Appying task based approach in teaching skill to the 10th graders at some high schools in Ha Tinh

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
VINH UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

LE THI HUYEN TRANG

APPLYING TASK - BASED APPROACH
IN TEACHING SPEAKING SKILL TO THE 1OTH
GRADERS AT SOME HIGH SCHOOLS
IN HA TINH

MASTER THESIS IN EDUCATION


VINH - 2013

2


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
VINH UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

LE THI HUYEN TRANG

APPLYING TASK - BASED APPROACH
IN TEACHING SPEAKING SKILL TO THE 1OTH
GRADERS AT SOME HIGH SCHOOLS
IN HA TINH
Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching
Code: 601410

MASTER THESIS IN EDUCATION

Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luu Quy Khuong


VINH - 2013

ii


STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I here acknowledge that this study is mine. The data and findings discussed
in the thesis are true, used with permission from associates, and have not been
published elsewhere.
Author

Le Thi Huyen Trang

i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For the completion of the study, I have received valuable contributions from
many people.
First of all, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my supervisor,
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luu Quy Khuong, whose useful instructions and advice, as well
as detailed critical comments and encouragements help me a great deal from the
beginning to the end of the thesis writing process. Without his help, the study would
have never finished.

I would also like to thank all the teachers who have taught me during the
course and have given me useful advice and favourable conditions for the
completion of the thesis.
Additionally, I am grateful to all teachers of English and students at Cu Huy
Can High School, Le Huu Trac I High School, Cao Thang High School, who have
helped me much to carry out the survey for my thesis.
Finally, my thanks go to my family as well as my friends for their support
and encouragement.
Vinh, 2013

Le Thi Huyen Trang

ii


ABSTRACT
Task-based approach is a new teaching approach which is supposed to be
effective in promoting learners’ communicative competence. In a task-based class,
learners play the central role and the lessons become more relaxing and meaningful.
However, empirical studies of its application are rarely found in the field of English
language speaking instruction. This study investigated the application of task-based
language teaching and learning or task-based learning (TBL) to teaching English
speaking skills in high school suggested solutions. Also, the study displayed an
evaluation of the pilot teaching as an evidence of effective s in Ha Tinh province.
The study tried to find out how TBL can fit into English speaking classes to
promote the students’ communicative competence.
The methods for empirical investigation in the study included students’ and
teachers’ questionnaire survey, teachers’ interview, classroom observation and pilot
teaching. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to create a
realistic and detailed description of the real teaching context and the attitudes,

assessments of teachers and students involved. It also presented an evaluation of the
pilot teaching as an evidence of effective use of task-based approach in teaching
speaking skills to the 10th graders at high schools in Ha Tinh.
The results of the study showed that most of the teachers and students had
positive attitudes and motivation to the uses of TBL in learning and teaching
speaking skills, yet the scope was still limited. This findings also showed that the
language teachers experience some practical difficulties with TBL in their oral
classes because this is quite a new approach. Finally, some useful implications for
its application are proposed based on the research findings in order to help the
teachers to implement TBL more effectively in their English speaking classes.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents

Page

SUB COVER PAGE .......................................................................................i
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP.........................................................................................i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................................ii
ABSTRACT..........................................................................................................................iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................................................1
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................................4
LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................7

1.1. Rationale............................................................................................................7

1.2. Objectives of the Study......................................................................................8
1.3. Scope of the Study.............................................................................................8
1.4. Research Questions............................................................................................8
1.5. The Organization of the Study...........................................................................9
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW.....................................................................................................10

2.1. Overview..........................................................................................................10
2.2. Previous Studies Related to the Thesis............................................................10
2.3. The Importance of Speaking in Language Teaching......................................11
2.3.1. Definitions of Speaking.......................................................................11
2.3.2. Types of Speaking...............................................................................12
2.3.3. Stages of Teaching Speaking...............................................................13
2.3.4. Problems with Speaking and Speaking Activities..............................14
2.4. Task-based Instructions...................................................................................16
2.4.1. Definitions of Tasks.............................................................................16
2.4.2. Types of Tasks.....................................................................................18
2.4.3. Characteristics of Tasks.......................................................................22
2.4.4. Components of tasks............................................................................22
2.4.5. Principles of Tasks...............................................................................26
2.5. Task-based Language Teaching (TBL)...........................................................26
2.5.1. Definitions of TBL...............................................................................26

