HUNG VUONG UNIVERSITY

FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
-----------------------

HA THI NINH

APPLYING TASK-BASED APPROACH IN TEACHING
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE GRADE 11
STUDENTS OF BASIC CURRICULUM AT THANH SON
HIGH SCHOOL-PHU THO PROVINCE

Field: Teaching methodology
Supervisor: MA. NGUYEN THI HOA

Phu Tho, 2016


HUNG VUONG UNIVERSITY

FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
-----------------------

HÀ THỊ NINH

APPLYING TASK-BASED APPROACH IN TEACHING
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE GRADE 11
STUDENTS OF BASIC CURRICULUM AT THANH
SON HIGH SCHOOL-PHU THO PROVINCE
(Áp dụng phương pháp dạy Tiếng Anh theo nhiệm vụ trong dạy ngữ pháp


paper better.
With all my appreciation
Signature

Ha Thi Ninh


ii

ABSTRACT
This thesis was carried out with an attempt to improve the teaching and
learning of English grammar of the teachers and students in class 11A5 as
well as all grade 11 students at Thanh Son high school-Phu Tho Province.
The purposes of the thesis were to investigate the current situations of
applying task-based approach in teaching- learning English grammar. Besides,
after investigating the current situations, the researcher did an experiment
about applying task-based approach to improve the effectiveness of learning
English grammar and then got some results from experiment by some data
collection instruments such as survey questionnaires, class observation an
test.
The subjects involved in the study were 40 students in class 11A5 at
Thanh Son high school. These students were invited to join the survey, to
answer the questionnaire, do the test and to provide the source of observation.
The study suggests that teachers should be aware of the students’
problem, adapt to their need, and help them minimize these difficulties and
use task-based approach to improve the effectiveness of teaching-learning
English grammar.


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Figure 4.2. The advantages of using TBA in grammar classes
Table 4.1. Students’ attitudes towards teachers’ application TBA
Table 4.3. Result of the test after experiment


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..................................................................................i
ABSTRACT......................................................................................................ii
LIST OF ABBREVIATION.............................................................................. 3
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES..................................................................3
TABLE OF CONTENTS.............................................................................................................................. 4

PART A: INTRODUCTION..............................................................................1
1. Rationale........................................................................................................1
2. Previous studies.............................................................................................2
2.1. In the world.................................................................................................2
2.2. In Vietnam..................................................................................................4
3. Research purposes.........................................................................................4
4. Research questions........................................................................................5
5. Methodology..................................................................................................5
5.1. Research procedure....................................................................................5
5.2. Method of data collection...........................................................................6
6. Hypotheses....................................................................................................6
7. Significance of the study...............................................................................6
8. The scope of the study...................................................................................7
9. Design of the study........................................................................................7
PART B: MAJOR CONTENT...........................................................................8
CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
...........................................................................................................................9

2.3.2. Classroom observation..........................................................................30
2.3.3. Test.........................................................................................................31
2.3.4. Data collection procedure......................................................................32
2.4. Research procedure..................................................................................34
2.5. Conclusion................................................................................................34
CHATER 3 THE CURRENT SITUATIONS..................................................35
IN TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN GRADE 11 STUDENTS.........35
AT THANH SON HIGH SCHOOL................................................................35
3.1. An overview of the current situation of teaching and learning English at
Thanh Son High...............................................................................................35


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3.1.1. The school context.................................................................................35
3.1.2. The new textbook English 11 (the standard textbook) and its Language
Focus section...................................................................................................36
3.2. Findings from the current situations.........................................................37
3.2.1. Results from questionnaires..................................................................37
3.2.2. Results from observation.......................................................................41
3.2.3. Results from the pre-test........................................................................42
3.4. Solution.....................................................................................................43
CHAPTER 4: EXPERIMENT AND RESULTS.............................................45
4.1. Participants...............................................................................................45
4.2. Data collection instruments......................................................................45
4.3. Experiment procedure..............................................................................45
4.4. Results......................................................................................................52
4.4.1. Results from questionnaires..................................................................53
4.4.2. Results from observation.......................................................................57
4.4.3. Results from post-test............................................................................58
4.5. Findings....................................................................................................59

research, language teaching has moved from the traditional to a more
communicative approach. In this current approach, language is considered a
form of social behavior. The objective of language teaching is teaching
learners to communicate fluently, appropriately and spontaneously in the
cultural context of the target language as well as helping students get a good
communication when they have opportunities to use English in a crosscultural environment.
Recognizing the educational trend and the special need for language
learning of the students, teachers and administrators at Thanh Son high school
also hold extra-curricular of English, English clubs, the group discussion, and
evaluation of annual teaching experiences to find the teaching methods
increasingly improved and more efficient. However, language teaching in
students has many difficulties. Many students neglected and do not like this


