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摘 要

词汇是构成语言最基本的材料。众所周知,词汇是掌握一门外语最基本的部分，那么教师该用哪种方法让学习者有效学习词汇呢？因此，英语词汇教学具有重要意义。很多教育者多年来也提出了各式各样的词汇教学方法,他们不断创新改变，以寻求更好的方法。与此同时，任务型教学法在20世纪末传入中国，它是交际法的进一步发展，并且在广泛推进于如今的英语教学之中。任务型教学法的理念是，语言的学习应该尽可能接近它在真实生活中的运用。与其他词汇教学法相比，任务型教学法具有其明显优越性。通过任务型教学法，学习者的听说读写能力可以自然整合。本文探究了任务型教学法在英语词汇教学上的应用,分析了其优缺点，为弥补其不足之处，还提供了可能的解决方法。

关键词：任务；任务型词汇教学法；情境

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

2.1 Definition of Task-based Language Teaching and Tasks 2

2.2 Several common methods used to teach English vocabulary 3

3. Features of the Application of Task-based Language Teaching to English Vocabulary 4

3.1 Task as the center of activity. 5

3.2 Learner as the center of Task-based Vocabulary Teaching. 5

3.3 A task including a series of related new words. 5

3.4 Teaching vocabulary with authentic materials. 6

3.5 Learning vocabulary in real communication. 6

4. The Application of Task-based Language Teaching to English Vocabulary 7

4.1 Pre-task stage. 7

4.2 Task cycle stage. 7

4.3 Language focus stage. 8

5. Existing Problems and Corresponding Solutions 9

5.1 Ambiguous objectives 9

5.2 Inappropriate difficulty 9

5.3 High requirements for learners 10

5.4 Unreasonable group division 10

5.5 Limited situation and class time 10

5.6 Varied cultural background 11

6. Conclusion 11

Works Cited 13

1. Introduction

As is known to all, vocabulary is the building material of a language. It holds a crucial position in language for all the linguistic units which greater than word are all composed of words. Words are indispensable in language understanding and language performance. British linguist David Wilkins said that “Without grammar, very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” (Wilkins 111). Learners can seek out other bypasses to avoid those gaps in their knowledge if they have difficulties, but the successful communication cannot be achieved if the words they need are unavailable. Therefore, for English learners, mastering a certain amount of English words is of absolute necessity. But the reality is that the problems of English vocabulary teaching exist all the time. The forms of traditional English vocabulary teaching methods are unitary, such as Definition method and Direct method, which can hardly attract learners’ interests. These teaching methods make learners remember a pile of words’ meanings and usages which are not related with each other, thus learners don’t know how to use correct words to express their ideas in real language practice. What’s more, authentic language situations won’t be provided for learners by these methods. In other words, learners have no proper opportunities to put words into actual use. Consequently, learners always tend to forget words easily or use words incorrectly. Task-based Language Teaching started to be used in vocational education in the 1950s and sprung up in the 1980s. At the last decade of the 20^th century, TBLT was introduced into China. The task-based approach is based on tasks and its prominent feature is “learning by doing and learning by using”. It is widely promoted in English language teaching in China nowadays. TBLT plays an important role in English vocabulary teaching. It helps to create a nearly authentic situation for learners to learn by carrying out tasks. Lv Shuxiang once said, “Words have lives only when they are put into context.’’ When linking the word with situation, learners could acquire words more effectively. The reason is that in most circumstances, the same word may hold different meanings in another situation. For example, in the sentence “Let me drive you to the bank.” The meaning of “bank”, decided by situation, is whether you want to draw money or you want to go on board. Applying TBLT to English vocabulary teaching is a great way to keep away from boring and traditional vocabulary teaching methods, for it will put learners into simulated situations which often occur in people’s real life, so as to guide learners to remember words and correctly use words. Task-based vocabulary teaching method helps improve learners’ positivity and efficiency to vocabulary learning. As a would-be English teacher, it is necessary to deepen my knowledge of Task-based Vocabulary Teaching, for someday I would apply this method to teach vocabulary. This thesis, first of all, clarifies various definitions of “Task”. Then it is devoted to interpret five main features of Task-based Vocabulary Teaching method from the perspective of task, teaching and learning, which can be seen as the advantages of the teaching method. Based on Willis’ TBLT model, this thesis explores three stages of Task-based Vocabulary Teaching and explains the specific process of each stage. Besides, it concludes the disadvantages, that is, the problems of Task-based Vocabulary Teaching, and put forward some possible solutions from the perspective of learners and teachers.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Definition of Task-based Language Teaching and Tasks

TBLT is an approach based on the use of the tasks as the core unit of planning and instruction in language teaching. Different scholars have given various definitions of a task.