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2.5.2. Characteristics of TBL.........................................................................28
2.5.3. Frame of the Task-based Instructions.................................................28
2.5.4. Principles of TBL.................................................................................30
CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY................................................................33

3.1. Overview .........................................................................................................33
3.2. Research Methods............................................................................................33
3.3. Context of the Study........................................................................................33
3.4. Participants.......................................................................................................35
3.4.1. The teachers ........................................................................................36
3.4.2. The Learners........................................................................................37
3.5. Data Collection Instruments............................................................................37
3.5.1. Questionnaire.......................................................................................37
3.5.2. Classroom Observation........................................................................38
3.5.3. Interview..............................................................................................38
3.5.4. Pilot Teaching......................................................................................39
3.6. Data Collection................................................................................................39
3.7. Data Analysis...................................................................................................40
3.8. Research Procedures .......................................................................................40
3.9. Reliability and Validity ...................................................................................41
3.10. Summary........................................................................................................41
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.........................................................................................42

4.1. Overview .........................................................................................................42
4.2. Findings............................................................................................................42
4.2.1. The Reality of Teaching Speaking at High Schools in Ha Tinh
province..........................................................................................................42
4.2.2. The Reality of Applying TBL in Teaching Speaking Skills...............54
4.2.3. The Teachers’ Difficulties in Applying TBL to Teaching English
Speaking Skills...............................................................................................67

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4.2.4. Students and Teachers’ Feedbacks to TBL Used in English Speaking
Classes............................................................................................................72
4.2.5. What Should Be Done to Promote Teaching English Speaking with
TBL................................................................................................................74
4.3. Discussions.......................................................................................................78
4.3.1. The Reality of the Application of TBL to Teaching English Speaking
........................................................................................................................78
4.3.2. The Difficulties Emerging with the Implementation of TBL.............81
4.3.3. Solutions to Teaching English Language Speaking Skills with TBL 82
4.3.4. Teachers’ Solutions to Their Difficulties in Teaching Speaking Skills
........................................................................................................................84
4.4. Pilot Teaching..................................................................................................89
4.4.1. Designed Activities and Its Procedures...............................................90
4.4.2. Students’ Feedbacks on the Lesson.....................................................94
4.5.3. Teachers’ Evaluation on the Lesson....................................................95
4.4.4. The Researcher’s Reflection................................................................96
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS.............................................................................97

5.1. Conclusion.......................................................................................................97
5.2. Implications of the Research...........................................................................98
5.2.1. Implications for Teaching....................................................................98
5.2.2. For Textbook Designers......................................................................99
5.3. Limitations of the Research.............................................................................99
5.4. Further Research............................................................................................100
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................101
APPENDICES....................................................................................................................104

APPENDICES
Appendix 1

: Questionnaire for Teachers

Appendix 2a : Questionnaire for Students (English version)
Appendix 2b : Questionnaire for Students (Vietnamese version)
Appendix 3

: Questions for Teachers Interview

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Appendix 4

: Observation Sheet

Appendix 5a : Students’ Feedback to Pilot Teaching (English version)
Appendix 5b : Students’ Feedback to Pilot Teaching (Vietnamese version)
Appendix6

: Teachers’ Feedback to Pilot Teaching

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
EFL

:

English as a Foreign Language

ELT

:

English Language Teaching

GTM

:

Grammar Translation Method

P-P-P

:

Presentation - Practice - Production

S

:

Student

SLA

:

Second Language Acquisition

T

:

Teacher

TBL

:

Task-based Language Teaching and Learning
(Task-based Learning)

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LIST OF TABLES
Page
Figure 2.1: The Willis’ TBL Framework.............................................................................28
Table 3.1: Teacher informants’ Background Information....................................................36
Table 3.2: Student Informants’ Background Information....................................................37
Figure 4.1: Students’ Attitude towards Learning English....................................................42
Figure 4.2: Students' Opinions on the Four Skills in Learning English...............................43
Figure 4.3: Teachers’ Attitude towards Teaching Speaking Skill.......................................44
Figure 4.4: Teachers’ Interest in Teaching Speaking Skills.................................................45
Table 4.1: Reasons for Teachers’ Low Interests in Teaching Speaking Skills....................45
Table 4.2: Reasons for Teachers’ high Interests in Teaching Speaking Skills....................46
Figure 4.5: Students’ Interests in Learning Speaking Lessons............................................47
Figure 4.6: Students' Response towards Speaking Activities..............................................47

