Dr' Andrew Finch

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Task Design Principles and Practice
Everyone on task. The right thing for the right
people at the right time.

• Dr. Andrew Finch

http//www.finchpark.com/books/
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Some questions (These are in the Summary)

• How do tasks help language acquisition?
• What makes a task different from an activity?
• What does a task need to include?
• What sort of instructions should be included?
• Are graphics essential?
• Do tasks need input modeling from the teacher?
• How can tasks be adapted to multi-level classes?

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More Questions

• Should tasks include reflection and
  self-assessment?
• How can tasks lead into further learning?
• How can cognitive, affective, social, moral and
  cultural development be integrated into tasks?
• Can tasks be designed for test-preparation
  classes?
• Can many tasks be presented together?
• How can tasks be sequenced?

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What is this presentation about?

• Tasks
• What is a task?
• Why use tasks?
• How can we use tasks?
• How can we supplement textbooks?
• Practical examples

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What is a task?

• Tasks share some common characteristics
• Meaning is most important.
• There is a communication problem to solve.
• There is a relationship to real-world activities.
• Task completion is important.
• The assessment of the task is in terms of outcome.

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Why use tasks?

• Tasks call upon and engage the same abilities
  which underlie communication itself. (Breen
  1987161)
• Tasks allow students to learn what they need to
  learn at the rate that is best for them to learn
  it. (Van Lier 2000)
• Task-based Syllabus Theory

http//www.finchpark.com/afehttp//www.finchpark.
com/afe/tbs2.htm344
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How can we sequence tasks?

• Use one-way tasks before two-way tasks.
• Use static tasks before dynamic tasks
• Use tasks in the present time before tasks using
  the past or future.
• Use easy tasks before difficult ones.
• Use simple tasks (only one step) before complex
  tasks (many steps).
• (Candlin, 1987)

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What types of tasks?

• Information-gap tasks
• Reasoning-gap tasks
• Opinion-gap tasks
• Static and Dynamic tasks
• One-way and Two-way tasks
• Discovery, experience, guided, shared and
  independent tasks

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What types of tasks?

• Cognitive tasks
• Problem-solving
• Deduction
• Inference
• Critical thinking
• Summarizing

• Moral tasks
• Sharing
• Helping
• Considering others
• Being polite

• Social learning tasks
• Cooperation, collaboration
• Personal and group responsibility

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i) Identify the learning problem
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• Students
• Needs analyses
• cognitive
• affective
• linguistic
• Deficiency analyses
• Self-assessment
• Can-do statements

• Teachers
• Curriculum
• Syllabus
• Textbook
• Assessment
• Exams

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i) Identify the learning problem
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• Different learning styles
• Different levels of proficiency
• Different learning backgrounds
• Different beliefs and perceptions
• Different affect (anxiety, confidence, motivation
  attitudes to learning)
• Different multiple intelligences

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i) Decide on the goals (Address the problem)
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• Cognitive
• Problem-solving
• Critical Thinking
• Deduction, Inference
• Summarizing
• Creativity

• Affective
• Confidence
• Motivation
• Attitudes
• Stress
• Low self-Esteem
• Emotional Management

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ii) Decide on the goals (Address the problem)
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• Social (Interactive)
• Teamwork
• Interpersonal Responsibility
• Intrapersonal Responsibility
• Collaboration
• Sensitivity

• Cultural
• Local Culture
• Target Culture
• World Cultures
• Diversity

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ii) Decide on the goals (Address the problem)
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• Linguistic
• Language Genre (academic, business, )
• Special Vocabulary
• Language Functions
• Language Use Situations (Notions)
• Grammar forms and structures
• Communication
• Negotiation of Meaning

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iii) Decide on the teaching philosophy
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• Method
• Grammar translation
• Form-focused instruction
• Fluency first
• Learning to learn
• Reflection
• Interaction

• Philosophy
• Teacher-centered
• Student-centered
• Learning-centered
• Task-based
• Lexical-based
• Holistic

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iv) Decide on the task characteristics
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• Levels of
• communication,
• interaction,
• linguistic difficulty,
• text complexity,
• text density,
• expected outcomes,
• follow-up tasks.

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Lets begin!
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Teacher role
Goals
Learner role
Input
Tasks
Settings
Activities
Based on Nunan, 1989, p. 11
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1 Young learners
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E.g.

• Comprehension of instructions
• Vocabulary
• Basic expressions
• Games
• Role plays
• Graphics
• Criteria for materials design.

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2 Secondary English classes
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• Textbook learning content
• Textbook goals
• Need to reinforce and supplement (performance
  activities, ongoing assessment, peer-correction,
  groupwork)
• Need to make learning meaningful, relevant,
  exciting, motivating, for all learners
• Need to enhance confidence through success
• The appropriate learning opportunities for the
  appropriate learners at the appropriate time.

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3 Reading and Conversation
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• Multi-level tasks
• More than one task on the page
• Follow up tasks
• Opportunities for students to take over.

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4 Problem solving
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• Comprehension of instructions
• http//www.vasa.abo.fi/users/rpalmber/mathlog.htm
• Vocabulary
• http//www.vasa.abo.fi/users/rpalmber/face.htm
• Deduction
• http//www.vasa.abo.fi/users/rpalmber/client.htm
• Wordsearch
• http//www.vasa.abo.fi/users/rpalmber/skirt.htm
• Sentence reconstruction
• http//www.vasa.abo.fi/users/rpalmber/bcprs.htm
• Cryptics (logic)
• http//www.vasa.abo.fi/users/rpalmber/countries.ht
  m

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Task Design (books)
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• Nunan, D. (1989) Designing tasks for the
  communicative classroom. Cambridge CUP.
• Tomlinson, B. (1998). Materials development in
  language teaching. Cambridge Cambridge
  University Press.
• Leaver, B. L., Willis, J. R. (2004). Task-based
  instruction in foreign language education
  practices and programs. Washington, D.C.
  Georgetown University Press.
• Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based language learning
  and teaching. Oxford OUP.
• Branden, K. v. d. (2006). Task-based language
  education from theory to practice. Cambridge
  Cambridge University Press.

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Task Design Resources
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• http//www.finchpark.com/books/
• http//www.englishraven.com/download_resources.htm
  l
• www.pearson.ch/LanguageTeaching/TeachersResources/
  
• http//www.cambridge.org/elt/resources/

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Graphics and software
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• Graphics
• http//www.clipart.com/en/
• http//images.google.com/
• http//www.picsearch.com/
• http//images.search.yahoo.com/
• Image search engines http//www.faganfinder.com/i
  mg/
• Crosswords http//www.crosswordkit.com/
• Wordsearches http//www.wordsearchkit.com/
• DIY quizzes (Hot Potatoes) http//hotpot.uvic.ca/
  

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The end
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• aef_at_knu.ac.kr
• Thank you for your time!
• Good luck with your materials design.