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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

We cannot really teach a language; we can only create/conditions

under which it will develop in the mind/in its own way.

-Von Humboldt 11836, as paraphrased in Noam Chomsky, 1965, p.51.

1.1 Introduction

Language is a system with rules and patterns to make sense of an utterance

or a piece of writing. But, the meaning of words individually changes when the words

are placed together to form a sentence. Communication is the purpose of language

and so, it requires to be considered for its role in the classroom. The provision for

the use of language needs the attention of teachers so that it will cater to the expression

of learners‟ wishes or thoughts. However, language enables an individual to live in

a society and act as “a means of social control” (Abercombie 16). So, the social

character of a language also needs to be given importance in the pedagogy. The present

era of globalisation and international communication expect an individual to use

other than his or her own language.

The key findings of researches convey that in the process of acquisition, the

learners‟ responsibility for their learning is much more than the teachers‟ control

over the learners‟ learning. In addition to that, human beings genetically inherit the

ability to acquire and use the language. As such, language teaching process has to

consider the innate mechanisms that involve in the naturalistic language acquisition.


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Vivian Cook suggests the development of innovative modes of language teaching,

after taking into account the relationship between the findings of Second Language

Acquisition (SLA) researches and language teaching practices. He advocates the

utilization of Universal Grammar (UG) and second language learners‟ strategies of

learning and communicating for developing new methods (Knapp, Seidlhofer and

Widdowson 6).

The highly sophisticated and skilled methods of teaching adopted have made

the presence of educational institutions compulsory. After many centuries, education

tries to make an attempt to draw out the power to learn which is within a learner.

In fact, the aim of education is the development of the whole man. It is not only

the development of the intellect but also the refinement of the feelings. The judgement

and creative powers have to be nurtured for the formation of characters. Education

is to cater to the needs and interest of learner and the needs and interests change as

time passes. Individual abilities of each learner are to be taken care of with the

adoption of suitable method of teaching. Living and working together are the best

solution for developing individual abilities.

English is being taught as a compulsory subject at school from primary to

higher secondary classes and at college. The objective of developing English language

skills in learners is to equip them to communicate well at the national and international

level. In spite of their exposure to English for thirteen years, learners even at the

tertiary level depend on the teachers for enhancing their communicative skills.


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Hence, the present study attempts to merge learner autonomy with Task Based

Language Teaching (TBLT) for creating awareness and willingness in the learners

to make decisions about their own learning by accepting the freedom extended in

the instructional process.

1.2 Position of English in India

Before independence, English was introduced to India to keep clerks available

for the colonial administration of the British. English occupied an important position

till India freed itself from the clutches of the colonial rulers. After independence, it

has become imperative to use it as a link language. It connects people of different

tongues and backgrounds.

An idea was mooted to replace English with Hindi since English was considered

to be an unpleasant reminder of subjugation to the British. However, in 1948, the then

chairman of the University Education Commission, Dr. Radhakrishnan warned

Indians against giving up English since it would create condition for Indians to be

away from “the living stream of ever growing knowledge” (Jain 9) and the opposition

ended up with the declaration of English as one of the associate official languages

in India.

English has its role mainly as a linking linguistic tool among people of diverse

backgrounds in language. Even smooth administrative functionary presupposes the

use of common language among people belonging to linguistically different states.


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The importance of English is perceptible in almost all the fields and in the same

manner, for the people residing either in village or city.

Even though English language is introduced as a second language to millions

of children at the primary level throughout India, yet the declining performance of

learners in English disturbs all those who attempt to promote English Language

Teaching in India. This may be due to the practice of imparting formal knowledge

of the language, i.e., the language as an end in itself has resulted in the diffidence

of learners to communicate in English even as Post Graduate learners.

Many years of ingrained belief in the transmission of knowledge from the

teacher to the learner discourages learners from venturing into taking responsibility of

their learning. Teachers need to focus their special attention on the creation of

suitable learning condition in the classroom to inculcate in learners the importance

of planning their learning on their own.