2
subject. During the process of teaching and studying this subject, both the
teachers and students at Thanh Son high school do not feel satisfied with
teaching English grammar implied in the course books.
Additionally, many students are too shy to speak in class because they
are not good at grammar and the grammar lessons are carried out in
traditional methods. In each lesson, the teacher presents new grammar
verbally, and then students do, turn by turn, exercises in workbooks.
Moreover, in teaching practice, there exist some limitations in conducting
Presentation - Practice - Production grammar lessons. Touching this
pedagogical context, this study emphasizes on the investigation into the
application of task-based approach to teaching English grammar at Thanh Son
high school. The task-based approach might come as an effective teaching
method for the language teachers at Thanh Son high school. A research into
the task-based introduction will help them to interpret and have a thorough
understanding of the task-based approach, its theories and characteristics,

The next view mentioned by Harmer about task-based learning is that,
“Many methodologists have concentrated not so much on the nature of
language input, but on the learning tasks that students are involved in.” He
argued that there seemed to have been an argument that pure rote learning or
de-contextualized practice is giving way to language learning that is required
as a result of richer experiences in life.
However, historically reviewed, task-based learning appears to have
gained its currency since the 1996 publication of Willis’s “A Framework for
Task-based Learning” (Longman), in which she defined how tasks can be
used as the central focus in a supportive methodological framework. In this
book, she outlined a mode for task-based learning in which she referred to
three stages: the pre-task, the task-cycle, 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 ELF for
the first year students with the activities and opportunities to raise awareness of
speaking skills.


4
The more important thing is that Jeon and Hahn (2006) addressed their
study to the English as Foreign Language teachers’ perceptions of task-based
language teaching in a Korean secondary school context. They appreciated
the emphasis on learners’ communicative abilities with task-based teaching
and learning in terms of designing communicative tasks to promote learners’
actual language use. Tseng (2006) indicated the differences between taskbased instruction and traditional teacher-led, whole class instruction at two
primary school classrooms in terms of four-skill performances of the students.
Also the factors that influenced the implementation of task-based learning at
primary school were discussed.
2.2. In Vietnam

teaching styles and learning styles, thereby increasing the students’ motivation
in grammar learning as well as heightening the effectiveness of English
language teaching.
4. Research questions
The research will find the answers for the main following questions:
1. “What is the current situation of applying task-based approach in
teaching English for the grade 11 students of basic curriculum at Thanh Son
high school- Phu Tho province?”
2. “What are the feasible solutions in teaching grammar by applying
task-based approach to the grade 11 students at Thanh Son high school?”
3. “How effective is task-based approach in helping students improve
their grammar?”
5. Methodology
5.1. Research procedure
Firstly, study theory to clarify the definitions of some terms related to
grammar and task-based approach.
Secondly, investigate the current situations of learning English
grammar of the grade 11 students at Thanh Son high school and then give
some suggested solutions.
Thirdly, carry out the experiment by applying task-based approach in
teaching English grammar to evaluate the effectiveness of this method.


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5.2. Method of data collection.
Theoretical method: Study the related documents to give some
knowledge about grammar, task-based approach and applying task-based
approach in teaching grammar for students as well as teachers.
With the aim of finding out the current situation and getting some
results after experiment in teaching – learning English grammar of the

limitation of time, the author only fulfilled the study with forty grade 11
students at Thanh Son high school.
9. Design of the study
This paper is divided into three main parts:
PART A is the INTRODUCTION. In this part, the rationale, previous
research, research purpose, research questions, research methods, significance
of the study, the scope of the study and also its design are presented.
PART B is the MAJOR CONTENT which includes four chapters
Chapter I: Deals with the literature review and the theoretical
background
Theoretical background related to the topic and surveys of articles, books
and other resources relevant to a particular the study topic will be presented.
This part will also provide description, summary, and critical evaluation of
each work quoted and present the previous studies related to the thesis and
some concepts as theoretical basis for the study.
Chapter II: Research Design and Methodology
This part describes the research design, instruments for data collection,
data collection, data analysis, reliability and validity, and research procedures,
which gives details of the research method and describes how the hypothesis
of the thesis is interpreted and explained.
Chapter III: Findings and Discussions
This part presents the results and discussions developed after the
linguistics figures are analyzed.
Chapter IV: Experiment and results
Doing experiental teaching in which some suggestions on applying taskbased approach are made and some task-based approach exploited during all


8
stages of the lesson are provided as well as some results after doing
experimental teaching.

words and their relationships in sentences”.
According to Fromkin and Rodman (1998), "The sounds and sound
patterns, the basic units of meaning such as words and the rules to combine
them to form new sentences constitute the grammar of a language".
There are several similarities between two above-cited definitions. The
first thing is that according to these authors, grammar is assumed to be a
guide through which words are put together to make correct sentences.