Long points out that “A task is a piece of work undertaken for oneself or for others, freely or for some reward. Thus, examples of tasks include painting a fence, dressing a child, filling out form, buying a pair of shoes, making an airline reservation …and helping someone across a road. In other words, by ‘task’ is meant the hundred and one things people do in everyday life, at work, at play, and in between.” (Wang 27) Prabhu thinks that “A task is an activity which requires learners to arrive at an outcome from given information through some process of thought, and which allows teachers to control and regulate that process.” (Wang 27) As to Willis, he holds the opinion that “Tasks are activities where the target language is used by the learner for a communicative purpose (goal) in order to achieve an outcome.” (Willis 23) In Long’s definition, all things people do can be regarded as tasks, while Prabhub and Willis emphasize that tasks are purposeful activities people conduct so as to arrive at an outcome.

A task can be endowed with different meanings by different people, but all the tasks deal with the actual use of language. Clark, Scarino and Brownell believe that a task has four main components: a purpose, a context, a process and a product. Jane Willis proposes three stages of TBLT in A Framework For Task-Based Learning: a) Pre-task, b) Task cycle (including Task, Planning, and Report), c) Language focus (including Analysis and Practice). The three stages exactly point out the work teachers or students should carry out at that time. During Pre-task process, the teacher introduces the topic and gives learners clear instructions on what they will have to do next. Most of the time, teachers might help learners recall some knowledge that may be useful in preforming tasks. During Task cycle process, learners complete a task in pairs or groups using the language resources they already have, while the teacher works as a monitor and offers encouragement. During Language focus process, teachers firstly compare the results of the fulfillment of tasks. After analyzing and discussing the language that learners used in the process of carrying out tasks, teachers finally drill learners with these new vocabularies again.

Chinese scholar Jia Zhigao proposes that task is a set of communicative or interactive activities which are relative and have a specific objective, referring to interpreting and processing information, or solving problems. In these activities learners use the target language to promote their language learning.

2.2 Several common methods used to teach English vocabulary

2.2.1 Direct method

Direct method means the teachers use something that learners can see directly to teach words, like actual objects, pictures, videos or gestures, which will help to leave real images in learners’ minds. Therefore it is easy for learners to connect the words to their equivalent objects. For instance, when a teacher wants to teach the word “tree”, he can point at the tree outside the classroom and say “That is a ‘tree’.” Or he can present the tree which is on the picture and tell learners “This is a ‘tree’.” However, this method is hard to be used for those abstract words, such as “love” and “spirit”, because people cannot find the corresponding objects in the objective world.

2.2.2 Word-formation method

English language has various word formations, such as affixation and composition. For instance, when a teacher is teaching “useful” and “useless”, he can say “‘Useful’ comes from ‘use’. It means ‘of use’. ‘Useless’ comes from ‘use’, too. It means ‘of no use’ or ‘not useful’.” But the prerequisite of using this method is that students have already mastered a certain amount of English vocabulary.

2.2.3 Definition method

Definition method is commonly used to teach new words by teachers, which often provides students with the information of a word, such as its property and characteristic. Learners could get a more appropriate understanding of the word from the perspective of its native language. For instance, “A hospital is a place where doctors and nurses work.” Nevertheless, this method still requires a certain amount of vocabulary. Because in such a situation, if a learner wants to understand “hospital”, he or she must know “doctor” and “nurse” in advance. Sometimes understanding the meaning of a word is harder than the word itself, for those words teachers use to define the word could be beyond the confines of learners’ knowledge.