1.3 Introduction of a New Teaching Method – A Necessity

Language teaching methods evolve and continually improve out of experience

and experimentation over time to provide better and more effective guidelines for

enhancing the teaching and learning in the classroom. The transition from one method

to another mostly occurs out of dissatisfaction with the previous methods. But the

new method in its different phases needs to be differentiated meaningfully from

the earlier methods to be understood thoroughly.


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The knowledge oriented approach, introduced earlier, subscribes to the

assumption that teaching about a language would result in learning a language.

Meaning was sidetracked from its central position in teaching. The strong belief

was that knowledge about a language would aid learners to express themselves in

the long run and accuracy and fluency would be gained with adequate practice in

language forms. Undue importance was given to the accurate structure at every stage

of learning. This obsession with grammatical rules forced learners to pinpoint the

mistakes explicitly and made them correct the mistakes on the occasion itself.

Consequently, learners became conscious of their mistakes.

The Grammar Translation Method, the popular knowledge oriented method

from the 1840s to 1940s, was originated for translating structures into and out of

foreign language. It gave so much importance to completeness of sentences and

accuracy to the detriment of speaking and listening skills. The use of text exclusively

and rigidly negates the consideration of the actual needs of learners in the

classroom. The result is the exposure of learners to literary language only and

active role of the learner in the use of the target language is missing.

The necessity for communication among Europeans due to industrialization

and international trade and travel in the mid-nineteenth century led to the rejection of

the Grammar Translation Method in favour of the Direct Method. This alternative

method was with salient features of contextual learning, avoidance of mother tongue,

emphasis on the spoken language with every day vocabulary and structures and


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inductive grammar teaching. Abstract meanings were taught through association of

ideas and concrete ones were with the use of objects and demonstration.

The Direct Method lost its significance in the 1920s. The Coleman Report‟s

remark is that no one method could “guarantee” successful acquisition of a foreign

language (Aslam 46). This led to the emergence of the British approach known as

Situational Language Teaching and the American Audio-Lingual Method, both

based on the structuralist view of language. This method was born out of the rejection

of the Direct Method for its ungraded speech and lack of appreciation for the

importance of contextualization. The main focus of this approach was on vocabulary

control and the understanding of the meaning of a word or structure in the

situation as it was used. As such, the use of knowledge of language in learners‟

day-to-day life was done away with.

The Grammar Translation Method insists on grammatical analysis and

pencil and paper exercises while Audio-Lingual approach emphasizes repetitive,

structural oral drills and dialogues and focuses on language patterns.

The “principle of relatedness” (Mukalel 62) runs underneath the arrangement

of the structures for the purpose of teaching and each structure emanates from the

previous and leads to the next one. The emphasis is on automatic drilling to consolidate

language habits unmindful of the importance of meaningful practice in life

situations. The meaningful practice is the “keynotes” (64) in the cognitive and

transformational generative contexts.


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Noam Chomsky‟s linguistic theory is a reaction to the behaviourist view of

language as the basis for the study of thought and behavior. The language is considered

by him as “a mental-construct… the capacity innate to all the members of a speech

community” (Aslam 53). His view is that a symbol system is productive, if it “allows

for a boundless number of distinct, arbitrarily complex symbol structures to be formed

from a finite set of rules and representations” (Dartnall 115). Based on this observation,

many new combinations can be produced from a few familiar patterns of

sentences.

Everyone has the “innate ability to acquire speech” (Chee 8). However, his

linguistic theory disregards the sociological and cultural parameters of language

learning and use, which find their due place in the theory of constructivists.

Behaviourism places the responsibility on the teachers for the poor and

good performance of the learners. To promote the desired behaviour in learners or

to check unwanted behaviours, teachers have to restructure the environment.

It fails to explain why effective teaching practices lead to the poor performance of

learners. The complexity of student cognition and the dynamics of modern

classrooms are overlooked by behaviourism. Constructivism, on the other hand,

explains the complexity of the teaching learning process. Constructivism holds the

view that teaching a language is impossible since knowledge is unique to the

individual resulting from the restructuring of his/her personal experiences.


