Implementing task-based learning with young learners

 David Carless

1. What are the four main problems related to using task-based learning with young learners in the article?

-Noise and indiscipline

-Use of the mother tongue

-Pupil involvement

-Drewing and colouring

2.What are the reason of noise an discipline problems that occur during task-based activities and what kind of solutions are suggested in the article?

-When students were not clear what to do, animated discussions or arguments broke out, and the teacher was often deluged with queries.

-The task was too easy or too difficult, so students become 'off-task', due to finishing too quickly, not knowing what to do, or becoming frustrated by the difficulty.

-The characteeristics of the task itself may provoke excessive noise.

*Pupils who are accustomed to teacher-fronted lessons need to know why they are being asked to do something diffirently, and reassured that the teacher is not simply taking a break, since there is a clear purpose to whatever activity is being attempted.

*The teacher's expectations of pupil role and performance during the activity need to be communicated clearly, so that the students are aware of what is expected of them.

*Reminders about noise levels need to be made before an activity commences, as well as during its process.

*Some teacher appoint group ledaders to be responsibe for the supervision of noise amongs their peers, whilst others offer rewards to the quietest or best-behaved groups of children.

3.What do students mostly use mother tongue?

-Lingustically-complex task

-Irrespective of their language profiency

4.How can teacher minimize the use of mother tongue and promote target language?

-Teacher can be good language models themselves, by using the target language as far as possible when interacting with their classes.

-While pupils obviously need to be taught the language they need to complete a task, they also need to know the language of interaction or negotiation of meaning.

-Teacher should state the expectations for language use at the outset of the activity, since some tasks will permit more or less use of the mother tongue.

-Teachers need to tolerate a certain amount of natural mother tongue dialogue, as long as it is accompanied by attempts at producing additional English language output.

5.How can teachers increase student involvement in the task?

-Teacher might develop more inclusivity in the classroom, whereby all students, and not just the more able ones, are encouraged and supported to make oral contributions during lessons.

-If groups have a leader, as in the classes for this study, it may be desirable for this role to circulate amongst the pupils, rather than be restricted to one student for an extended period.

-There could be flexibility in timing and grouping, with alternative roles being assigned to students at diffirent times, and groups being rearranged in different ways, to provide more opportunities for pupils to enact different roles.

6.What are the potential disadvantages of using drawing and coloring in activities? What is suggested to overcome these disadvantages in the study?

There were some occasions during the observed lessons in which some pupils seemed to produce drawing/clouring but used no English language, either orally or in writing.