Figure 4.7: Factors Motivating Students in Speaking Classes.............................................48
Figure 4.8: Factors De-motivating Students in Speaking Classes........................................49
Figure 4.9: Student’s Evaluation of Learning Speaking Skill..............................................50
Figure 4.10: Teachers’ Evaluation of Teaching Speaking Skill.........................................51
Figure 4.11: Students’ Difficulties in Learning Speaking Skills.........................................52
Table 4.3: Difficulties from the Students.............................................................................52
Table 4.4: Difficulties from the Educational System..........................................................53
Table 4.5: Difficulties from the teachers..............................................................................54
Figure 4.12: Teachers’ Experiences in Applying TBL in Teaching Speaking....................54
Table 4.6: Teachers’ Frequency of Applying TBL in Teaching Speaking.........................55
Figure 4.13: The Importance of Applying TBL
in Teaching English Speaking..............................................................................................56
Figure 4.14: The Degree of Application TBL in Teaching Speaking Skill.........................57
Table 4.7: Reasons for Choosing TBL in Teaching Speaking Skill....................................57
Table 4.8: Reasons for Avoiding TBL in Teaching Speaking Skill.....................................58
Figure 4.15: Students’ Interests in the Speaking Lessons
with the Use of Tasks...........................................................................................................59
Figure 4.16: Students Recognizing the Changes
in Classroom after Applying TBL........................................................................................60
Figure 4.17: Students’ Comment on the Given Tasks..........................................................61
Table 4.9: Frequency of Teachers’ Application Types of Tasks
in Speaking Lessons.............................................................................................................62
Table 4.10: The Frequency of Using Interactions Patterns
in Teaching Speaking...........................................................................................................64
Figure 4.18: Students’ Favorite in Interactions Patterns......................................................65
Figure 4.19: Students’ Participation in Tasks......................................................................66
Figure 4.20: Teachers’ difficulties in applying TBL............................................................68
Table 4.11: Teachers’ Typical Difficulties in Shifting from a Traditional Method
Classroom to a Task-based Classroom.................................................................................68
Figure 4.21: Teachers’ Typical Difficulties Teachers Had When Conducting a Task-based

Speaking Class.....................................................................................................................70
Figure 4.22: Difficulties from the Textbook........................................................................70

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Table 4.12: Problems Students Encountered in a Task-based
English Speaking Lesson......................................................................................................72
Figure 4.23: Benefits of Using TBL in Speaking Classes....................................................73
Figure 4.24: Teachers’ Opinions about the Benefits of TBL...............................................74
Figure 4.25: Students’ Preferences for Effective Task-based Speaking Classes.................75
Table 4.13: Factors Making the Application of TBL Effective in English
Speaking Classes..................................................................................................................76
Table 4.14: Teachers’ Solutions to Multi-level Classes.......................................................85
Table 4.15: Teachers’ Solutions to Students’ Low Motivation............................................86
Figure 4.26: Teachers’ Solutions to Students’ Use of Vietnamese
During Group Work or Pair Work.......................................................................................87
Table 4.16: Teachers’ Solutions to Students’ Low English Proficiency..............................87
Figure 4.27: Teachers’ Solutions to Students’ Passive Learning Style................................88
Table 4.17: Teachers’ Solutions to the Lack of Authentic Materials...................................89
Table 4.18: Teachers’ Comment on the Effectiveness of Activities....................................95

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
English is an international language, it has important roles in diplomacy,
economy, trade, science and technology. Moreover, the economic open-door policy

