Content-based, Task-based, and Participatory Approaches

Practice II – 2014 Camila Roldán, Federico Ramonda.

Content-based instruction

It integrates the learning of language with the

learning of some other content, often

academic subject matter.

“Language across the curriculum” movement

(1970s) to integrate the teaching of

reading and writing into all other subject

areas.

Principles 1) The subject matter content is used for language

teaching purposes.

2) Teaching should build

on students’ previous

experience.

3) Learners are motivated when they perceive

the relevance of their language use. It is a means

to an end.

Principles

4) The teacher ‘scaffolds’

the linguistic content.

Principles

6) Vocabulary: easily

acquired with contextual

cues.

5) Language: learned effectively when used

to deliver interesting information.

Principles 7) Students need language support.

8) Learners work with cognitively demanding

language & content.

9) Communicative competence: ability to read,

discuss & write about content from other fields.

Task-based instruction

It aims to provide learners with a natural

context for language use.

Learners have plenty of opportunities to

interact.

Principles 1) Activities have a perceived purpose

and a clear outcome.

2) Teacher goes through a pre-task with

the students before they work individually.

3) The demand on thinking made by the

activity should be i + 1.

Principles

4) Teacher needs to know how involved the

students are, so as to make adjustments in their

perceptions of relevance and their readiness

to learn.

5) Teacher uses whatever language necessary

to ensure students’ comprehension.

Principles

6) Teacher supplies the correct target form.

7) Students complete a task and engage in

authentic speaking and listening which enables

them to develop their comprehension and

speaking skills.

Principles 8) Students receive feedback based on the

content. The focus is on meaning.

9) Students have input into the design & the

way of completing the task. This gives them

more opportunity for authentic, meaningful

interaction.

Participatory Approach

It was originated in the early ‘60s with the work

of Paulo Freire.

Goal: to help students understand

the social, historical, or cultural

forces that affect their lives & to

help empower Ss to take action

and make decisions in order to

gain control over their lives.

Principles

1) What happens in the classroom should

be connected with what happens outside

that has relevance to the students.

2) The curriculum is the result of

an ongoing context-specific

problem-posing process

Principles

3) Education is most effective when it is

experienced-centered. Ss are motivated

by their personal involvement.

4) Knowledge becomes a tool to help

students find a voice so as to act in the

world (social & political beings).

Principles 5) Focus on linguistic form occurs within a focus

on content. Language skills are taught in

service of action for change.

6) Students can create their own materials,

which can become texts for other students.

7) Goal: Ss evaluate their own learning and

direct it themselves.

Conclusion The three approaches share the basic

assumption of learning to communicate by

communicating.

Their differences lie in what they use as a

starting point to communicate:

Content-based uses the content from other subjects.

Task-based uses different tasks to promote communication.

Participatory approach uses the experiential knowledge of

students.