方面成绩取得了更为显著的进步，平均成绩比对比班高出2.02.从而说明任务型语言教学能够有效运用于初中英语阅读课堂，提高了学生的阅读水平。实践证明该理论在我国初中英语阅读教学实践中的可行性，为初中英语阅读教学改革提供一些参考。关键字：任务型语言教学， 初中英语阅读教学，阅读任务AbstractReading，one of the four basic language skills，is an important approach to getting English information. Once the ability of independent reading has been developed，the students can study independently forming the solid basis for their future studies. Hence, reading has been drawn the academic concerns of TEFL both at home and at abroad for a long time. An enormous amount of time, money and effort is spent in teaching reading, however, no remarkable success has been received, and the students competence hasnt reached the level required by the teaching syllabus.Fortunately，the English Curriculum Criteria is being carried out throughout China，and it advocates the approach of task-based teaching and learning，which would completely enhance the instructional situation in which students learn knowledge passively. But how to employ the model in teaching English，especially in teaching English reading，is a theme worth exploring.The main questions addressed in this study are as following: 1) Can TBR improve students interest in English learning? 2) Is TBR helpful to improve the effect of the English class and the students learning or facilitate students reading ability? 3) Can task-based reading improve the scores of students? In this study, the author attempts to investigate the application of Task-Based Language teaching in the junior English reading classroom with a view to improving the students reading competence and enhances their interest in reading. In this thesis, the author makes the investigations about the situation of reading teaching in her school and points out the problems, and attempts to study the implementation of TBLT in reading class .The current thesis tries to get the approval by means of carrying out task-based reading experiments in two parallel classes in Grade 8 of Hu Ludao experimental middle school. One class is an experimental class with 60 students，and the other class is a control class with 58 students. The experiment lasted from September of 2007 to March of 2008. According to the results, we know that the mean of experimental classes is 2.02 higher than that of comparative classes. The results of the experiment show the experimental class that adopts TBLT has more remarkable progress than the control class that adopts traditional teaching method. That indicates that TBLT can be used in the reading classroom effectively and designing different and proper tasks can increase the students reading ability.Keywords: Task-based language teaching, junior English reading teaching, reading tasksContentsChapter I Introduction. 11.1 Significance and purpose of this research. 11.2 The structure of the thesis. 3Chapter II Literature Review. 42.1 Task-based language teaching. 42.1.1What is a task. 42.1.2 The definition of task-based language teaching. 52.1.3 The characteristic of TBLT. 62.1.4 The principles of TBLT. 72.1.5 The components of a TBLT framework. 82.2 Theoretical background of Task-based language Teaching. 92.2.1 Constructivism. 92.2.2 Second Language Acquisition. 102.2.3 Input and Interaction Hypothesis. 112.3 A brief review of bout Reading. 122.3.1 The Schema Theory. 122.3.2 Reading models. 122.4 Reading Tasks. 142.4.1 Definition of Reading Tasks. 142.4.2 Features of Reading Tasks. 142.4.3 Components of Reading Tasks. 152.4.4 Types of Reading Tasks. 192.4.5 Features of Junior English Reading222.4.6 Basic Principles for Designing Reading Tasks. 24Chapter III Experiment 263.1 Investigation of teaching reading in junior schools. 263.l.1 Classroom observation. 263.1.2 Investigations from the students. 263.1.3 Point out the problem.293.2 experiment design. 293.2.1 Purpose. 293.2.2 hypothesis of the problem. 293.2.3 Subject 293.2.4 The instruments. 303.2.5The procedure. 303.2.5.1Pre-test303.2.5.2The teaching technique in the control class303.3.5.3Application of TBLT in reading class in the experimental class.313.2.5.3.1 Designing Reading Tasks .313.2.5.3.2 A Framework of TBLT in Reading Class.353.2.5.3.3Samples of Task-based Reading Classes. .383.2.5.4 Post-test.403.2.6 Interview. 41Chapter IV results and analysis, discussion. 424.1 A comparison between the tests of both classes. 424.1.1A comparison of mean of reading comprehension. 424.1.2 A comparison of excellence rate and Passing rate of both classes. 424.2 Discussion. 434.2.1 The advantages of TBLT. 434.2.2 The insufficiency of TBLT. 454.2.3 Suggestions. 45Chapter V Conclusion. 475.1 Limitations of study. 475.2 Conclusion. 47BibliographyAppendix A Samples of Reading TasksAppendix B Some Reading Materials in Go for it!Appendix C中学生英语阅读情况调查问卷表 Chapter I Introduction1.1 Significance and purpose of this researchReading，one of the four basic language skills，is an important approach to getting English information. Once the ability of independent reading has been developed，the students can study independently forming the solid basis for their future studies. So in English teaching specially emphasis is laid on reading，and in the entrance examination reading makes up a large proportion of the scoring. The English syllabus of primary and secondary schools advocate developing the reading ability on the basis of the complete practice of listening，speaking and writing.In New English Curriculum Standard(2001:15),issued by the Ministry of Education，junior students in China are expected to have the following reading capabilities when they finish the three-year study:(1) Be able to find out the main idea and useful information from general reading materials;(2) Be able to guess the meaning of new words according to the context;(3) Be able to predict what will happen next according to the context;(4) Be able to adopt different reading skills according to the various purposes of reading;(5) Be able to collect information needed by different kinds of means;(6) The amount of after-class reading needs to be more than 200,000 words, which doesnt include what students read in class.English teachers in