The Development of Task-Based Activities for Culture-Related English Lessons Sample Essay

The thought that foreign linguistic communication instruction has a cultural dimension is non a new one ( Saluveer. 2004 ) . It is widely accepted that one of the chief purposes of foreign linguistic communication learning today is to develop learners’ ability to pass on with each other across lingual and cultural boundaries ( Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning. Teaching. Assessment ( CEF ) . 2001: 3 ) . Therefore. linguistic communication larning today does non merely concentrate on larning the linguistic communication. but besides larning other civilizations. As English has become a planetary linguistic communication. instruction and larning English in Thailand has become disputing since they have passed through EFL context and gained more EIL position. However. English acquisition in Thailand has non been really successful so far because most scholars lack the chance to larn English in an English environment and for interaction in day-to-day life ( Wiriyachitra. 2003. p. 25 ) . Hence. Thais’ degree of English proficiency is low comparing to our neighbours in ASEAN: Malaya. Philippines. Singapore. Indonesia and Vietnam ( EF EPI English Proficiency Index ) Another possible ground is that English lessons in Thailand are non disputing and interesting plenty to actuate pupils to larn ( Biyeam. 1997 cited in Wiriyachitra. 2003 ) .

As mentioned above. linguistic communication and civilization are closely linked ; the instruction of civilization is seen as an built-in and organized constituent of linguistic communication classs. Many English text editions include assorted cultural subjects from different civilizations into the lesson such as salutations. culinary art. festivals. tourer attractive forces. superstitious beliefs. Although those subjects provide pupils with new cultural facets in linguistic communication acquisition. they are non well related to Thai students’ background cognition. Including Tai civilization into the lessons would be more meaningful to them. Harmonizing to Buttjes and Byram who proposed the comparative attack of learning civilization in 1991. the comparative attack emphasizes that foreign linguistic communication and civilization acquisition should associate to learners’ ain. They claimed that alternatively of supplying scholars with “one-way flow of cultural information” . they should be encouraged to reflect their ain and foreign civilization.

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Furthermore. to better larning conditions in the schoolroom. task-based activities are extensively used in English categories to guarantee that students’ preparation is relevant to existent universe state of affairs and besides provide pupils with more chance to larn the linguistic communication in a more meaningful context. Harmonizing to David Nunan. task-based linguistic communication learning focal points on triping students’ acquisition accomplishments through systematic instructional sequences that will enable them to reproduce and pull strings linguistic communication theoretical accounts learned in category. and bit by bit get down to utilize the linguistic communication creatively to show their ideas.

In this manner. larning culture-related English lessons through task-based activities would let students’ communicative accomplishments to turn along the acquisition procedure.

Research inquiries
1. Is the class designed with TBL attack effectual for learning culture-related English lessons to better students’ communicative accomplishments? 2. Make the pupils have positive attitudes towards learning English with civilization related content in general? 3. Make the pupils have positive attitudes towards task-based activities used for civilization related English lessons?

Aims of the survey
1. To develop a class with TBL attack for learning culture-related English lessons. 2. To better students’ communicative accomplishments through task-based activities designed for culture-related English lessons. 3. To look into students’ attitudes towards learning English with civilization related content in general.

4. To look into students’ attitudes towards task-based activities designed for civilization related English lessons.

Scope of the survey: TBLT Framework by David Nunan. 2004

Treatment

Restrictions of the survey

The survey may present some restrictions as its consequences found may non be representative or generalized for other groups of the pupils. As such. the findings may non adequately generalise for other assorted groups of the pupils in different contexts. Therefore. the demand to look into students’ attitudes towards task-based activities designed for civilization related English lessons and towards learning English with civilization related content among other groups of the pupils with different contexts or diverseness still remains in order to find Thai students’ attitudes towards acquisition and learning English with cultural related subjects.

Definition of footings

1. Task-based activities: activities that are designed based on task-based linguistic communication learning attack 2. Culture-related English lessons: English lessons that are tied around cultural subjects

Research process

Population and samples: The population of the survey is 1. 200 undergraduate pupils both male and female analyzing English 3 ( Intermediate degree ) at Siam University. Purposive sampling is used in the survey. Purposive sampling is used in this research. The figure of the sample is about 240 pupils from six subdivisions that I am responsible for each semester. The ground for choosing this peculiar group of pupils is because they have completed the first and 2nd compulsory English classs ( English 1 and 2 ) out of the six needed classs. They. are. therefore at the phase of get the hanging basic grammar points that are necessary to finish the undertakings designed for this research.

