Action Research Project for the Fulbright Colombia TEFL Program

By Diana Camila Polindar Prez

I. Action Research Question
How can I address the needs of eleventh grade students at the A level through Task
Based Learning?
II. Instructional Approach
I'm going to learn more about Task Based Learning since I want my 11th grade
students to use English to achieve a communicative goal by developing an interesting
task in the class. (This is correct as is. But consider: I'm going to learn more about Task
Based Learning since I want my 11th grade students to use English to achieve
communicative goals. I will develop (one interesting task? a series of interesting tasks?)
that require the (functional?) use of English in order to complete the activities.
III. What I know about Task Based Learning before I began my research
I knew it was an interesting approach that belongs to the communicative approach. I
also understood that its main goal was for students to communicate, interact, develop
a task, and present a final product of the process. However, I thought it could only be
implemented in private bilingual schools with small groups of students. (Well done,
Camila! Again, all was correct, but sometimes in English we need shorter sentences to
be clear. And we often vary the length of our sentences in academic writing. For
example, after one or two long sentences, we will be sure and give the reader a break
by following those sentences with a short one.)
IV. Plan to Find Out More about Task Based Learning
I can find out more about Task Based Learning during my T.E.F.L classes when we have
the opportunity to plan lessons, know more strategies, and share with my colleagues or
ask my professors.
V. Report on My Learning (could also say, Report on My Research)
I learned that I can implement Task Based Learning in my classes with multilevel large
groups because I can divide them into smaller groups and assign roles. Furthermore,
students can be trained to do independent work, develop autonomy, and creativity.
In addition, I learned (In the U.S. we use learned; in England, learnt.)tthat the
product of the task is not only to produce language, it can bean evidence of
comprehension. Furthemore the task should,andithasto be skill focused.
Finally, I realized that using the stations or centers strategy gives me the chance to
work on students needs in a smaller group, and it can maximize students interaction at
the same time.
VI. Plan to Implement the Action Research Project in Colombia

I'll implement Task Based Learning with all my 11th grade students with a specific
focus,but focusing on improving the English development of students who are at A
level according to the M.R.C. Specificallyo, I want to plan a Task Based Learning project
in each term,and using the stations strategy. I know the first term will be used to train
students in understanding the new methodology, and each term we will become more
familiar with getusedto it.
Students will develop 4 tasks in 4 different stations. Each station will be focus on a
communicative skill, and I'll assign a specific role to keep them engaged. I'll use two of
the three hours we have each week, and 5 weeks in the following waylikethis:
1st week Pretask activities
2nd week 1st and 2nd stations
(Listening/Speaking)
3rd week 3rd and 4th stations
(Reading / Writing)
4th week Socialization of the products.
5th week General Language Focus