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Noddings argues, as Jones has mentioned in his article, that the constructivists

emphasize the learner as central in the teaching-learning process. The reason for this

emphasis is due to Chomsky‟s and Piaget‟s theories of an epistemological subject,

“an active knowing mechanism that knows through continued construction” (3).

The inadequacy of the constructivist perspective is that anything and everything

counts equally as knowledge since an individual makes meaning from the prior

experiences. Von Glasersfeld evinced that “Truth in constructivism ... is replaced by

viability” (3). Social constructivists apply this Von Glasersfeld‟s concept of viability to

fit learning within the larger social context. Learners by checking out their perspectives

with other learners, develop a sense of the viability of ideas. Thus, the promotion of the

process of critical thinking occurs when teachers value learners‟ ideas and allow them

to construct meaning out of instructions from more knowledgeable learners.

Constructivist gives importance to a small group work, cooperative

development of ideas and role of written and spoken language in learning.

The emphasis from knowledge as a product to knowing as a process is the

contribution of constructivism to education. Productive and effective learning

occurs, if interaction and collaboration with others is the way of learning and is

based on constructive processes of knowledge and skill acquisition (Ashton 3).

The influence of constructivism is on Communicative Language Teaching

(CLT) as the latter method emphasizes the learner-centered teaching strategies and

the language “to communicate and make meaning” (4).


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With the coinage of the term, communicative competence, Dell Hymes

broadens the context in which the language is used. It has integrated language,

communication and culture. Communicative competence is the ability of language

learner to use the language to make meaning in contextualised socio cultural

activities.

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) focuses its attention on

meanings rather than on the form of the language, the learner and his learning.

It facilitates language acquisition through problem solving activities and tasks which

provide ample opportunities for learner participation and interaction (Aslam 56).

Communicative competence is central to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

and makes prominence the psycholinguistic and socio cultural communication

perspectives in second language acquisition. Learners‟ communicative needs form

the basis for Communicative Language Teaching. Goals and processes are given

importance in this communicatively oriented teaching.

The process of communicative classroom language learning gained

momentum with the concurrent development in language learning in various parts of

Western countries. In Germany, the learners were encouraged with learner choice of

learning resources to empower them as individual persons. In England and France,

simultaneous exploratory projects were conducted (Savignon 2). Savignon in the US

used the same term to refer to the ability of speakers to make meaning in the

interaction instead of learning discrete items of grammatical knowledge (3).


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Howatt distinguishes two versions of communicative approach, a “weak”

and a “strong” version, now known as Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT).

They differ in the way in which “communicative competence” is achieved. “Weak”

version differs from traditional approaches. They give importance to functional and

social aspect of competence. It resembles traditional approaches which have clearly

defined content and specified linguistic features to be practised. The “strong” version

radically differs from traditional approaches in keeping the content to be a set of

“tasks”. The emphasis is on how to use the language for communication rather

than to practise the correct usage of language. The classroom proceedings in the

“strong” version resemble “natural” language learning (Ellis and Shintani 43).

Task Based Language Teaching, the strong version of communicative

method, allows learners to use both linguistic and non-linguistic resources to

negotiate meaning. They are encouraged to venture into using their own resources.

The practice of memorising any pattern or formal features is scorned. The main

focus is on classroom process of meaning making and hence, the methods and

materials are designed to be appropriate to the needs and styles of learning.

Task Based Language Teaching has become one of the classroom teaching

methodologies with the publication of Jane Willis‟ A Framework for Task -Based

Learning in 1996 (Esfandiari 6). The assumptions underlying Task Based Language

Teaching is the urgency that is created to utilize the communicative strategies to


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overcome the learners‟ poor use of language. Learners have necessary potential for

attaining the goal of tasks even with the language difficulties (Richards and

Renandya 146).