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Secondly, grammar is composed of rules not only relating to word formation
(morphology) and sentence formation (syntax) but also concerned with the
meaning of the sentence (semantics) and the sound system (phonology) within
a language. However, one drawback that all four definitions above (in both
the first and second categories) have in common is that grammar has been
concerned almost exclusively with the analysis at the level of the sentence. I
am in favor of Widdowson (1990) with the claim that “grammar is not just a
collection of sentence patterns signifying nonsense”.
Thornbury (1999) claims that grammar is not just rules on how to
combine words at the sentence level, but it also takes into account the role of
context in which a sentence is made. He says that “when we process language
we are not only trying to make sense of the words and the grammar, we are
also trying to infer the speaker’s (or writer’s) intention”.
Richards, Platt, and Platt (1992) in their Longman Dictionary of
Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics: Grammar is a description of the
structure of a language and the way in which linguistic units such as words
and phrases are combined to produce sentences in the language. It usually
takes into account the meanings and functions these sentences have in overall
system of the language. It may or may not include the description of the
sound of a language.

how it is written or how words are combined together to understand the
proper meaning. Without grammar or with a poor knowledge of grammar,
they may get confused with complicated expression
Secondly, according to Smith (2001), if teachers neither pay attention
to grammar nor create opportunities for learners to improve grammar, learners
are likely to stand the risk of fossilization or reach a point where they can
cope with level of communication that is demanded of them by making use of
their existing grammatical resource and communication strategies and
probably with sufficient fluency.
1.1.4. Approaches to grammar instruction
1.1.4.1. Deductive approach
Deductive approach is often called rule-driven learning (Thornbury,
1999). In this approach, a grammar rule is explicitly presented to students and


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followed by practice applying the rule. The deductive approach maintains that
a teacher teaches grammar by presenting grammatical rules, and then
examples of sentences are presented. Once learners understand rules, they are
told to apply the rules given to various examples of sentences. Giving the
grammatical rules means no more than directing learners’ attention to the
problem discussed. However, deductive approach to grammar teaching
receives less support than inductive approach. As Ellis in Richards (2002)
reported, there has not been convincing empirical verification as well a
theoretical validation that the acquisition of grammar structures involves the
process of learning the rules and practicing them through gradual
autoimmunization of production. Even so, deductive approach is often used
by many teachers due to its advantages such as time-saving for teachers and
respect for students’ expectations about classroom learning.
1.1.4.2. Inductive approach

Since the last decade of the 20th century, tasks have been widely used as
a vehicle to elicit language production, interaction, and negotiation of
meaning and processing of input. The proposes of the notion of “task” are
known as a core unit of planning and teaching.
In a number of books, the word “task” has been used as a label for
various activities, including grammar exercises, practice activities and role
plays. In some other books, tasks are defined as activities where the target
language is used by the learners for a communicative purpose (goal) in order
to achieve an outcome.
Long (1985) stated that task is “a piece of work undertaken for oneself
or for others freely or for some reward: The task 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 an it
between.
Nunan (1989:10) gave another definition of task: “is a piece of
classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating,
producing, or interaction 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


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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.
Prabhu (1987:12-17), one of the first methodologists raising interest
and support for TBA, defined: “a task is an activity which requires 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


The assessment of the task is in terms of outcome

1.2.3. Classifying tasks
Many researchers attempts to group tasks into categories:


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1.3.3.1. Prabhu’s categories
The first types of tasks was set by Prabhu (1987) 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 task like draw the summary.
 Clock faces: base on the clock, watch to show the time.
 Monthly calendar: use the calendar to set or arrange the time for
traveling or to do any work.
 Maps: the teacher lets students construct house, garden, floor with
the maps given.
 School timetable: 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 train 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.
1.2.3.2. Willis’s type of task
Willis (1996) proposed six types of tasks on more or less traditional