The task based grammar instruction: revolting against the PPP

model.
At the Algerian school teachers are familiar with the traditional PPP lesson
presentation and implementation model .In the PPP model the lesson would
proceed in the following manner :

1-Presentation: In this first stage the teacher presents the language item .This
could be done through a text , a dialogue ..etc .

2-Practice , in here, students may have to repeat target items through choral and
individual drilling, fill gaps or match halves of sentences. All of this practice
demands that the student uses the language correctly and helps them to become
more comfortable with it.

3-The final stage , Production ; the students are granted the opportunity to
produce in the target language through communicative tasks.

Advocates of TBI reject this model on the basis that (a) it doesnt work;
and (b) it doesnt reflect current understanding of second language acquisition.
They claim that students do not develop fluency or progress in their grammatical
development through a P-P-P methodology. They also argue that second
language learning research has shown that language learning results from
meaningful interaction using the language and not from controlled practice.

Everything sounds logical, but teachers will eventually identify some problems .

Because the PPP model is based on Behaviorist assumptions , Students are

noticed to keep repeating over and over the language items which would sound
unnatural .

Students may not produce the target language during the free practice stage
because they find they are able to use existing language resources to complete
the task.
*It should be noted that students will end up mastering the grammar points but
with little or no communicative proficiency .As accuracy which is stressed in
this method is recognized not to be enough to achieve fluency .

*The teacher presents the target language and then gives students the
opportunity to practise it through very controlled activities.

*It should be noted that during the production stage , language production is
controlled and directed by the teacher.

*This model, maximizes the role of the teacher and .allows the teacher to
intervene which leads to teacher centeredness and reduction of learners
interaction and activity during the lesson.

Language Items are presented through fragmented sentences .

As the PPP model represents an Accuracy-to Fluency model of instruction the

TBA adopts a Fluency to- Accuracy model .I.e the focus is put on meaning
rather than form, in this resepct , Richards contends that meaning is Focus on
meaning: Meaning is viewed as the driving force of learning.(p.25)

In the case of TBI, the claim is that language learning will result from
creating the right kinds of interactional processes in the classroom, and the best
way to create these is to use specially designed instructional tasks.
In this model the syllabus is organized around tasks and is related to actual use
of language e.g: (booking a hotel room , speaking about childhood ; telling a
story.)

T When you instruct using task based grammar, your goal is to create a
situation in which students must use a given language structure to
accomplish their task, but the first priority is the language task and not the
grammar.

This means that every language activity has to have acommunication goal
solving a problem, reaching an agreement, explaining a concept, etc. The
goal will NOT be to use a particular grammatical structure or set of
vocabulary.

Richards claims (By working in groups or in pairs, the students will obtain
several benefits :
1- They can learn from hearing the language used by other members
of the group.
2- They will produce a greater amount of language than they would
use in teacher-fronted activities.
3- Their motivational level is likely to increase.
4-They will have the chance to develop fluency.

How does TBI in practice differ from more traditional teaching

approaches?
Advocates of TBI reject this model on the basis that (a) it doesnt work;
and (b) it doesnt reflect current understanding of second language acquisition.
They claim that students do not develop fluency or progress in their grammatical
development through a P-P-P methodology. They also argue that second
language learning research has shown that language learning results from
meaningful interaction using the language and not from controlled practice.

With TBI the focus shifts to using tasks to create interaction and then
building language awareness and language development around task
performance.
http://www.onestopenglish.com/grammar/grammar-teaching/task-based-
grammar-teaching/