China do know it is really difficult to achieve those goals. We really face a great challenge in English teaching now. In current junior English reading class in China, many teachers deal with the text sentence by sentence and paragraph by paragraph: explaining the language points, dwelling upon the grammar rules, analyzing the sentences, providing the Chinese equivalents and giving examples to show the usage of certain words and expressions. The teachers influenced by traditional teaching methods assume that what the students need is a good command of grammar and vocabulary. In their minds, it is still believed that grammar rules, sentence patterns and language points are the most important things for the students to learn in English reading class. In those reading classes, students only learn the knowledge of English. Besides, there is no real communication but only dull drills because there is no information gap in the classroom activities. As a result, the training of the students comprehensive reading competence is often neglected in the actual teaching and a reading class generally becomes teacher-centered and boring.Having practiced TBLT in junior English class for more than four years, the author thinks TBLT is an effective way to solve the problems mentioned above in English reading teaching. More and more teachers prefer TBLT because it makes English classes active, motivates students well, fosters the students comprehensive abilities to use the target language appropriately and fluently. During the learning course，the students acquire the language by completing tasks. The authentic and meaningful tasks designed by the teacher are the torches to light up the students passion energy and interest and afford the students interactive chances to acquaint the language actively and creatively. Students learn English with the clear aim，to develop their ability of language，thinking，communication and cooperation.However its a pity that the study about the use of TBLT in junior English reading class has been done a little so far. To many English teachers，Task-based learning is a new concept for them ,some of them have the wrong ideas of it. For example, some language teachers only teach language points in class, they regard them as the main tasks，meanwhile，teachers neglect the communicative task in English reading class neglect thestudent-centeredprinciple，therefore，in order to apply the new method in junior English- reading class, through this study, the writer wants to explore the methods about how to use TBLT in junior English reading class effectively, accumulate some experiences about how to design reading tasks and try to find out the framework of task-based reading teaching in junior English, and evaluate the possibility of the application of TBLT in junior English reading class.1.2 The structure of the thesisThis thesis consists of altogether five chapters. Chapter One gives a brief introduction providing the reasons why adopts TBLT in reading teaching and the outline of the thesis. Chapter Two offers literature review of TBLT theory and the theory of the essence of reading, which provide theoretical support for this thesis. It also offers something about reading tasks to English reading class in junior high school. Chapter Three is the experiment, which consists of purpose, subjects, instruments, experiment procedure, what the author does in daily teaching and the interview. Chapter Four is results and analysis, discussions. The last chapter offers a conclusion to the whole thesis and including some limitations for the thesis. Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Task-based language teaching2.1.1What is a task In general education, and in other fields such as psychology, there are many different definitions of tasks. There is also quite a variety from within the field of second language teaching.(1) Longs definition is a non-technical, non-linguistic one.A task is “a piece of work undertaken for oneself or for others, freely or for some reward. Thus, examples of tasks include painting a fence, dressing a child, filling out a form, buying a pair of shoes, making an airline reservation, borrowing a library book, taking a driving test, typing a letter, weighing a patient, sorting letters, taking a hotel reservation, writing a check, finding a street destination, and help someone across a road. In other words, by “task” is meant the hundred and one things people do in everyday life, at work, at play, and in between. “Tasks” are the things people will tell you they do if you ask them and they are not applied linguists.” (Long, 1985:89)(2) Another definition is from a dictionary of applied linguistics:A task is “an activity or action which is carried out as the result of processing or understanding language, i.e. as a response. For example, drawing a map while listening to a tape, and listening to an instruction and performing a command, may be referred to as tasks. Tasks may or may not involve the production of language. A task usually requires the teacher to specify what will be regarded as successful completion of the task. The use of variety different kinds of tasks in language teaching is said to make teaching more communicativesince it provides a purpose for classroom activity which goes beyond practice of language for its own sake.”(Richards, Platt, and Weber, 1986:289)(3) Crookes(1986)A task is “a piece of work or an activity, usually with a specified objective, undertaken as part of an educational course, at work, or used to elicit data for research”.(4)Prabhu(1987)A task is “an activity which required learners to arrive at an outcome from given information through some process of thought, and which allowed teachers to control and regulate that process”. (5)According to Nunan, a communicative task is “a piece of classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing, or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form. The task should also have a sense of completeness, being able to stand alone as a communicative act in its own right.”