pursued by the Vietnamese government has increased a demand for studying
English, specially for students. English becomes a compulsory subject for all
education systems from primary schools to universities. With the demand and the
necessity of communicating English, four language skills including listening,
speaking, reading, writing have been given balanced weight in the national syllabus
of English teaching for high school students.
Among these skills, both teachers and learners find it hard to use an
effective way in teaching and learning speaking skill. Before 2005, the syllabuses
and curricula only focused on two skills: a little for reading and the majority is
grammar. Since 2006-2007, the ministry of education and training has decided to
adjust the text books. Therefore, every lesson contains five parts: reading,
speaking, listening, writing and language focus - the aim is to develop the
students’ language skills totally. In reality, most teachers, specially in rural area
mainly concentrate on grammar and students do not care much about other skills
because their examinations require the skills of grammar- no motivation for them
to speak. In some schools, the teachers are teaching speaking skills, however they
usually follow traditional ways or Present- Practice- Produce Approach. As a
result, most students graduated from high schools could not communicate in
English effectively.
Touching this pedagogical context, this study emphasizes on investigation
into the application of task- based approach in speaking skills to the 10 th students
at Cu Huy Can, Le Huu Trac 1, Cao Thang high schools in Ha Tinh province. By
applying task based learning, the educators can create a course around
communicative tasks to encourage students to their real- world activities. For all
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above mentioned reasons, the author carries out the study entitled “Applying
Task-based Approach in Teaching Speaking Skills to the 10 th Graders at
Some High Schools in Ha Tinh Province”. Hopefully, the results could serve as

a useful source of references for teachers and students.
1.2. Objectives of the Study
With the presented rationale, the thesis aims:
a) to find out the reality of applying TBL in teaching English speaking at
high schools in Ha Tinh province.
b) to investigate student’s attitudes towards applying TBL in teaching
English speaking skills of teacher at high schools in Ha Tinh province.
c) to evaluate the effectiveness of the application TBL in teaching English
speaking skills at high schools in Ha Tinh province.
d) to suggest some solutions and implications to promote English speaking
teaching based on the task-based approach at high schools in Ha Tinh province.
1.3. Scope of the Study
The thesis only investigated through ten English teachers and one hundred
students in grade 10 at high three high schools in Ha Tinh province in terms of
applying task based approach in teaching speaking skills.
1.4. Research Questions
In order to reach the afore aims, the research attempts to answer the
following questions:
1. What is the reality of the application of the task-based approach in
teaching English speaking skills at high schools in Ha Tinh province?
2. What are the students’ attitudes towards applying the task-based approach
to teaching English speaking skills at high schools in Ha Tinh province?
3. How effective is the task-based approach in teaching English speaking
skills at high schools in Ha Tinh province?
4. What are the suggestions to promote English speaking teaching with the
task-based approach at high schools in Ha Tinh province?
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1.5. The Organization of the Study

The study includes five chapters as follows:
Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter deals with rationale, the aims of the study, the scope of the
study, the research questions and the organization of the study.
Chapter 2: Literature Review and Theoretical Background
It provides the previous studies related to the thesis and some concepts such
as theoretical basis related to speaking skills, task- based and task-based language
teaching and learning for the study.
Chapter 3: Research Design and Methodology
This chapter describes participants, instruments for data collection, data
collection, data analysis, research procedures and reliability and validity, which
gives details of the research method and describes how the hypothesis of the thesis
is interpreted and explained.
Chapter 4: Findings and Discussions
This chapter presents the results of the research: the reality of applying TBL
to English speaking skills, the students attitudes toward the application of TBL, the
effectiveness of TBL in teaching speaking as well as gives some solutions and
suggestions to promote teaching speaking skills in TBL. The data collected from the
survey are quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed.
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Implications
This chapter summarizes the main issues touched upon in the research, the
limitations of the research and some suggestions for further studies.

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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Overview
In this chapter, the issues related to teaching speaking skill, tasks, task-based

instruction (TBI) or task-based language teaching and learning (TBLT) are dealt
with.. Firstly, a brief summary of previous studies related to the thesis is presented.
Secondly, the author examines and clarifies some opinions of researchers like
Prabhu (1987), Willis(1996), Brown(2001), Skehan(1996), Ur(1981) and some
other whose concepts concerned with speaking, TBL, TBLT.
2.2. Previous Studies Related to the Thesis
With the aim to help learners more active and more excited in learning foreign
language as well as get the reach of language acquisition, many teachers have been
trying to make classroom more “student-centered”. This is one of the origins of TBL.
Task-based learning was first developed by Prabhu (1987)in Bangladore,
Southern India. According to his research, students learned more effectively when their
minds are focus on the tasks rather than on the language they are using (Prabhu, 1987; as
citied in Wood 2004). His famous research is “ Bangladore project” which initiated in
1979 and completed in 1984. The project aimed at improving the situational oral
approach and emphasized competence and communication.
“A framework for task-based learning” by Willis (1996) marked the
popularity of applying task-based in teaching foreign language. His framework
introduces three stages: the pre-task, the cycle-task and the language focus.
Torky (2006) researched on “the effectiveness of a task-based instruction
program in developing English language speaking skills of secondary stage
students”. It mentioned the importance of providing EFL for the first year students
with the activities and opportunities to raise awareness of speaking skills.
In Viet Nam, there were numberous English MAs involving applying taskbased in teaching English. Vo Phuc Anh Vu (2009) studied the application of task-

