COMMUNICATION-ORIENTED LESSONS: MOVING FROM COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING TOWARDS TASK-BASED INSTRUCTION

Diego Ortega-Auquilla,Uvaldo Recino Pineda

doi:10.31243/id.v11.2016.644

Diego Ortega-Auquilla, Uvaldo Recino Pineda

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.31243/id.v11.2016.644

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Abstract

Communicative-oriented language teaching methodologies need to have a central role in the current foreign language education. In fact, language teachers are expected to shift away from traditional language teaching methods that have proven to be ineffective for language learning. Nowadays, a movement, which favors and embraces interaction, communication, and negotiation of meaning, is growing in language education; therefore, pre-service and in-service teachers of English need to be responsive to and become aware of the importance of these key aspects. With these notions in mind, the present article can be seen as a contribution to help language teachers gain an understanding of key theoretical notions related to the emergence of communicative language teaching and its most well-known methods – CLT and TBLT. Additionally, this work analyzed CLT and TBLT as these two language teaching methods are not opposing but in line with the communicative approach. The importance of implementing communicative-oriented lessons into the English classroom was also examined. In this sense, a table made up of specific guidelines was elaborated by using works of leading experts in language teaching and learning. The table is intended to help teachers to be better equipped to design and implement TBLT lessons into the classroom, which may have a positive impact on foreign language learning.

Highlights

It is imperative that English as a foreign language (EFL) practitioners have a solid understanding of communicative language teaching methodologies, as they facilitate student language learning
The study results indicated that role playing directed by Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) facilitates EFL students to better achieve oral ability within the EFL classroom context
The methodological principles and theoretical concepts behind Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) are essential because of their great importance in current L2 classroom practice. In this regard from a CLT perspective, it is pivotal for L2 students to become engaged in communication and interaction as these two aspects facilitate L2 learning, the use and development of all the major language skills need to be integrated over the course of student language learning, the creative use of L2 should be emphasized and error production should be seen as a natural part in the gradual process of language learning, student engagement in authentic communicative interactions is essential to take place in the classroom, and the foundation for lesson planning and delivery is based on the communicative needs and interests identified among students (Prasad, 2013; Richards; 2006)

Summary

Introduction

It is imperative that English as a foreign language (EFL) practitioners have a solid understanding of communicative language teaching methodologies, as they facilitate student language learning. In addition to definitions behind TBLT, Izadpanah (2010) stated that the popularity of this important communicative language teaching approach lies in the premise that a more authentic language use is fostered when task-based learning activities are incorporated into the classroom setting.

Results

Conclusion