Although these vocabulary teaching methods are still used by teachers nowadays, they are apparently incapable of surpassing Task-based Vocabulary Teaching method. Word itself is always regarded as the center of teaching, while this kind of teaching method neglects the action of learners. Most traditional methods offer visual input or aural input to learners to make sure learners are given an explicit impression of a word. Or these methods barely make learners picture the scene by giving a passage of description. However, these vocabulary teaching methods will not create a situation where the new word can be used to communicate or interact with people.

3. Features of the Application of Task-based Language Teaching to English Vocabulary

Compared with those traditional vocabulary teaching methods, the application of Task-based Language Teaching to English vocabulary manifests following features:

3.1 Task as the center of activity

According to the definition of TBLT, task is of vital importance to Task-based Vocabulary teaching. For a teacher, assigning a reasonable task is significant for learners to learn vocabulary. Learners acquire language and master the utilization of vocabulary from comprehensible input. It means the task should not be too difficult or too easy, for if the task is far beyond students’ current level, the task could not be accomplished; if the task is too easy, learners could not get the main meaning of the new word. Therefore teachers should introduce learners with the knowledge which is to some extent beyond their current level. Task-based Vocabulary Teaching means when teachers are teaching vocabulary, they have to design a series of task activities about vocabulary. In this process, by accomplishing tasks, memorizing and understanding vocabulary, learners can naturally master the words’ meaning and the integrated application of vocabulary.

3.2 Learner as the center of Task-based Vocabulary Teaching

Traditional vocabulary teaching is always teacher-centered, which also emphasizes word teaching. It tends to mechanically ask learners to drill words again and again. These repeated exercises pay much attention to form while neglecting the meaning and usage of words. David Nunan defines tasks as “Any classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form.” (Nunan 25) In a Task-based Vocabulary Teaching class, learners are the center of class. All designed task should be based on learners, considering learners’ level of knowledge, ability, or receptivity, etc. Task-based Vocabulary Teaching needs learners to accomplish tasks automatically while at the same time teachers work as supervisors, organizers or instructors, or at times work as companions of learners. TBLT focuses on the engagement of students, and it aims at training students’ actual language proficiency more than mechanical language training.

3.3 A task including a series of related new words

Task-based Vocabulary Teaching tends to create nearly authentic situations for learners to carry out vocabulary learning tasks. It is no doubt that teachers can design a task based on only one word, but it has to be put into much time and efforts. In addition, for learners, it is a waste of time acquiring one word from a difficult task. Hence, usually a series of related words are put together in a task. Such as putting “Mid-Autumn Festival” “moon cake” “Spring Festival” in a task which asks learners to talk about festivals.

3.4 Teaching vocabulary with authentic materials

Learners will have direct experience of language without restriction when they are in authentic situations. Accordingly they can interpret language and utilize language audaciously. Scholars has already identified that learners will actually learn something by focusing on real-life or simulated problems. Authentic materials comprise real objects, dialogues, cases and so on. For instance, when teaching “jogging”, “jump”, “player”, teachers can take sports meeting as an example which is close to learners’ lives, and ask learners to talk with each other on this topic by using these new words. Likely when teaching words “left” “right” “crossroads” and “hospital”, teachers give learners a real map of their city in order to create an authentic situation for them to practice.

3.5 Learning vocabulary in real communication

Tasks cannot be fulfilled without real communication, namely when learners are carrying out a task, they are focusing on the complete act of communication. Task-based Vocabulary Teaching provides multiple opportunities for learners to communicate and interact with others. Tasks are always carried out by group members, so they have to exchange information. Therefore, communication is indispensable. In brief, learners have chances to constitute sentences with new words to chat with others. It is worth mentioning that task is different from traditional exercise on two principle aspects. On the one hand, task is open. In other words, the fulfillment of tasks neither has a set of predetermined models or approaches, nor unified results. The approaches and words learners applied are optional and unfixed. For example, a teacher teaches words “left” “right”, and “crossroads”. The subject of the task is to direct the way. Given an authentic or a simulated map, learners use these new words to make different sentence patterns which will finally lead to the same place. On the other hand, task is communicative or interactive. Task always involves collective and cooperative activities, such as group work or pair work, which allow learners to communicate with others.

