任务型教学在初中英语写作中的运用.doc

任务型教学在初中英语写作中的运用Acknowledgements Abstract 中文摘要 Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1. Task-based Approach 2.1.1. TBA Research Abroad 2.1.2. TBA Research in China 2. 2. TBA Theoretical Foundation 2.2.1. Linguistic Theory 2.2.2. Learning Theory 2.2.3. Instructional Theory 2.2.4. L2 Acquisition Theory 2.2.5. Curriculum Theory 2.2.6. New National Curriculum Standards for English Education 2.3. TBA Characteristics 2.4. TBA Model 2.4.1. Pre-task Preparation 2.4.2. While-task Process 2.4.3. Post-task Activity 2.5. TBA and Task 2.5.1. Defining Task 2.5.2. Task Type 2.5.3. Task Design Principle Chapter 3 Overview of English Writing Teaching 3.1. Some Understandings of English Writing 3.1.1. Nature of Writing and EFL Writing 3.1.2. Various Types and Purposes of Writing 3.2. Importance of Writing Teaching 3.3. Problem Existing in Writing 3.3.1. Problem Existing in Writing Teaching 3.3.2. Problem Existing in StudentsWriting 3.4. The Research of Writing Teaching 3.4.1. Product Writing Teaching Approach 3.4.2. Process Writing Teaching Approach 3.5. TBA and Writing Teaching 3.5.1. The Use of TBA 3.5.2. Current Study on TBA in Writing teaching Chapter 4 The Application of TBA in English Writing Teaching 4.1. Research Purpose and Hypothesis 4.2. Research Object and Variable 4.3. Research Period 4.4. Research Instrument 4.4.1. Writing Teaching material 4.4.2. Questionnaire, Interview and Test 4.4.3. Statistical Method for Data Analyzing 4.4.4. Assessment Method 4.4.5. Scoring Criteria 4.5. Research Procedure 4.5.1. Pre-test and Post-test 45-46 4.5.2. Pre -experiment Questionnaire 4.5.3. Post -experiment Questionnaire 4.5.4. Experiment Treatment Chapter 5 Data Collection and Analysis 5.1. Sources of Result and Data 5.2. Result of Pre-experiment Questionnaire 5.3. Result of Post-experiment Questionnaire 5.4. Result of Post-experiment Interview 5.5 Data Analysis of Pre-test and Post-test Chapter 6 Conclusion 6.1. Major Findings 6.2. Pedagogical Implication 6.2.1. Writing Materials/Topic 6.2.2. Writing Task 6.2.3. Group Work 6.2.4. Role Change 6.2.5. Assessment Change 6.3. Research Limitation and Further Concern References Appendixes AcknowledgementsMy principal and heartfelt acknowledgement first of all goes to my advisor,Professor Tang Xiongying,whose strictness in academic study,patient instruction and profound knowledge have helped me a lot.I am also grateful for Mr Hu Weifengs invaluable advice,continuous guidance and support in the accomplishment of this thesis.My gratitude also goes to all the teachers who have helped me during my study in Jiangxi Normal University,especially Prof.Liu Shulin and Prof.LiuChunyan. From their lessons, I have learned a lot about language, English teaching, course design and testing. I am grateful to my classmates Zheng Jingrong, Linlei and Li Xiaohong. They also gave me lots of invaluable help. Finally, I would also express my genuine thanks to my family members,especially my daughter,my wife, my mother-inlaw, my brother-in-law, my sister-inlaw, whose continuous encouragement and support are indispensable to me during my composing this thesis in the past years.AbstractThe theory of the Task-based Approach (TBA), an influential languageteaching and learning theory, was put forward to by language teaching methodologistsand the second language acquisition researchers based on long-term study andpractice. The methodologists and researchers contend that it is important and useful tomake use of tasks in the classroom. The argument mentioned as above has had asignificant influence on the methodology of English teaching,English course designand studies in language acquisition.Evidently,the New National CurriculumStandards for English Education issued by the Ministry of Education,whichemphasizes the cultivation of studentscomprehensive language proficiencies,alsoadvocates the use of the approach.Writing is a continual process of searching the most effective expressions tocommunicate.And it is both of challenge to write in mother language and the targetlanguage.Writing cant be separated from language learning.Writing can not onlyconsolidate what has been learned but also is an important way of communication.Writing can effectively facilitate the internalization of learnersknowledge and checkthe sentence structures and usage