教学法

Shanxi University of Finance and Economics

研究生教学法论文考试

学院：经贸外语学院

题目：Comparative Study on PPP and Task-based

Teaching Method in Foreign Language

Teaching

学号： 102050211014

姓名：王芳

二〇一一年六月二十八日

Comparative Study on PPP and Task-based Teaching Method in

Foreign Language Teaching

With the development of educational reform, different kinds of teaching methods are emerging in quick succession. As a brand-new teaching idea, task-based teaching method is being paid more attention by educational researchers and educators. But the traditional PPP method still exists in many English teaching classes. Some teachers may wonder what differences there are between 3P and task-based teaching. This paper makes a comparison between these two teaching methods.

Task-based teaching

Task-based language teaching derives from the Communicative Language Teaching, which starts in the early seventies and evolves through the seventies. Howatt divides the communicative approach into weak version and strong version. At first, task-based learning was just one of the organization principles of the communicative classroom and didn’t from its own complete system. Between 1979 and 1984, in Bangalore of Southern India, N.S. Prabhu who is an advocator of strong version of the communicative approach conducted an experiment called ‘Communicational Teaching Project’, in which he used communicative tasks as central elements to organize his classroom. From then on the idea of task-based teaching began to be formulated. As the definition of a task, there are different definitions given by different scholars. Skehan (1998), following Nunan (1989), Long (1989), and others, proposes that a task is an activity, which satisfies the following criteria: meaning is primary; there is a goal, which needs to be worked towards; the activity is outcome-evaluated; there is a real-world relationship.

The Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics provides more pedagogically oriented characterization. Here, it is suggested that a task is any 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, listening to an instruction and performing a command, may be referred to as tasks (Richards, Platt & Weber, 1985: 289).

Skehan defines the task-based teaching as: instruction on which learners are given tasks to complete in the classroom makes the assumption that transacting tasks in this way will

engage naturalistic acquisitional mechanisms, because underlying interlanguage system to be stretched, and drive development forward (Skehan, 1998: 95). This approach to language teaching is characterized by the following features: (1) an emphasis on learning to communication through interaction in L2; (2) the introduction of authentic text into the learning situation; (3) the provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on language, but also on the learning process itself; (4) an enhancement of the learner’s own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning; (5) an attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom. (Nunan, 1991: 279).

Willis divided strictly the model of task-based approach into three stages: pre-task, task cycle and language focus. The first stage is concerned with pre-task activities which have activation of whatever schematic knowledge is likely to make the task more interesting and more authentic. This reflects the way in which tasks have to be about something, to provide a reason for real communication. During the stage, the teacher introduces and defines the topic and the learners engage in activities that either helps them to recall words and phrases that will be useful during the performance of the main task or to learn new words and phrases that are essential to the task. This stage is followed by what Willis calls the "task cycle". Here the learners perform the task (typically a reading or listening exercise or a problem-solving exercise) in pairs or small groups. They then prepare a report for the whole class on how they did the task and what conclusions they reached. Finally, they present their findings to the class in spoken or written form. The final stage is the language focus stage, during which specific language features from the task and highlighted and worked on. Feedback on the learners’ performance at the reporting stage may also be appropriate at this point.

PPP language teaching

PPP language teaching derives from the Communicative Language Teaching, which starts in the early seventies and evolves through the seventies. It is weak version of communicative language teaching. A typical PPP lesson would be presentation, practice and production. The teacher first introduces a new language item in a context directly, explains the meaning and form of this new language point. Then, some controlled practice, such as