Creating Communicative TasksJeenna Canché

SWCOLT: March 4, 2017

“If you say you teach communicatively, then you better have a definition of communication!”

What is Communication?

COMMUNICATION

is the expression, interpretation, and negotiation of meaning in a given context

COMMUNICATION

the expression, interpretation, and negotiation of meaning in a given context

COMMUNICATION

is the expression, interpretation, and negotiation of meaning in a given context

COMMUNICATION

is the expression, interpretation, and negotiation of meaning in a given context

COMMUNICATION

is the expression, interpretation, and negotiation of meaning in a given context

Exercises: Mechanical DrillsExample 1Directions: Change each of the sentences below to the corresponding subject in parentheses:

1.I eat lunch at noon. (He)Answer: He eats lunch at noon.

2.He goes to the cafeteria. (We)Answer: We go to the cafeteria.

Example 2Directions: Change each of the following sentences from present to past tense:

1. I eat lunch at noon.Answer: I ate lunch at noon.2.He goes to the cafeteria.Answer: He went to the cafeteria.

ExercisesMeaningful Drills

Example 1Directions: Looking at the picture, answer the questions that follow.

1.What color is the biggest house?Answer: The biggest house is blue.2.What color is the house on the left?Answer: The house on the left is red.3.What color is the house on the right?Answer: The house on the right is yellow.

Example 2Directions: Look at the picture and fill in the blanks with the correct color:

1.The blue house has five windows.2.The yellow house has three windows.3.The red house has two windows.

Exercises: Communicative Drills

Example 1

Directions: Take turns with a partner to ask and answer the following questions about when you usually do the following activities:

1. What time do you usually wake up? Answer: I usually wake up at ___.

2. What time do you usually eat breakfast? Answer: I usually eat breakfast at ___.

3. What time do you usually arrive at school? Answer: I usually arrive at school at___.

Activities

• Tell your partner three things you did over the weekend.

• Talk to your partner about what you are going to do this summer.

• Interview your partner about his or her favorite activities.

Activities

Focus on MEANING

but lack

PURPOSE

Partially Communicative

Why do people communicate?Psycho-Social Informational-Cognitive

Tasks Simple Example

Task: to find out the 3 most common activities students do in our class on the weekend

1. Talk to your partner to find out three things that you both did over the weekend in common.

2. Add your three answers on the class chart on board or googledoc.

3. Use the chart to figure out the 3 most common activities of the class.

TasksIn-Depth Example

Task: to write an essay about Frida Kahlo making connections between her art and her life

1. Watch short video about Frida Kahlo

2. Small group & Whole Class: make list of what was learned from video

3. Watch video again…add to list

4. Student Presentations of Frida’s works1. Description, Analysis, and Opinion

5. Students take notes on graphic organizers and Q & A

6. Students write essays using examples from notes to support ideas

Tasks

Focus on MEANING and PURPOSE

Informational-Cognitive

Fully Communicative

Activity or Task?

Focus on MeaningPartially Communicative

Focus on Meaning

Purpose or Outcome other than just language practice

Fully Communicative

Activity or Task?

Directions: Read the following list and check off what you did last summer:

• I flew to another place to visit relatives.

• I went to the movies with my friends.

• I ate at a fancy restaurant with my family.

• Etc.

• Is the student expressing or interpreting meaning?

• Is the student negotiating meaning?

• Is there a purpose other than language practice?

ACTIVITY

Activity or Task?

Directions: Look at the menu provided by your teacher and choose three things you would like to order from the menu then compare what you like with what your partner chooses.

Student A: I would order the ___, ___, and ___.

Student B: I would order the ___, ___, and ___.

• Is the student expressing or interpreting meaning?

• Is the student negotiating meaning?

• Is there a purpose other than language practice?

ACTIVITY

Activity or Task?

Directions: To get to know your partner a little bit better, make a list of questions to ask him or her, and then take turns interviewing each other.

Sample student list:

• What is your name?

• How old are you?

• What is your favorite color?

• What is your favorite class?

• Etc.

• Is the student expressing or interpreting meaning?

• Is the student negotiating meaning?

• Is there a purpose other than language practice?

ACTIVITY

From Activity to Task…

Directions: Read the following list and check off what you did last summer:

• I flew to another place to visit relatives.

• I went to the movies with my friends.

• I ate at a fancy restaurant with my family.

• Etc.

Determine what’s missing and make modifications to include:

• Expression and/or interpretation of meaning

• Negotiation of meaning (if necessary)

• Purpose or an Outcome… something that students will do with the information

From Activity to Task…

Directions: Look at the menu provided by your teacher and choose three things you would like to order from the menu then compare what you like with what your partner chooses.