in the target language.Writing can also accelerateautomation in the performance of target language,and therefore,promote the learningof target language.However,it is not easy to learn how to write.Writing is acomplicated and dynamic process.It is restricted by various cognitive and socialfactors.In China,English writing is the weakest part of teaching and learning.Although many English teachers have made great efforts,little effect can be seen.Thestudentswriting ability still cant reach the target level.The traditional ways of teaching writing are product approach and processapproach. Product approach is a kind of bottom-up writing approach at sentencelevel. Often, the learner is engaged in imitating, copying and transforming models ofcorrect language. The disadvantage of product approach is that the grammatical correctness and sentence making are overemphasized, whereas the whole structure of the composition and the studentsaffective attitude and inner experience tend to be ignored. Process approach,on the other hand,focuses more on the various classroomactivities which are believed to promote the development of skill language use.In thisapproach,the focus is on quantity rather than quality for learners at the beginninglevel.The students are encouraged to get their ideas on paper in any shape or formwithout worrying too much about formal correctness.The approach also encouragescollaborative group work between learners as a way of enhancing motivation anddeveloping positive attitudes towards writing.Its disadvantage is that attention togrammar is played down.Now many scholars and teachers have begun to realize boththe product and process approaches have some problems.In recent years,teaching English writing has become more and more important,yet there are many problems in English writing teaching in Chinese junior middleschool.How to improve the quality of English writing teaching and studentswritingproficiencies has become a concern in the circle of education.In this study,TBA wastentatively applied in writing teaching as a means to facilitate the English writingteaching and studentswriting proficiencies.As a result of the experimental research,it is found that TBA is helpful in that it converts language the basic principle oflanguage use into a meaningful teaching model in the classroom.The students areencouraged to communicate with each other and enforce their sense of participatingby the means of cooperation and competition of accomplishing tasks.At the sametime,the students guided by their teacher deal with and accomplish the tasks andadjust their emotions and strategies so that their language proficiency will bepromoted and goals advocated in the New National English Curriculum Standard willbe realized.Key words: task-based approach;task;writing teaching摘要20世纪80年代外语教学法和第二语言习得研究者经过大量研究和实践，提出一种有重要影响的语言教学理论-任务型语言教学理论(Task-basedApproach)。长期以来，语言理论专家与外语教育工作者都一致认为，在课堂上使用任务(task)教学法十分重要，这种观点己对英语教学法、英语课程设计和语言习得研究方法产生了重要的影响。国家英语新课程标准明确提倡任务型的教学思想，并主张把对学生综合语言能力的培养落实在教学过程中。写作是寻找最有效的语言进行思想感情交流的一个连续的过程。无论用母语还是第二语言写作，都具有挑战性。学习语言离不开写作。写作不仅能巩固所学的语言知识，也是一种重要的交际手段。写作能有效地促进学生英语知识的内化，有助于检验学习者的句法结构和词语的使用，促进学生语用能力的提高，从而有效地促进英语学习。然而，学会写作不容易，因为它是一个迂回复杂、动态的过程，受到各种认知和社会因素的约束。在我国，英语写作一直是英语教学中最为薄弱的环节。尽管广大外语教师做出了不少努力，但收效甚微，学生的写作能力始终未能达到预期的目标。传统的写作教学大多采用“结果法”（Product approach）或“过程法”(Process approach)。“结果法”是一种自下而上（Bottom up）基于句子层面的写作方法，主要课堂教学活动是学生模仿、抄录并改写正确句子等。此方法的缺点是过于强调学生的遣词造句能力和语法的准确性，忽视文章篇章结构整体性，忽视学生情感态度和内心体验。“过程法”主要是通过各种各样的班级活动来促进技能的发展，刚开始时更注重数量而非质量。初学写作者常被鼓励把自己的想法用任何形式写在纸上，而无需太多担心语法和结构的准确性。“过程法”鼓励学生建立合作小组，提高写作动机和培养正确的写作态度。但它的缺点是语法常被淡化了。近20年来，国外许多学者和英语写作教师开始认识到“结果法”和“过程法”都有其不足之处。在英语写作教学的重要性凸显的今天，面对我国初中英语作文教学存在的一些问题，如何提高英语作文教学质量和学生的英语书面表达能力己经成为语言教学界关注的一个课题。本论文以实验的形式，尝试将任务型教学法运用于写作训练中，以实现有效进行英语写作教学，提高学生英语写作能力的目的。实验结果显示,任务型语言教学方法在英语写作课堂教学中的应用有利于将语言运用的基本理念转化为具有完成意义的课堂教学形式，这一教学法借助任务的完成，合作与竞争，促进学生之问的信息交流，增强他们的参与意识。学生在老师的指导下去实现任务，在处理任务的过程中进行情感和策略的调整，可促进语言实际运用能力的提高，实现英语新课程标准中提出的目标要求。