An Empirical Study On Task-based Writing In High Schools

In 2001, the Ministry of Education issued the new National Curriculum Standards for English Education and suggested adopting TBLT in English teaching in schools. However, despite the fact that much has been written about definitions of task and the role of tasks and task-based learning has been practiced in many countries around the globe in recent years, there is not much work being done to introduce TBLT systematically and little discussion of how tasks are actually implemented in high schools, especially where EFL teaching situations are so diverse in terms of large class sizes; lack of appropriate resources; teachers not trained in task-based methodologies; teachers with limited language proficiency and traditional form-based examinations, many English teachers are overwhelmed by this new approach. On the other hand, the traditional presentation-based approach is probably still the commonest teaching approach if judged on a worldwide basis. Skehan (1998) explained that secure teacher roles and teacher training and clear accountability are the main reasons for the durability of such 3Ps-based approach (presentation, practice and production). This 3Ps-based teaching method prevails in the current forms-oriented testing system, but does little to help cultivate students' language proficiency. Having realized four major language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), high school students (even college students) are specially unwilling to write in English (and they are usually worst at it as it is probably the most difficult skill to improve). Great deals of controversies remain over the consensus of the term "task" and how to practise task-based teaching. Currently only theories discussions have been undergone to clarify confusions on task-based methodology. Few experiments (if any) have been done to prove this new teaching concept is a practical and feasible one. Despite the facts that task-based teaching has become a buzzword around the globe, more has to be put into practice to build solid empirical foundation for task-based teaching. All the factors illustrated above make it absolutely necessary to carry out this study.This paper "defines task along the lines of Willis and Skehan and Nunan, whose theories on TBLT provide the basis for this task-based writing study. This study has aimed at investigating the effect of a task-based writing program on middle school students. The design of the program was based on a task-based pedagogy and lasted for two semesters and involved 61 students in senior two. The subjects are taught to engage in interactive and authentic writing activities that simulate real-world situations. Both the quantitative and qualitative results of the program indicate that task-based writing training has had a considerably significant effect on the subjects' English writing proficiency in terms of grammar, vocabulary, mechanics, fluency and relevance, and that the program is able to significantly enhance the subjects' English learning motivations in Chinese EFL context.