An Action Research On How To Use Tasked-based Classroom Discussion To Improve High-school Students’ Speaking Ability

English is a widely used global language. In China, English teaching has gained a very high status and the requirements for people’s oral English ability are increasingly high. However, Oral English teaching, which is restrained by a variety of factors, is far from satisfaction. Many students master English grammar and vocabulary solidly but it is difficult for them to express their own ideas in English in real life. Students’speaking abilities are far worse than reading and writing abilities.Task-based Language Teaching, which is different from traditional teaching approaches, stresses students-centered style and students’"learning by doing". It is a kind of teaching method aiming to develop students’ability to explore and acquire the language while completing tasks. According to Penny Ur, the most natural and effective way for learners to practice talking freely in English is by thinking out some problem or situation together through verbal interchange of ideas; or in simpler terms, to discuss. So the tasked-based classroom discussions are to be helpful to improve the students’ speaking ability.In order to motivate students to speak more and improve their speaking ability a 10-week action research was designed and carried out to find out how the application of task-based approach is superior to traditional teaching method in improving high-school students’ oral English. This paper is to discuss the following three questions:(1) Whether Task-based classroom discussions are to make the students participate more actively in oral English teaching class? (2) Whether task-based classroom discussions can promote students’interest in learning English and foster students’ positive attitude towards oral English? (3) Whether the approach of task-based classroom discussions is superior to traditional approach, and whether it is more effective in improving students’oral English?From the analysis of the questionnaires and interviews, and from classroom observation and post-test results, we can see that task-based classroom discussion activities can encourage students to participate more in class, can arouse students’ interest and foster students’positive attitude towards oral English. The result of the research shows that task-based classroom discussion is effective in improving students’oral English.The author hopes that this research can provide some help to other teachers who are interested in conducting this type of research.