10


based to teach speaking at upper secondary schools. In his research, he provided a
list of speaking skills for language teachers which helped them plan and design
speaking activities suitable for students as well as evaluated students’ speaking

performance.
“Applying Task-based Approach in Teaching English Grammar to the 1 st
year-non English majors at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry - Nghe An Branch”
by Nguyen Nu Ngoc Tram (2011) helped the teachers at Ho Chi Minh University of
Industry to interpret and had a thorough understanding of the task-based approach,
its theories and characteristics, hence providing an effective application to teaching
grammar at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry pedagogical context.
Phan Thi Mai (2011) explored “Applying Task-based Instructions to Teach
Reading Skill for Second-year Nursing Students”. The study investigated the
attitude of teachers and students toward task-based approach in teaching reading as
well as suggested extra useful texts for developing reading skills.
However, at some high schools in Ha Tinh province, the traditional method
is still used. The teacher is the center of classroom. This thesis, therefore, would
like to make a change in the attitude of students and teachers in teaching and
learning English underlying the application of the task-based approach.
2.3. The Importance of Speaking in Language Teaching
2.3.1. Definitions of Speaking
It is obvious that speaking is the key to human communication. It is usually
considered the most important goal in language learning. Up to now, there have
been many definitions of speaking. Chaney states that speaking is “the process of
building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in
a variety of contexts” (Chaney, 1998: p13).
With the same point of view, Byrne (1976:8) confirms: “speaking is a two-way
process between the speaker(s) and the listener(s) involving the productive skill of
speaking and the receptive skill of understanding.” Both the listener and the speaker
engage in the speech. The speaker transmits the information and the listener has to

11

receive or understand that information. That we call it is the process of encode massage
(speaker) and decode message (listener). The message contains a great deal of
information that the listener needs. And at the same time, the listener is helped by the
speakers’ prosodic features such as stress and intonation which accompany the spoken
utterances and form part of its meaning, and also by his facial and body movements.
Brown (1983) also states that “speaking is an interactive process of
constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving and processing
information.” One more, he confirms the interaction between speaker and listener in
speaking. However, its form and meaning are dependent on the context in which it
occurs, including the participants themselves, their collective experiences, the
physical environment, and the purposes for speaking.
In short, speaking can be seen as the way people interact and share
information. It is the ability in using oral language to explore ideas, intentions,
thoughts and feelings to other people as a way to make the message clearly
delivered and well understood by the hearer. It can be confirmed that the major
purpose of teaching speaking is to train the learner oral fluency, the ability to
express oneself intelligibly, accurately.
2.3.2. Types of Speaking
According to Brown (2001), there are two types of oral language: monologue
and dialogue.
a. Monologue
In Brown and Yule’s opinion (1983), a monologue involves one speaker
using spoken language for any length of time. It is the ability to give an
uninterrupted oral presentation, such as speaking in public, reading news in radio or
television programs, giving a formal lecture, announcing the instruction or changes
in the airport, etc. In this type of oral language there is no reaction or response from
listener. It is usually used when the speaker would like to talk with a large number
of listeners about the same issue. The speech of speaker may be planned or
unplanned. The planned speech usually manifests little redundancy and it is
therefore more difficult for the listeners to comprehend than the unplanned speech.

