27 March 2015 / by Vincent Chieppa

Task-based language teaching: 6 tools for task force teachers



Please note that the emphasis of today´s discussion is not on the theory itself, but rather on the types of tasks that could be incorporated in any class.  If you so wish, you could read up on the methodology of task-based language teaching by taking a peek at this article, slideshow or video.  So, why don´t we turn to different types of tasks associated with task-based language teaching instead.



• Brainstorming/Thought showers

• Pros & cons

• Strengths & weaknesses



• Fact-finding

• Planning

• Exploring ideas



• Sequencing

• Ranking

• Categorizing & classifying



• Matching

• Finding similarities & differences (in tables, examples, qualities, facts etc.)

• Evaluating cases



• Finding solutions

• Examining real/hypothetical situations

• Reasoning

• Decision-making



• Sharing personal experiences

• Describing

• Discussions

• Debates



• Picture/headline prompts

• Dialogue jigsaw

• What happens next?





You might have noticed that these categories are not meant to be mutually exclusive; many of these tasks stretches over several of these categories and could be incorporated in an overall task-based language teaching framework.   I am sure that you must also have noticed that this blog should only be used to jump-start your creativity in building on your own task-based activities.  As always, go and nurture those students´ interest of yours.

06

March 2015
Tiers for fears & choosing words to teach
by Vincent Chieppa
Any conscientious teacher knows that choosing words to teach is not as easy as it seems.  Sure you can deal out words left, right & center.  However, would your students understand, grow & be empowered?  Fortunately, there is a nifty little 3 tier model that helps teachers enable their students to broaden their language capacity. &...

03

March 2015
Dealing with disruptive or difficult students
by Elena Riches
Whatever kind of teacher you are, be it a maths teacher, an art teacher or a teacher of karate, there will come a time when you will have problems managing your class/group of students and if you cannot find a way to do it effectively your students can become uninterested, unmotivated or quiet, and will seldom reach your desired goal...

27

February 2015
How to... use emails for ESL teaching
by Vincent Chieppa
In this day & age paperless teaching is the future.   Seeing that this is the case it should be no surprise that the next step should be using emails for ESL teaching.  How emails are incorporated in the out-of-class learning experience depends of course on the nature...

24

February 2015
Teacher student interaction: teachers are learners too!
by Elena Riches
So, you've completed your TEFL course, gained your certificate and procured a job. The next part is, how do you do it vs how do you do it well. I personally don't think there is a wrong and right way of teaching as everyone has their own way and each way works for them; providing the students are learning what they've set out to learn then...

20

February 2015
Teaching new vocabulary: 7 fail-safe strategies
by Vincent Chieppa
If teaching grammar forms the frame for language acquisition, teaching new vocabulary provides students with the building blocks. It is therefore the teacher's responsibility to bring home the value of these building blocks by presenting them in perspective - that is, in a way that is relevant and useful for the students. In order to do th...

18

February 2015
The trials and tribulations of being a TEFL teacher
by Elena Riches
If you're thinking of becoming a TEFL teacher you might want some information of what you get out of it from someone who has firsthand experience of being one. ...

13

February 2015
ESL error correction techniques for the classroom
by Vincent Chieppa
As any experienced ESL teacher knows, the type of language errors students make are as diverse as the students themselves & their attitude toward learning.  This in turn will dictate which of th...

10

February 2015
TEFL teacher: What does it take to become one?
by Elena Riches
For those already familiar with the term 'TEFL' (an explanation of the various terms can be found here) you will know that it means teaching English as a foreign language but, what do...

10

February 2015
ESL teaching through the eyes of Cynthia Amuneke from Nigeria
by Radmila Gurkova
My name is ...

06

February 2015
Setting effective boundaries in the classroom
by Vincent Chieppa
ESL teachers could face disruptive behaviour from their students on a daily basis and this can lead to distress, tension and/or anxiety.  For this reason it is important for teachers to take charge to ensure that they are setting effective boundaries because by sim...