1.4 Different Dimensions of Task in Task Based Language Teaching

1.4.1 Definitions of Task

Different dimensions of “task” are discussed for the sake of defining this

and other terminologies associated with them used in this research study.

David Nunan‟s definition gives importance to the involvement of learners

in focusing their attention on meaning, while “comprehending a piece of work,

producing and/or interacting in the target language” (Nunan, Designing 10).

To Breen, quoted in Nunan, a task is any activity from a simple one to a highly

complex and lengthy one such as group problem solving or simulations and decision

making. It is with specific objectives, appropriate content and well-designed working

procedure and may be with many possible outcomes for language learning (6).

Breen‟s definition thus expresses the importance of specified working procedure

and a range of outcomes for the facilitation of language learning through tasks

The pedagogical perspective is the production of language that may be the

result of variety of tasks carried out in the class. This communicative oriented practice

of language employs the second language to communicate and necessitates the

guidance of a teacher to specify the completion of a task.


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To Bygate, Skehen and Swain, Lee and Nunan, meaning is given importance

to realize the outcome specified for a task (Hung 24). The focus on meaning which

is appreciated through the comprehension, manipulation or interaction in the target

language imparts some sense of purpose to the activities. Task, certainly, involves

the meaningful interaction and the manipulation of language till it reaches the

specified outcome in a holistic manner.

The nature and different types of tasks depend on the perception of the

advocates of Task Based Language Teaching. Breen, Candlin and Murphy perceive

task as a social and problem solving interaction and Long views that a relationship

exists between “Target Task” and “Pedagogic task”, the approximation of Target

Task as done in the classroom. Jane Willis through her work, A Framework for Task

-Based Learning insists on the provisions of natural contexts so that a real purpose for

the use of language can be created (Esfandiari 6).

To David Nunan, “the distinction between the real-world and pedagogic

tasks seems to be more apparent than real” (Nunan, Designing 44). The researcher

uses the term, “life-oriented task” in place of “real-world task”. Long is of the

opinion that task seems to be, at the beginning, pedagogical but gradually switches

over to in-class simulation of life activities. The choice of type of task depends on

the attitude of teachers and learners towards the nature of task. This, in turn, is

determined by the sense of completion associated with the task and the attempt to

relate it to the world outside the classroom through some work plan.


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Life-oriented tasks need to be adapted before being implemented in the

class. A pedagogic task is advantageous in practising, in addition to interactive

skill, phonological and grammatical elements. These practices will enable learners

to tackle a situation in life in which she or he is expected to employ those skills.

Negotiated syllabus, another feature, is common to models proposed by

Nunan, Breen, Candlin and Murphy. Long and Crookes are wary of range and

coverage restriction of following such a type of syllabus. Nunan stubbornly argues

for less teacher-focused work in class (Esfandiari 7-8).

The differentiation between the traditional grammar focused activities and

task performance is attempted in the work of Jack C. Richards and Willy A. Renandya.

The traditional grammar focused activities are the instances of controlled performance,

out of context language and devoid of authenticity whereas task performance

sounds natural and elicits automatic performance, and vernacular speech style.

They point out that unpredictability, the hall mark of the task and the strategic use

of reformulation, repair and paraphrasing, are for the successful acquisition of

language (154).

Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research findings have brought out

the fact that learning discrete linguistic items eluded the expected result in language

acquisition and so, communicative approach is supported by these findings.

N. S. Prabhu‟s procedural syllabus also supports this line of thinking that learning can

be encouraged with tasks, the “holistic units of communication” (Ameri). Linguistic


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forms are incidentally given importance in Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT)

and the practice of using specified linguistic terms with the systematic presentation of

inputs or structured language practice needs to be eschewed.

As in other methods, Task Based Language Teaching has its own disadvantages

or the chance to be discredited. Though teacher‟s participation as one of the group

members or provider of instructional talk makes teacher‟s control crucial and inevitable

and teacher‟s talk is central to the pre-task phase as she or he gives the input for

the task, yet the unavailability of the scheme prevails to train teachers to produce

skilled practitioners in implementing the tasks in the class (Ellis, Task 271).

