Designing a Speaking Task Workshop

1. Designing a Speaking Task Workshop • Intended learning outcomes • Definition of a task • Principles of second language acquisition • Principles of developing speech • Focus on form • Task design criteria • Hands on

2. Intended Learning Outcomes By the end of this session you should have developed: • an awareness of the principles supporting the design of speaking tasks • concrete strategies for designing and evaluating speaking tasks

3. What is a task? • Willis (1999): …activities where the target language is used by the learner for a communicativepurpose ( goal) in order to achieve an outcome. • Elements of a task - Nunan(1989) • Input data • Procedures/activities

4. Principles of second language acquisition Social constructivism • language is learnt interactively in a social environment • language experience must be meaningful

5. Principles of developing speaking skills • Speaking skills are acquired through frequent practice • Close interaction between listening and speaking ( output and input) • Speech implies interactive dialogue • Speech must be meaningful

6. Focus on form in language tasks Teaching implicit explicit • Prabhu ( 1987) – no focus on form • Long ( 1998 ) – incidental focus Design • Selection and design of tasks includes a consideration of form

7. Criteria for task design • Context • relevance to student experience • language level of students • language objective ( fluency, accuracy, form) • student numbers • time available • Instructions • Involvement • Authenticity • Outcome

8. Hands on