4. The Application of Task-based Language Teaching to English Vocabulary

Task-based Language Teaching plays an important role in vocabulary teaching. It makes vocabulary teaching no more boring and improves learners’ enthusiasm and effectiveness to vocabulary. According to Willis’ TBLT model, vocabulary teaching can be divided into three stages: pre-task stage, task cycle stage and language focus stage.

4.1 Pre-task stage

Pre-task stage aims to introduce vocabulary. Teachers design tasks about the to-be learnt vocabulary. But before assigning tasks, teachers should show and explain new words by providing learners with some reading or listening materials, such as pictures, paragraphs or records, to make sure students can have a brief understanding of these new words. Moreover, teachers can give learners some native language description about the subject learners will learn before starting to teach new words, and then ask learners to find the corresponding expression in English from the teaching material they use. Therefore learners actually have already previewed the new words during this process. Teachers set tasks and illustrate objectives after doing these things. Task choosing should be close to learners’ real life or can stimulate learners’ motivation. Different tasks with different meanings and language forms offer learners many opportunities to utilize the authentic language.

4.2 Task cycle stage

It’s a stage focusing on drill and input. Learners learn vocabulary knowledge by various forms with the instruction of teachers. They can acquire the requisite vocabulary knowledge to fulfill tasks by cooperation and communication. Learners will enhance their understanding of the word during the process of communication, both in its meaning and usage. Also, teachers can create a specific situation, especially familiar and authentic situations for learners to learn vocabulary which will arouse learners’ interests. Not only does it make learners learn vocabulary knowledge effectively, but also it helps learners train their oral ability, listening ability and communicative ability. Learners have to report their performance of tasks after accomplishing the tasks, and then teachers should make comments on learners’ fulfillment.

4.3 Language focus stage

It’s a stage concentrating on consolidate vocabulary. At this stage, teachers should analyze learners’ studies about vocabulary. At the same time, teachers point out the problems which emerge when learners are carrying out tasks, and then correct learners’ mistakes. As to the problems emerge at task cycle stage, teachers will choose to assign a set of exercises which center on solving those problems. On top of this, teachers can explain the meaning of words to students, tell students about the word-activity, or organize some games about words for learners to consolidate new words so as to use them flexibly.

In Willis’ TBLT model, the work of each stage is relevant to task. Four components of a task were put forward by Clark, Scarino and Brownell, including a purpose, a context, a process and a product. Therefore tasks in vocabulary teaching consist of these components as well. Clearly, purpose of the task in vocabulary teaching is to make learners master words from their meanings and usages by communication. As a result, learners can exactly use words in real lives. However, this is a general understanding of purpose. Each task has its special purpose. For example, a task involving words like “turn”, “left”, “crossroads” and “police station” has a purpose to make learners learn to direct the way, not just the words themselves. A context can be real, simulated or imaginary. In most cases, teachers choose to create a simulated context as class is always too narrow to formulate a real context. Communication is inevitable for process. Process gets learners to practice new words in the context which has already been created, as “turn”, “left”, “crossroads” and “police station” are put into a prepared context to drill. Learners will use these new words to complete making sentences in order to fulfill the task. As to product, it will be some form of outcome. For instance, learners can finally understand “turn”, “left”, “crossroads” and “police station”, and correctly use them to direct the way.

5. Existing Problems and Corresponding Solutions

In TBLT, task is the key to the success of the class. Though task-based vocabulary teaching has its advantages, there still exist many problems in actual teaching process:

5.1 Ambiguous objectives

Teachers don’t explain the specific objectives of tasks when they finish assigning tasks. As a result, learners accomplish tasks vaguely because they don’t have a directive objective. Some activities seem meaningless to learners as they seldom offer learners opportunities to use language while they are accomplishing tasks. As to this problem, both teachers and learners have to make efforts. To identify the objective of a task, teachers can make emphasis on the important part time after time. The important part must have connection with the objective. Meanwhile, learners have to use their acute insight to find the objective when they are performing the task.