Research instruments: The instruments of the survey are as follows ;
1. Pretest and posttest
2. Evaluation rubric of the undertakings
3. Attitude questionnaires
4. Teacher’s observation and diary



Data aggregation: the informations will be collected before. during and after implementing TBLT model through proving. detecting and questioning. Students will be videotape recorded during the undertakings and some of them will be interviewed after the undertaking.

Datas analysis: The informations gathered from the pre-post trial. rating rubrics and questionnaires will be computed in footings of per centum. The standard of Likert graduated table ( 1932 ) will be used to mensurate the degree of students’ attitudes towards both learning English with civilization related content and undertakings designed for the civilization related English lessons.

Phases of research harmonizing to aims and method
1. Conducting students’ demands analysis in analyzing English
2. Surveying students’ civilization related subjects of involvement
3. Planing an English class of which the units are tied thematically.
4. Planing undertakings harmonizing to six instructional sequences of TBLT model proposed by David Nunan. 2004.
5. Datas aggregation
6. Datas analysis
7. Drumhead and decision






Significance of the survey

Even though it is non necessary that today’s acquisition and instruction be limited merely in the schoolroom. based on my instruction experiences. I have found that in-class acquisition is still imperative in Thailand’s context. As a consequence of assorted force per unit areas of clip and the demand to cover the course of study. many lessons and activities are frequently relegated to homework and take topographic point in unsupported conditions of acquisition. The danger in these fortunes is that poorer pupils struggle entirely and pupils will lose valuable chances for betterment through treatment. coaction. and feedback. To assist better English larning conditions in the schoolroom. TBLT model is believed to make the optimal status for linguistic communication acquisition. Harmonizing to Willis ( 1998. p3 ) . she claimed that the TBL model supports assorted indispensable conditions for a schoolroom environment. for illustration ; for exposure to a rich and comprehendible input of existent spoken and written linguistic communication in usage. chances to utilize the mark linguistic communication for showing significance. motive to prosecute with exposure and utilize what they know. and concentrate on linguistic communication signifier to forestall fossilisation.

Furthermore. to learn English with civilization related subjects. pupils should be encouraged to reflect their ain and foreign civilizations. Alternatively of supplying scholars with “one-way flow of cultural information” . it is believed that the comparative attack can pull on the learner’s ain cognition. beliefs and values which form a footing for successful communicating with members of the other civilization ( Buttjes and Byram. 1991:13. cited in Edginton 2000: 136 )

In this research. I would wish to develop an English class sing culture-related English lessons with TBL attack to better students’ communicative accomplishments. and to look into students’ attitudes towards learning English with civilization related content and towards the activities used for the lessons. and to actuate pupils to larn English in a more meaningful manner: acquisition English through their ain civilization and the civilizations of others.

Mentions

Buttjes. D. ( 1991 ) . Interceding Languages and Cultures. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Byram. M. ( 1994 ) . Teaching and Learning Language and Culture. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Chastain. K. ( 1988 ) . Developing Second Language Skills. Theory and Practice. Orlando. Florida: Harcourt Brace Janovich Publishers. Cortazi. M. ( 1999 ) . Cultural Mirrors. Materials and Methods in the EFL schoolroom. Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 197-219. Gardner. R. C. and Lambert. W. E. ( 1972 ) . Attitudes and Motivation in Second Language Learning. Rowley. Ma: Newburry House Kramsch. C. ( 1998 ) . Language and civilization. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Larsen-Freeman. D. ( 2000 ) . Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nunan. D. ( 1992 ) . Research Methods in Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nunan. D. ( 2004 ) . A model of task-based linguistic communication instruction. ( p. 19-39 ) . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pulverness. A. ( 1999 ) . The 5th skill-Intercultural Awareness and Language acquisition. Anthology issues. 6-10. The British Council. Seelye. H. N. ( 1993 ) . Teaching culture-strategies for inter- cultural communicating. 3rd edition. Lincolnwood: National Textbook Company. Tomalin. B. and Stempleski. S. ( 1993 ) . Cultural Awareness. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Willis. J. ( 1996 ) . A Model for Task-Based Learning. Longman ELT.

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