Unit 2 Communicative Principles and Task

这一单元介绍了两个非常重要的教学方法：

交际教学法（CLT）以及任务型教学法（TBLT），也是我们考试的高频考点之一。CLT与TBLT的特点是什么？这两个教学方法之间有什么联系与区别？以及一些其他的零散的知识点，都是我们在本单元需要关注的内容。

教材精读：

首先，第一大重点：CLT定义，交际能力的组成部分，CLT三大原则，交际活动的特征以及评估标准

一. What is CLT?

It refers to Communicative Language Teaching. It is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language. The goal of CLT is to develop students’ communicative competence.

CLT是一种注重交际的教学方法，最终目标是希望培养学生的交流能力。

二. What is Communicative competence

It included both the knowledge about the language and the knowledge about how to use the language appropriately in communicative situations.

 一方面要涵盖语言知识，另一方面需要知道怎样在交际情景中正确使用语言的知识

*Five components of communicative competence (Hedge 2000)

lLinguistic competence(语言能力）

The knowledge of language itself, its form and meaning.

Pragmatic competence(语用能力）

The appropriately use of language in social context.

Discourse competence(语篇能力）

One’s ability to create coherent written text or conversation and the ability to understand them.

Strategic competence（策略能力）

Strategies one employs when there is communication breakdown due to lack of resources.

Fluency （流利性）

One’s ability to‘link units of speech together with facility and without strain or inappropriate slowness or undue hesitation’ So teaching must enable learners to grasp the five components of communicative competence, but not just the linguistic competence.

三. what are the Principles of CLT?

Three principles suggest by Richard and Rodgers：

Communication principle(交际原则)：Activities that involve real communication promote learning.

Task principle（任务原则）：Activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning.

Meaningfulness principle（意义原则）：language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning process.

Howatt proposes a weak and a strong version of CLT

Weak version(弱交际法）

Learners first acquire language as a structural system and then learn how to use it in communication.

Strong version（强交际法）

“Language is acquired through communication” (Howatt, 1984:279)

四. Main features of communicative activities

(1) Functional communicative activities 功能交际活动

(2) Social interaction activities社会交流活动

Six criteria for evaluating communicative activities

Communicative purpose 交流目的

Communicative desire 交流需求

Content, not form 专注内容，而不是形式

Variety of language 语言的多样性

No teacher intervention  没有教师干预

No materials control  没有文本控制

其次，第二大重点：TBLT定义，TBLT和CLT的关系，五步教学法和PPP（定义），TBL和PPP的差异，TBLT和PPP在中文语境中出现的问题。

五.What is Task-based Language Teaching?（TBLT）

（1）The relationship between TBLT and CLT:

TBLT is a further development of CLT. It shares the same belief in the use of language in real life, but stresses the importance to combine form-focused teaching with communication-focused teaching.

（2）Four components of a task: Purpose, context, process and product

（3）The five steps teaching method and ppp

Five steps teaching method: revision, presentation, practice, production, consolidation

PPP: presentation, practice, production

（4）The difference between PPP and TBL

(1) The way students use and experience language in TBL is radically different from PPP.

(2) TBL can provide a context for grammar teaching and form-focused activities. PPP is different in this aspect.

六.How about CLT and TBLT in the Chinese context?

Problems with CLT(交际教学法的问题)

1. The very first and forceful argument is whether it is culturally appropriate

2. The second problem of CLT relates to the design the syllabus for teaching purpose in the classroom.

3. The third problem is that whether such an approach is suitable for all age level of learners or all competence level of learners.

Constraints of TBLT(任务型教学法的局限性)

The first is it may not be effective for presenting new language items

The second constraint is time as teachers have to prepare task-based activities very carefully.

The third is the culture of learning

The forth is hard to design the level of difficulty

一般每次更新一个单元，单元内容较多时会分为上、下两期更新。

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