(Nunan 1989:10)(6)Skehan(1996a)A task is “an activity in which: meaning is primary; there is some sort of relationship to the real world; task completion has some priority; and the assessment of task performance is in terms of task outcome.”(7)Lee(2000)A task is“(1) a classroom activity or exercise that has:(a)an objective obtainable only by the interaction among participants,(b)a mechanism for structuring and sequencing interaction, and(c)a focus on meaning exchange;(2)a language learning endeavor that requires learners to comprehend, manipulate, and/or produce the target language as they perform some set of work plans ”.Although these researchers emphasize the different aspects of the task, the definitions we have looked at share something in common: they all imply that tasks involve realistic language use in which learners focus their attention on meaning rather than linguistic structures，and that learning tasks help learners acquirethe ability to perform certain communicative functions through a new medium(English)(Coupland, 1984:12). 2.1.2 The definition of task-based language teachingTask-based language teaching offers the student an opportunity to do exactly this. The primary focus of classroom activity is the task and language is the instrument, which the students use to complete it. The task is an activity in which students use language to achieve a specific outcome. Jane Willis (2000:41) thinks TBLT is an approach to language teaching, which makes use of authentic materials in communicative pedagogical tasks. These pedagogical tasks reflect real-world tasks that the learners in a given situation would complete as a part of their daily life. Pedagogical tasks act as building blocks to an ultimate objective. Thus, TBLT relies both on the learners ability to learn analytically and on the teachers flexibility and creativity. The learners ability to learn analytically is necessary in completing tasks focused on meaning rather than grammatical form; the teachers flexibility and creativity are demanded as s/he diagnoses the outcome of each task and creates new materials in response to newly revealed learner needs. TBLT is a complex approach to language teaching, but in its complexity it responds to both current SLA theory as well as the practical needs of the classroom.In brief, TBLT is a communicative teaching approach, which offers the students opportunities to learn and use the language by doing all kinds of things, which are likely to happen in the real life. 2.1.3 The characteristic of TBLTCompared with the traditional English teaching，task-based teaching not only absorbs the strong points of traditional teaching method，but also gives play to its special great advantage. First of all，it embodies the humanistic ideas and the learning notion advocated by constructivism by emphasizing the development of human beings as well as the student-centered notion. Giving respect to the sense of students，task-based teaching let students participate activities and taste the joy of success as well as the value of themselves. Secondly，it balances theoretically the conflict of the form and sense of language，that of the development of language system and the development of the communicative ability of language，that of the classroom teaching and the natural acquisition，as well as that of the improvement of language fluency，accuracy and complexity. No matter it is seen from the point view of the goal or the mode of task-based teaching，it integrates the advantages of the traditional teaching methods and communicative approach; therefore，it has a great appeal in theory.Nunan(1991:279)concluded the characteristic of TBLT as following:1) An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language2) The introduction of authentic text into the learning situation.3)The provision of opportunities of learners to focus，not only on language，but also on the learning process itself4) An enhancement of the learners own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning.5) An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom. 2.1.4 The principles of TBLTWillis offers five principles for the implementation of TBLT (qtd. from the training materials 2002). They are:(1) There should be exposure to worthwhile and authentic language;(2) There should be use of language;(3) Tasks should motivate learners to engage in language use;(4) There should be a focus on language at some points in a task cycle;(5) The focus on language should be more and less prominent at different times.According to Nunan，language is better achieved in an inductive way，i.e.，Teachers should let students observe and conclude what the language is like instead of giving students the rules and examples. In case students develop wrong rules，teachers are there to help and correct. Students learn the rules from meaningful and practical contexts or tasks. Nunan(1999) suggests the following eight principles of TBLT:l) Scaffolding; Lesson and materials should provide support to the students. Scaffolding is a process of setting up the situation to make the students entry easy and successful and then gradually pulling back and handing the role to the students as he becomes skilled enough to manage it.(Bruner, 1983:60)2) Task Chains; thats also called the task dependency principle. Exercises，activity and task should build upon the ones that have gone before. A series of tasks in a lesson or unit of work forms a kind of pedagogical ladder，each task representing a rung on the ladder，enabling the learner to reach higher and higher levels of communicative performance.3) Recycling; Recycling language maximizes opportunities for learning.4) Organic Learning; Language ability “grows” gradually.5) Active Learning; thats also called Learning by doing principle. Learners learn best by actively using the language they are learning. They learn by doing.Learning by doing motivates students to fulfill their potential. Learners master the language by using it communicatively in the classroom，although they still have to learn grammar and memorize vocabulary.6) Integration; the lesson s