Skehan views that assessing the task difficulty and sequencing the tasks are

problematic for the teachers. He further added that Task Based Language Teaching

may be “too structured and pre-planned” and so, may slow down the acquisition

(Richards and Renandaya 102)

Incorporation of flexibility into the structure of the strong version of Task

Based Language Teaching by allowing learners to make decisions on what and

how to learn is the option for overcoming these drawbacks of the method.

This provision augments learner‟s responsibility for their learning.

1.5 Indispensability of Learner Autonomy

The effectiveness of learning is certain, only when the decision making in

learning is in the hands of learners. Learners at higher educational institutions can,

instead of being at the mercy of teachers to develop their communicative skills,


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prepare themselves for diagnosing their needs, setting their own goals, choosing

the appropriate learning strategies and mobilizing the needed resources to realize

their goals. (Boud 5)

Autonomous learners possess integrated selves. They make sense of the

world in terms of their convictions. This skill enables them to act on the decisions

taken based on their needs and desire. This competency which is sensitive to the

experiences undergone or learned through reading or imagined is expressed

through the proper choice and appraisal of their choices of their learning content.

This identification with a learner‟s motives and desires is realized with the

interaction with peer learners employing the target language in the classroom.

Learners acquire the language naturally and exhibit the natural capacity for the

acquisition according to the pattern of their living, talents, motivation and interests

and the life experiences.

Autonomous learning is the need of the hour since the insufficiency of time

is felt by the teachers to be preoccupied with each learner‟s every aspect of the

process of learning. It is difficult for the learners to contact the teachers for academic

purpose after the completion of the course and to utilize the ever-growing computer

technology to the extent possible.

With these perspectives on learning and different teaching methods employed

till date in mind, the researcher proposes the task based teaching integrated with

learner autonomy. It will ensure the learners‟ utilization of the liberty in their learning


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since the choice of organising the resources for meaningful learning and manipulating

the target language to reach the specified outcome is available.

1.6 Historical Perspective of Learner Autonomy

Notwithstanding millions of individuals learn second language beyond the

support of formal instruction, the theory of autonomy centres on the formal learning, as

mentioned in Phil Benson‟s article. The concept of autonomy within the field of

education started with the report of Holec on the emerging ideas of autonomy in

learning within the social and ideological contexts submitted to the Council of Europe.

Thus, autonomy has a three-decade history approximately (Benson, Teaching 7).

The major influences on the theory of autonomy in language learning include

Dewey‟s philosophy of education stressing on the individual‟s responsibility for the

reformation of society. Paolo Freire considers education to cease to be the “banking

model” of teaching and learning when it starts emphasizing the learners‟ role in

the social order. In the form of problems, knowledge can kindle learners to engage

themselves in dialogues and reflection to analyse the social realities in order to

transform the society (29). Illich observes that second language learning is “casual”.

William Kilpatrick also believes in the acquisition of skills and attitudes for social

participation through his project method (30).

To Phil Benson, the essential elements of autonomous learning are the

control of learning process and control of resources and control of language


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(Benson, “Concept” 31). The control of learning context allows the learners to

choose their own goals to keep learning self-directed.

Researches on autonomy establish that the learners are discouraged to be

autonomous if they are forced by circumstances to be dependent on teachers.

The practice of individualised self-directed learning is inapplicable to classroom

learning to make learners autonomous as it lacks the social character of learning.

The view of Breen and Candlin is that the classroom, as a “social context”,

led to the paradigm shift in the “relationship of power and control within the

classroom”. Apart from this view of classroom, Leni Dam‟s influential work on a

model of autonomy based on “classroom and curriculum negotiation” paved the

way for the shift in the focus of research on autonomy towards the issues of

collaboration and negotiation in 1990s (13).

1.7 Different Definitions of Learner Autonomy

Definition of learner autonomy differs with the perceived needs, age and

pace of the learners. The variation in the facets of learning conditions and learner

expectations has led to different forms of definitions (Benson, “State” 23).