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b. Dialogue
A dialogue, conversely, involves two or more speakers to promote the social
relationship (transactional) and propositional or factual information (interactional).
There are turn takings to change the roles of speakers and listeners in this type. In this
case the participants may have a good deal of sharing knowledge. If the participants are
familiar the conversation could contain more assumptions even other meaning hidden
lines. In constrast, with the unfamiliar interlocutors the speech must be more explicit to
assure the effective comprehension. Byrne (1986) also said: “Dialogues seem to be
best suited to the teaching of the spoken language”.
2.3.3. Stages of Teaching Speaking
According to Methodology course 1- Teaching the skills (Ha Noi 2002: 4243) a speaking lesson should have three stages: pre-speaking, while- speaking, and
post- speaking. Obviously, each stage has it own characteristics.
a. The Pre-speaking Stage
This stage plays an essential role in the whole process of a speaking lesson.
According to Regina (1997), pre-speaking stage is a stage for planning and
organizing. Pre-speaking begins before students actually speak. Some activities are:
- Warming up: The teacher can motivate the class by setting up a context for
speaking topic to be presented by using some short activities or games,
brainstorming, asking questions to elicit students’ experience or by using some sort
of visual aids or their imagination.
- Introducing the topic of speaking lesson: The teacher briefly introduces the
topic of speaking lesson so that the students may get their mind ready for it.
- Presenting important new words or new structures relating the topic to
students.
b. The While- speaking Stage
Unlike the pre-speaking stage, it is the student’s turn to do most of the
talking. Teachers can design the activities basing on the tasks in the textbook or

adapt some more activities to increase the communicative factor at this stage. The

13


teacher, at this stage, lets students work with each other without interfering or
correcting any mistakes in order not to stop students from speaking fluently. The
tasks and activities also supply opportunity for students to practice the accuracy and
fluency. Teacher needs to monitor the activities and provide help for the weak
students who have difficulty completing the task at this stage
c. The Post- speaking Stage
At this last stage is the time for the students’ production. What they produce will
reflect their speaking skill, interests or views. It requires them to use target language to
perform what they have learnt work and the whole class may be invited to comment can be
recommended to be the most effective at this stage improvement.
After students have practiced speaking skill at the while- speaking stage, they
do an extension speaking activity. This helps them take the information from other
groups or whatever they have produced in the while- speaking stage and do something
meaningful with it. At this stage, the students can do such activities as role- play
activities, picture description, competition games, and drama games and so on. The
teacher must take on the role of a manager or a guide in order to give feedback,
evaluate the students’ product
Basically, the teacher should follow the three stages: pre-speaking, whilespeaking and post- speaking orderly. Nevertheless, due to time constraint, purposes
of a speaking lesson, types of students and materials in use, this sequence might not
always be mechanically applied on every occasion. However, teacher needs to
control the lesson tasks, students’ performance and assess how far their students
achieve after the lesson.
2.3.4. Problems with Speaking and Speaking Activities
2.3.4.1. Problems with Speaking
Speaking skill is considered to be similar to oral communication skill. Brown

(2000) states that some characteristics of spoken language can make oral
performance easy as well as, in some cases, difficult.
• Clustering
To make speech fluently, the speaker usually use phrases, not word by word
that can prevent learners from making fluent conversation.
14


• Redundancy
Depending on unplanned or planned speech, the speaker could make
redundancy of language and have opportunities to explicit the information.
However, this also causes confusing to the learners when they use target language.
• Reduced Forms
Teaching spoken language sometimes faces with problems of contractions,
elisions, reduced vowels, etc.,. This makes students make a stilted, bookish quality
of speaking.
• Performance Variables
This allows learners to show a certain number of performance such as
hesitations, pauses, backtracking, and corrections. It is considered one of the
advantages of spoken language. However, learners should actually be taught how to
pause and hesitate, the way of using fillers such as uh, well, you know, I mean, like,
etc., to make their conversations smoothly. The hesitation phenomena can differ the
native and nonnative speakers of a language.
• Colloquial Language
In learning language students have to be familiar with words, idioms, and
phrases of colloquial language which are often in oral communication skill and they
have chance to practice these forms.
• Rate of delivery
This is a characteristic of fluency, when teaching speaking the teacher should
help students know how to accept speed as well as other attributes of fluency.

