Task Based Language Teaching: TBL And Task-Based Learning

Language is the life and soul of communication. Communication should be the goal set to achieve main objectives of English language teaching. Every graduate student should be trained and equipped to have a basic level of competence in the usage of English language in his personal and professional life outside the language classroom and after college. With reference to ELT, various experts and linguists, teachers and trainers have introduced and practices innovative and effective approaches. One method that has gained widespread acceptance and mobility in contemporary times is TBL or Task Based Learning. Distinguished from Text Based Learning, TBL as the name itself explains is more student oriented and practical in approach.

What is task ?:

According to Longman English Dictionary , “ It’s a piece of work that must be done, especially one that is difficult or that must be done regularly”. Williams and Burden, (1997:168) claims that A task is any activity that learners

It explains and exemplifies each component in a typical task-based lesson, from setting up a task, through the task cycle, leading into language-focused work, encouraging in the learner a concern for both accuracy and fluency.

In the pre-task phase , the teacher introduces the topic and the task to learners, and gives related words and phrases. In the task-cycle , learners use the language to perform the task and in the last phase i.e. language focus, learners closely specific features occurring in language used while doing the task.

Nunan (2004) presents task cycle into three phases : a pre-task phase, a task-proper phase and a follow-up