Student A: I would order the ___, ___, and ___.

Student B: I would order the ___, ___, and ___.

Determine what’s missing and make modifications to include:• Expression and/or interpretation

of meaning• Negotiation of meaning (if

necessary)• Purpose or an Outcome…

something that students will do with the information

From Activity to Task…

Directions: To get to know your partner a little bit better, make a list of questions to ask him or her, and then take turns interviewing each other.

Sample student list:

• What is your name?

• How old are you?

• What is your favorite color?

• What is your favorite class?

• Etc.

Determine what’s missing and make modifications to include:

• Expression and/or interpretation of meaning

• Negotiation of meaning (if necessary)

• Purpose or an Outcome… something that students will do with the information

Activities and Tasks

• Check lists • Yes/No questions• Either/Or questions• Rating things• Putting things on a scale• Multiple Choice• Reading or listening to a story

and then drawing something• Quiz-Quiz-Trade with yes/no or

either/or questions

• Discussing• Comparing• Making a list• Writing or asking questions• Filling in a chart/grid• Writing a paragraph• Creating a survey• Narrating a storyboard or

describing a picture • Quiz-Quiz-Trade with open

ended questions

Tasks Simple Example

Task: to find out the 3 most common activities students do in our class on the weekend

1. Talk to your partner to find out three things that you both did over the weekend in common.

2. Add your three answers on the class chart on board or googledoc.

3. Use the chart to figure out the 3 most common activities of the class.

Input-Based Task Simple Example

Task: to find out the 3 most common activities students do in our class on the weekend

1. Use a checklist to mark the things you did over the weekend and compare your list with your partner to find 3 common activities.

2. Add your three answers on the class chart on board or googledoc.

3. Use the chart to figure out the 3 most common activities of the class.

Now it’s your turn…

Share an ACTIVITY you plan do with your class in the next 1-2 weeks with your partner then use the following criteria to determine if it is an activity or a task:

• Is the student expressing or interpreting meaning?

• Is the student negotiating meaning?

• Is there a purpose other than language practice?

• If it doesn’t have a communicative purpose, how can you tweak it to give it purpose or an outcome to turn it into a task?

jeennacanche@gmail.com

References & Further Study• Brandl, K. (2008). Communicative language teaching in action: putting principles to work. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

• Gass, S. M. (1997). Input, interaction, and the second language learner. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

• Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon. Retrieved January 15, 2017, from http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf

• Larsen-Freeman, D., & Long, M. H. (1991). An introduction to second language acquisition research. London: Longman.

• Lee, J. F., & VanPatten, B. (2003). Making communicative language teaching happen (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

• Leeser, M. & White, J. (2016). Interactive tasks. [Ebook]. New York, NY and London, England: Routledge.

• Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. M. (2013). How languages are learned 4e. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Savignon, S. J. (1983). Communicative Competence: theory and classroom practice: texts and contexts in second language learning. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

• Savignon, S. J. (1991). Communicative Language Teaching: State of the Art. TESOL Quarterly, 25(2), 261. doi:10.2307/3587463

• Stephen Krashen on Language Acquisition. Retrieved December 30, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiTsduRreug&t=82s

• Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition. (n.d.). Retrieved December 26, 2016, fromhttp://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash-english.html

• The Story of TPRS and Blaine Ray. Retrieved December 30, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtmnCbEWGBQ

• VanPatten, B. (2003). From input to output: a teacher’s guide to second language acquisition. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

• VanPatten, B. (2015-2016). Tea with BVP Episodes 19-21 and 23-25 [Audio Blogs]. Retrieved January 15, 2017, from https://soundcloud.com/teawithbvp

• VanPatten, B. (2016). Tea with BVP Episode 2: What ever happened to comprehensible input? (Live at MIWLA) [Audio blog]. Retrieved December 30, 2016 from https://soundcloud.com/teawithbvp/episode-2

• VanPatten, B. (2016). Tea with BVP Episode 31: Communicative Language Teaching: Misunderstood and misapplied [Audio blog comment]. Retrieved December 27, 2016, fromhttps://soundcloud.com/teawithbvp/episode-31-communicative#t=0:00

• VanPatten, B. (2017). Tea with BVP Episode 38: Output and its Role in Acquisition [Audio blog]. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from https://soundcloud.com/teawithbvp/episode-38-output-and-its-role

• What is TPRS? (n.d.). Retrieved December 30, 2016 from https://tprsbooks.com/what-is-tprs/