• Stress, rhythm, and intonation
Pronunciation with its characteristics: stress, rhythm, intonation is one of the
important part in speaking. It contributes to make the message clearly and in the
concrete situations the speaker may use different form of these characteristics
therefore it sometimes make the hearer have difficulty.
• Interaction

15


How to communicate with somebody is another challenge of spoken
language, the success of interaction with the others is the success of spoken
language.
2.3.4.2. Problems with Speaking Activities
According to Ur (1996: 121) teachers and students may encounter some
problems in the process of teaching and learning with speaking activities
- Inhibition: Unlike other activities (reading, writing, listening), speaking
requires some degree of real-time exposure to an audience. Learners are often
inhibited about trying to say things in a foreign language in the classroom; worried
about making mistakes, fearful of criticism or losing face, or simply shy of the
attention that their speech attracts.
- Nothing to say: Even no inhibition, learners often complain that they have
nothing to say, or that they have no motivation to express themselves in speaking
activities.
- Low or uneven participation: When working in a group or with the whole
class some active students have a change to talk a lot, in contrast some speaks very
little or not at all.
- Mother-tongue use: In speaking class students have intention to use
mother because it is easier. Moreover, they feel unnatural to speak to one another
in a foreign language or sometimes they are lack of English knowledge to express

their ideas.
Basing on this view, the research is therefore written in order to investigate
the difficulties and the reality at some high schools in Ha Tinh province and suggest
the application of task-based approach in teaching speaking.
2.4. Task-based Instructions
2.4.1. Definitions of Tasks
Since the last decade of the 20 th century, tasks have been widely used as a
vehicle to elicit language production, interaction, negotiation of meaning and
processing of input. The proposes of the notion of “task” are known as a core unit

16


of planning and teaching. According to Long (1985) task is “a piece of work
undertaken for oneself or for others freely or for some reward”. The tasks may be
paint a fence, dress a child, fill out a form, ask for help, borrow a pen, buy clothes,
….In other words, “ task” means the things people do in the daily life at work, at
play and in between.
Nunan (1989: 10) stated that task “is a piece of classroom work which
involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing, or interacting in
the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather
than form. The task should also have a sense of completeness, being able to stand
alone as a communicative act in its own right”. In this view, we can see that the
authors take a pedagogical perspective. He claims that the aim of tasks is get
learner’s attention on meaning instead of linguistic structure. Tasks are the things
familiar with our real world.
Skehan (Skehan, 2011: 12-13) wrote that “a task is an activity in which:
- Meaning is primary.
- There is some communication problem to solve.
- The is some short of relationship to comparable real-word activities.

- Task completion has some priority.
- The assessment of the task is in term of outcome”.
Prabhu (1987: 12-17), one of the first methodologists raising interest and
support for TBL, defined “a task” is “ an activity which required learners to arrive
at an outcome from given information through some process of thought, and which
allowed teachers to control and regulate that process”. He emphasizes the process
of the learning, and he confirms that when following the tasks the learner will get
effective communication.
In summary, the definitions of tasks vary in TBL. However all them have a
common characteristic. They all suggested the tasks are concerned with
communicative language use. In other words, they refer to undertakings in which
the learner comprehend, interact, produce in the target language in the contexts and
focus on meaning rather than form.
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My own view of a task is strongly influenced by Nunan (1989), Skehan
(2011), and Prabhu (1987). In this thesis the application tasks base on the real world
fitted well to students’ need and interest, and socially contextualized.
2.4.2. Types of Tasks
Many researchers attempt to group tasks into categories.
a. Prabhu’s categories
The first types of tasks was set by Prabhu (1987) in “ Bangladore project”
which was used for the primary age learners of English in Bangladore, Southern
India. It contains ten task types as follows:
- Diagrams and formations: The learners base on the diagram to do the tasks
such as: naming parts of diagram with numbers and letters as instructed
- Drawing: The learner follow the instruction of the teachers (read, tell or
play a tape) to do the tasks like draw the summer.
- Clock faces: Base on the clock, watch to show the time

- Monthly calendar: Use the calendar to set or arrange the time for travelling
or to do any work
- Maps: The teacher lets students construct house, garden, floor with the
maps given
- School timetables: Students may have a chance to talk and share about the
timetables with teacher or their classmates
- Programs and itineraries: Construct itineraries from descriptions of travel
- Train timetables: Selecting trains appropriate to given needs
- Age and year of birth: talk about age or the birthday party
- Money: with the available of money, what they decide to buy
b. Willis (1996) proposed six types of tasks built on more or less
traditional knowledge hierarchies
- Listing
Listing may seem unimaginative, but in practice, listing tasks tend to
generate a lot of talks as learners explain their ideas. The processes involved are:

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