Chapter 5. The circle of learning

 Chapter 5. The circle of learning

    When discussing the various methods of planning and executing a lesson, we're faced with the TBL planning method, which we've been covering in the English Methodologies classes lately.

    Task-Based Learning (TBL) is a method that perceives language as a tool for communicating meaning using functions, vocabulary, structures, and discourse. Its followers argue that languages are learned by practice, by using them. Accordingly, the activities that form the TBL are based on a series of problem-solving tasks unraveled by communicating. Here, the learning process is less strict than, for instance, the Structural Approach method since teachers take mistakes as an expected part of learning. Thus, learners play an active role in the classroom and learn the language, sharing ideas cooperatively by solving issues in meaningful, authentic tasks.

    As Nunan (2004) perfectly explains, "My definition is that a pedagogical task is a piece of classroom work that involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing, or interacting in the target language while their attention is focused on mobilizing their grammatical knowledge in order to express meaning, and in which the intention is to convey meaning rather than to manipulate form. The task should also have a sense of completeness, being able to stand alone as a communicative act in its own right with a beginning, a middle, and an end." (Nunan, 2004, p. 4) Thus, tasks are meant to be well-structured, thought to make students learn the language by using it in noteworthy and natural discussions while attending the learners' pace.

    During one of the previous lessons, the teacher asked us what we thought was a significant aspect of the TBL method. This discussion was truthfully inspiring and got me thinking about everyone's interventions.

    There is undoubtedly a variety of strategies, methods, and activities regarding how to make students learn best. While some dated theories argue that the best methods involve memory and minimizing group interactions, more recent ones defend a positive atmosphere, in which communication between the teacher and the students is indispensable for a more productive learning experience.

    No matter the method used to conduct the lesson, the teacher's primary focus must always be the students and their learning process. Thus, planning is as important as engaging them in motivating activities and giving feedback. Apart from this, teachers should also be flexible and humble enough to change their tactics. That can occur if, for example, they notice that the students aren't making progress or learning competently. It's always necessary to pay attention to them and make sure they feel motivated by the pace and activities of the class. This is why being open to feedback from learners as a teacher is undoubtedly a great way of improving planning skills and promoting an overall better class environment. As a future teacher, I will do my best to achieve that someday.

    References

• Nunan, D. (2004). Task-based Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.