Holec insists on the ability of learners “to take charge of their learning” and

Dickinson believes in the situation which makes a learner responsible for his or her

learning. Little defines autonomy in language learning as the capacity of a learner to


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think critically, to make decisions and to implement his/her decision independently

(Benson, “State” 22). Dam rightly points out that autonomy is “readiness to take

charge of one‟s learning to satisfy the needs and purposes” (Hurd 273).

However, Little redefines learner autonomy as “collaboration and

interdependence of learners rather than working in isolation” (Usuki 37).

This concept of learner autonomy forms the basis of this research.

Learners should give importance to their own interpretation and meanings

in response to their cultural and ideological standpoints in the content of their

choice and, thus, autonomy enables the teachers to help learners to acquire a “voice”

in another language (Benson, Teaching 101). Phil Benson strongly argues that the

needs of learners will be met, if the goals and content of learning are self-

determined (100).

Open-ended activities which involve interaction and reflection, performed in

simulated environments with enough choice in content and goals and very minimal

support of teachers, certainly reach the stage for the learners to design such activities

on their own to improve their language learning in due course of time.

Holec talks about the two paradigms in the approaches to autonomy in

language teaching. When teachers have at least partial control over the learners

and attempt to increase the learners‟ responsibility in the “management of teaching

programmes”, it is co-directed learning. When teachers avoid intervening in their


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learning as much as possible and the learners make decisions regarding their own

learning, it is self-directed learning. “One may replace the other over time”, said

Holec “or a single programme embraces both paradigms” (Holec 10).

Owing to the ever increasing learner population and expanding global

communication, a worldwide demand for multilingualism and plurilingualism is

created. Self directed paradigm is the solution for meeting the diverse needs of

learners.

Nunan is certain about the “fluctuations in the degree of learners‟ autonomy

over time and from one skill area to another”. The degree of autonomy of a learner

depends on the “learner‟s personality, cultural context, goals and institutional

philosophy” (Gardner 7).

Kumaravadivelu considers teaching a personal construct, controlled by the

individual learner. Every teaching act will be seen through the prism of what the

individual learner brings to it as well as take from it. If learning is indeed controlled

by the learner, teacher can only try to create the conditions necessary for learning

to take place (Beyond 44).

The present study has been taken up as a result of the researcher‟s teaching

experience as a second language teacher at the tertiary level of education at various

institutions. The attempt of the researcher to enhance the oral language output of

learners at the tertiary level finds a little change in the attitude of learners after a lot of


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persuasions and this struggle has given an impetus to adopt an innovative teaching

method. This method requires a proper guidance from the teacher and a lot of

initiation on the part of learners to acquire the second language in the classroom.

In spite of the exposure of learners to many years of English teaching, the

poor communication skill or reticence in learners‟ response may be due to their

poor development of competency. These learners are unable to express their needs

and interests in worldly activities in the target language. The inability to decide on

actions based on their own convictions can also be one of the reasons behind the

hesitation of learners to speak English. According to Oshana, personal autonomy

enables them to take decisions and to be communicative about their actions and

their values (39).

Teaching, in the usual sense, may prevent learners from discovering their

winner potentialities and so, creating the proper conditions in the classroom

kindles learners to discover ideas and take decisions based on the ideas and values

by themselves. The findings of many researches confirm the necessity for engaging

learners in a range of learning activities for them to acquire the language by

themselves most satisfactorily.

1.8 Review of Related Works

The review of related literature provides the necessary impetus to carry out

the proposed study on the integration of learner autonomy and Task Based

Language Teaching.


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1.8.1 Relational Studies on Task Based Language Teaching

Many a research has been done on Task Based Language Teaching with

regard to the type of task, sequencing of tasks, the use of modern technologies to

develop the communicative skills through tasks designed, the use of corpus-based

or extra-curricular learning materials and suitability of Task Based Language

Teaching for the mixed ability class.

