Diane Larsen-Freeman

144 Content-based. Task-based, and Participatory App roaches
journal. Th e teacher reads the student's journal ent ry and writes a
respon se to it, but does not correct its form.
TAS K·BASED I NSTRUCTI ON
As with con renr-based instruction, a task- based approach aims ro pro·
vide learn ers with a nat ural context for language usc. As learners wor k to
complete a task, they have abundant opportunity to interact. Such interaction
is thought to facilitate language acquisition as learn ers have to
wor k to understand each ot her and to express their own meanin g. By so
doin g, they have to check to see if they have comprehended correctly and,
at times, they have to seek clar ification. By interacting with others, they
get to listen to language which may be beyond their present ability, hut
which may be assimilated into their knowledge of the target language for
use at a later time. As Candlin and Murphy (1987: 1) not e, 'The cent ral
purpose we arc concerned with is language learning, and tasks present
this in the for m ofa probl em-solving negotiation between kno wledge that
the learner holds and new knowl edge.'
Experie nce
The follow ing lesson is one that has been adapted and expanded from
Prabhu (1987). It takes place in Southern India. The class consists of 40
ten-year-old children who arc adva nced beginners in English. As we enter
the classroom, the reacher is speaking:
'We arc going to do a lesson today on timetables. OK ?'
The reacher draws rhe columns and rows of a class timeta ble on rhc
blackboard. At the head of the first column, she wr ites 9:30-10:15. The
students understand that the teacher has written the dur ation of the first
class period of the da y.
'What should I write here?' asks the teacher, pointing to the head of the
second column. T Il(' students respond, 'Tell fifteen.' And then 'Eleven
o'clock,' as the reacher moves her finger across the top row. The reacher
points in turn to the top of each column and the students chor us the rime
rhnr each class period hegins and ends.
Then till' teacher asks: 'Who witlwrite the names for the days of the week
here?' SeveraIstudents raise their hand s. The reacher calis on one. 'Come,'
she says.The student she hascalled on CO l11l'S to the from of the room, takes
the chalk, and writes the name s of each weekday beside each cow, :-"-1011­
day to Friday, cor rectly, as the rest of the class helps wirh rhe spelling.
Content-based, Task-based, and Particitratcry Approaches 145
'Is that correct ?' rhe teacher asks. 'Correct!' the students chorus back.
'What about Saturday? Do we have school O il Saturday?' The students
reply in unison , ' No ... holiday.' The teacher responds, ' Holida y. Yes. Saturday's
a holida y.'
Nex t the teacher divides the class into eight gro ups of five stude nts.
Each student in a group receives a Ga d with the sched ule for one day of
the week. The students' task is to complete the week's schedule by shar ing
the information on their cards with each other. There is much discussion
as each group work s to draw up a fult schedule. As she moves about the
room listening to the groups, the teacher reminds the class to speak in
English. The first group tha t is finished comes to the blackboard and
writes the schedule on the boa rd.
After the stude nts have checked their work, the teacher collects each
group's timeta ble so she can read ir and rerum it to them rhc next da y. She
checks their timetables mainly to sec that the content is cor rect.
Next, stilt worki ng in their groups, the students arc told that they are to
find a way to survey their classmates' preferences of their favor ite Sd1001
subjects. They musr find