The Task-Based Language Teaching In Facilitating The Development Of The Underachievers In High Schools

Underachievers refer the students, who are less good in learning ability, learning methodology and scopes of knowledge and willingness of learning. Researches have been done in helping such students in China since 1980s. However, there have been hardly any researchers who have endeavored to apply Task-based Teaching Language Method (TBLT) for this purpose. Therefore this research attempts to the underachievers by means of TBLT.Task-Based Language Teaching, short for TBLT is a teaching method that attracted increasing attention in1980s, which emphasizes learning by "doing" .This method requires learners to use the language for the purpose of communication. This research aims to find out whether TBLT will have a positive effect on the underachievers and how it works.The research involves the following steps. First, I collected information and determined the subjects. Second I prepared a questionnaire and had my questionnaire done by 121 students from two different classes which is similar to each other, where most students have difficulties in learning. At the same time, I held the pre-test and interviewed ten students with learning difficulties. I did experiments by a whole semester using different teaching methods in the two classes. The experimental class was taught by TBLT, and the other comparative class was not. During the experiment, I used TBLT to help the students memorize words, made them classify words with the help of prefixes and suffixes, helped the students in experimental class use what they had learned to finish the different tasks. When the experiment was over, I asked the same students to do the same questionnaire again and carry on the post-test to find out effect.Through the research, I find helping underachievers by using TBLT does not have negative effect on the students without learning difficulties. It also is helpful for those students with learning difficulties to cooperate with others .The experiment helps to prevent the enlargement of the gap between the best and the worst.In a word, to help the underachievers make progress, TBLT proves to be effective.