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 communicative purpose ( 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