关键词任务型教学;任务;写作教学The Application of Task-based Approach in English Writing Teaching in Junior Middle SchoolChapter 1 IntroductionWith the economic globalization and the rapid development of science andtechnology,English teaching as a main channel through which English learners haveaccess to the mastery of English is paid more attention to than ever before.However,affected by the test-orientated education,the main problem currently in Englishteaching in Chinese junior middle schools is that most teachers have laid moreemphasis on language knowledge teaching than the training of studentscomprehensive proficiencies of using a foreign language.So much time is spent inanalyzing sentence structures so that fostering of studentslanguage use is neglected.Moreover,some English teachers are greatly influenced by traditional languageteaching approaches which overlook an important aspect of language knowledge.Andthe function-notional textbook is taught in traditional language teaching approaches.Consequently,some students have learned English for several years,yet they still cantcommunicate with each other in English and meet with the demand of thedevelopment of education in our country.In order to solve the problem,New NationalCurriculum Standards for English Education explicitly stipulates that Task-based Approach (TBA) is strongly recommended to develop studentscomprehensive proficiencies of using a language. English writing has long been one of the weakest aspects of Chinese Englishlearners among four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. How toefficiently teach English writing and improve students writing proficiency isdifficult work for teachers in junior middle schools too.English writing proficiency isa very important skill for junior middle school students and is also an important qualitystandard of teaching for teachers.Writing skill is particularly emphasized in the NewNational Curriculum Standards for English Education issued by the Ministry ofEducation in 2003.Although many English teachers and researchers have adopted some writing teaching approaches to improve students writing proficiency and somepositive results have been achieved,this backward situation in English writing hasalmost remained unchanged in junior middle schools in China.Through practical research work,some problems existing in the teaching ofEnglish writing are mainly reflected in two respects,namely the teaching approachesand the way of assessment of studentsproducts.TBA aims at providing opportunitiesfor the learners to experience with and explore both spoken and written languagethrough learning activities which are designed to engage learners in the authentic,practical and functional use of language for meaningful purposes,and it also changesthe previous way of unscientific assessment.More attention is paid to studentsparticipation,cultivating studentspositive affective attitude etc.This study tentatively explores the use of putting TBA into the practice of Englishwriting teaching in order to achieve more efficiency in English writing teaching and enhancestudents writing proficiency.Based on the result of the study,opinions will be given on what TBAis and how to employ it into the classroom practical English writing teaching so as to cultivatestudentswriting proficiency.Further details will be discussed in this thesis.This thesis is composed altogether of six chapters.Chapter one gives a briefintroduction，describing the outline of TBA and the thesis.Chapter two makes aliterature review of the task-based approach and task.Chapter three is used formaking a brief revision of writing theory and providing an overview of the currentresearch situation of English writing teaching in China,which serves as a theoreticalsupport for this thesis.Chapter four is the description of the application of TBA inEnglish writing teaching,including the experimental hypothesis,purpose,subjects,instrument and procedure.In chapter five,results and data collected before and afterexperiment are analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods.Chapter six is adiscussion,dealing with major findings,the advantages and disadvantages of thepresent study and the suggestions for further research.Chapter 2 Literature ReviewThis chapter will review some important ideas about TBA and task,whichprovides the research situation abroad and in China,the theoretical foundation,theframework,the characteristics and the model of TBA and includes the types,thedesign principles.At the end of this chapter,a summary will be made with regard toboth TBA and task.2.1.Task-based ApproachTask-based approach puts the tasks to be completed at the center of thelanguage learning session,in which learners are given problems to solve and