5.2 Inappropriate difficulty

Tasks should be based on students’ current level of knowledge. Learners won’t finish tasks when tasks are too difficult. When teaching a word by using task–based vocabulary teaching method, it is hard for learners to learn the word if they do not have enough linguistic resources to handle the communication problems in tasks. On the contrary, learners can hardly learn new words when tasks are too easy. But in real life, learners at the same class may have different levels of knowledge or have distinct ability ranges. Therefore the same task cannot cater for all the learners in the class. This demands teachers to set appropriate tasks which are comfortable for learners. Teachers have to take learners’ intellectual abilities, emotional abilities and current level of knowledge into consideration, so as to design a better task. Learners’ current level of knowledge can be perceived by the books they have used and their usual performance.

5.3 High requirements for learners

Implementing tasks should center on learners in class all the time. Task-based language teaching model makes heavy demands on students, which requires students to preview the text in advance and finish the tasks by cooperation. If students don’t have a sense of self-study, this teaching model would fail. It proves that task-based teaching method is suitable for those who are independent and have a good self-learning ability. Oppositely, this method is unsuitable for those learners who are at an early age. For learners themselves, they have to develop their ability of self-study. For teachers, they have the responsibility to urge learners to preview the new vocabulary in advance.

5.4 Unreasonable group division

Finishing tasks cannot do without group discussion. Reasonable division of groups has great effects on the fulfillment of tasks. Two learners or several learners both can constitute a group, thus the number of each group are often unequal. Group members have to report their performance of tasks after communicating with their companions. The division of group members should be based on learners’ scores, characteristics, and merits and so on. This will be beneficial to group members in terms of helping and cooperating with each other. In class, teachers mainly divide groups on the basis of learners’ seats, while neglecting many other factors. Therefore teachers must take all the factors stated above into consideration while they are dividing groups. By this way, learners in the same group could achieve cooperative learning and complementary advantages by helping with each other.

5.5 Limited situation and class time

Most of the time, a word has multiple meanings. For instance, the word “raise” differs in “raise money”, “raise hands” and “raise children”. In fact, teachers won’t provide all the situations where the word can be used. As a result, learners have a tendency to master a partial meaning and utilization of a word.

Tasks are always based on the nearly authentic situations. It takes learners and teachers much time to create a reasonable situation in order to perform tasks. Under this circumstance, class time is often not enough, for carrying out tasks still needs time.

To solve this problem, at first, teachers have to make much effort to design tasks and creat situations. Though a word has multiple meanings, teachers could choose the most common meanings or usages of it to formulate situations. For those uncommon meanings and usages of the word, learners can learn them when they come across them. Furthermore, teachers should design accomplishable tasks for a lesson. It means teachers have to carefully arrange tasks according to learners’ knowledge and experience.

5.6 Varied cultural background

The same word may have two completely different meanings in different areas. For example, the word “dragon”. In China, dragon is seen as the symbol of power, strength or luck. On the contrary, in western countries, dragon is normally considered as a horrible and savage monster, which represents evil. Cultural discrepancy leads to the difference in meanings. Thus, the task in the nearly authentic situation is hardly able to explain this kind of exotic meaning, for the “situation” here refers to the familiar situation learners often meet in their daily life. In the final analysis the cultural background is diverse. Therefore, when teaching words like this, teachers have to provide learners with some other cultural backgrounds so as to deepen their apprehension of words. Tasks design should also take cultures into consideration, for the final purpose of this kind of communicative tasks is to realize the actual practice of a language in its native cultural background.

6. Conclusion

In a word, the application of Task-based Language Teaching in teaching English vocabulary is proved to be a better vocabulary teaching method by practice. It is also an important reflection of educational reform. Compared with traditional vocabulary teaching method, Task-based Vocabulary Teaching method has obvious advantages, mainly including creating nearly authentic or simulated situations and offering chances for learners to use new words to conduct a real communication and interaction. Consequently, this method makes vocabulary learning no more boring or ineffective. Tasks play an important role in this teaching method since learners acquire knowledge by cooperating with others to fulfill these predetermined tasks. It is proved that TBLT is an effective method to teach vocabulary. Although Task-based Vocabulary Teaching still has some problems, to some extent, they can be neglected comparing with its advantages. Or those problems could be solved by the combined efforts of learners and teachers. Furthermore, reasonable application of TBLT in vocabulary will promote the results of vocabulary teaching and enhance learners’ communicative ability. Therefore teachers should use Task-based Vocabulary Teaching as far as possible, and keep exploring and improving it by practice.

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