tasks tocomplete,individually and collaboratively by using the target language.The teachersupplies whatever language is needed to facilitate the successful outcome of the task.Learners need to actively seek the language and practise the skills they need toachieve a successful outcome.2.1.1.TBA Research AbroadTBA put forward by Prabhu(1987)in 1980s,who originally aimed at makingstudents learn language through solving problems and completing tasks.He held theview that language teaching underlying student-center and should be paid attention tolanguage meaning as well as form.Nunan(1989)made a research on designing tasks for the communicativeclassroom.According to Nunans research,the communicative task model is dividedinto six parts:aim,input,activity,teachersrole,learnersrole and setting.In a framework for task-based learning,Willis(1996)put forward three-stepmodel for organizing teaching:pre-task,task cycle and language focus.His model ishelpful for teachers how to develop classroom teaching procedures.Skehan(1998),after analyzing the framework for task-based learning,established a close relation between task and L2 acquisition,social languagecommunicative theory,and information processing theory.2.1.2.TBA Research in ChinaThe research of TBA is still in the primary stage.Xia Jimei et al.(1998)indetails analyzed and introduced TBA in the thesis comparison of theoretical basis andmodel between difficulty teaching and TBA.Wu Xiudong et al.(1998)made a systematic research on the degree of taskdifficulty and conditions.Chen Kela(2000)explained the developmental tendency of TBA abroad andadvanced the plan for TBA in foreign language course curriculum in his thesiscomment on the product and task syllabus.In 2001,TBA is strongly recommended by New National Curriculum Standardsfor English Education.Since then,a surfing research for TBA has been produced anddeveloped very quickly.Luo Shaoxi(2002)raised performance valuation on TBA.Lu Zhiwen(2003)made an experimental research on TBA used in primary andjunior middle schools,and he firstly advocated the real principle for languageteaching.The researches mentioned above are mainly about theoretical introductions andgeneral researches.The number of researches employing TBA in English listening,speaking,reading and writing is quite few,of which successful ones are fewer.2.2.TBA Theoretical FoundationThe theoretical foundation of TBA is originally from psychology,linguistics,learning theory,instructional theory,language acquisition,curriculum theory etc.Inthis part,the necessity and explanation of language teaching notion are discussedaccording to the above theories.2.2.1.Linguistic TheorySystem-Functional Linguistics is the linguistic theoretical foundation of TBA.According to Halliday,a famous system-functional linguist(Hu Zhuanglin,2002:699)language development in children as“the mastery of linguistic functions”,and“learning a language is learning how to mean”.He proposes seven functions:(1)the instrumental function;(2)the regulatory function;(3)the interactional function;(4)the personal function;(5)the heuristic function;(6)the imaginative function;(7)theinformative function.The adults language becomes much more complex and it has toserve many more functions,and is original from the childs language functionreducing to three ones:the ideational,the interpersonal and the textual functions.Social linguistics is another theoretical foundation of TBA.Social linguists holdthat language is inseparable from society and it is a main factor of culturetransmission and social development.And social linguists think that human beingsdevelop language through contacting with society and language learning is a dynamicinteractional process between people and society.Since 1971,a group of Western applied linguists have begun to investigate thepossibility of developing language courses on a unit-credit system,“a system in whichlearning tasks are broken down intoportions or units,each of which corresponds toa component of a learners needs and is systematically related to all the otherportions”(van Ek and Alexander,1980:6).D.A Wilkins(1976),who proposed afunctional or communicative definition of language that could serve as a basis forlanguage teaching.Rather than describe the core of language through traditionalconcepts of grammar and vocabulary,Wilk