Improvement in the attitudes of learners towards English as well as fluency

and accuracy of speaking skill, when adopted Willis model of tasks, is perceived

in the study conducted by Tareq Mitib Murad on the “Effect of TBLT on

Developing Speaking Skills Among the Palestinian Secondary EFL Learners in

Israel and their Attitude Towards English”.

Increase in the learners‟ involvement with the role playing on the life activities

is revealed through a study on “The Effectiveness of TBLT Instructions in the

Improvement of Learners‟ Speaking Skill” by Baris Kasap, though the statistical

analysis brings out the lukewarm response of learners in the experimental group.

Peter Skehan in his article “A Non-marginal Role for Tasks” points out that

the suitability of Task Based Language Teaching for the teachers with the learners

of heterogeneity. Their concern is with the selection of material and classroom

procedure decisions (methodology), which will cater to the groups of learners with

varying stages of language development, talents and motivation. The findings of

Second Language Acquisition researchers reveal that the growth of an inter language,


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the non-linear growth of language and the need for individualization of instruction

support the adoption of task oriented teaching of language. He quotes Michael Lony‟s

influential argument for choosing the tasks in relation to the learners‟ needs and their

usefulness and their promotion of negotiation of meaning.

Ruso assures from his study on “The Influence of TBLT on EFC Classroom”

the involvement and improvement of learners‟ language. Such opportunities offer

them to express themselves in the target language and the creation of variety with the

inclusion of extra- curricular materials.

Aliak Bari and Jamalvandi in their two month empirical study on “The Impact

of „Role play‟ on Fostering Speaking Ability: A Task-Based Approach” have

confirmed the “noteworthy” results of their effort in learners through Task Based

Language Teaching.

YouJin Kim‟s findings reiterate Robinson‟s study outcome in his work,

“Task Complexity, Learning Opportunities, and Korean EFL Learners‟ Question

Development”. He points out that different degrees of complexity of the task designed

create many learning opportunities for interaction and lead to the question

development in a classroom setting. It accentuates the use of more interactional

features to carry out the task by the learners. Cognitively complex tasks engender

clarification requests and confirmation checks.

Baleghizadeh, in “The Effect of Pair Work on a Word Building Task”,

stresses the necessity for the pair work to co-construct morphological knowledge.


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Autonomous learning is promoted through collaboration-working together for a

shared goal.

Christian Burrows, in “An Evaluation of Task Based Learning in the

Japanese Classroom Interaction in the TBLT Activities”, prepares the ground for

exposure, motivation, real language and a focus on form through tasks and says

fluency, as a basis for linguistic accuracy, causes the language development with

variety of interactions among the students.

Kenning‟s “Collaborative Scaffolding in Online Task-Based Voice Interactions

between Advanced Learners” tries to establish the benefits of audio-conferencing

systems in fostering the collaboration and scaffolding apart from interaction

among advanced learners whose native language is common.

Along similar lines, Gabriela Adela‟s article titled “Beyond Interaction:

The Study of Collaborative Activity in Computer Mediated Tasks” reveals how the

use of machine, computer, has led to the micro genetic observation of the interactions

among the learners to study the effects or limitations of the computer on the

interaction. It tries to establish that collaboration with the computer mediated tasks is

useful for the improvement of linguistic knowledge co-constructively.

Another attempt at employing technology is the use of cell phones in

task-based learning in Kiernan and Aizawa‟s article, “Are Cell Phones Useful

Language Learning Tools?” It makes certain that the use of mobile enables the

“lower level” learners, who are with limited vocabulary, to utilize the stock


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resources to complete the closed type of tasks, storytelling and invitation tasks.

The authors suggest open type of tasks, using mobile as a potential device to

improve the language of learners.

Ali Shehadeh and Christine A. Coombe in their book, Task-Based Language

Teaching in Foreign Language Contexts Research and implementation, mention

the theoretical framework supporting Task Based Language Teaching and pinpoint

the similarities between the processes of second language learning and foreign

language learning. The emphasis is on comprehensible input, speaking opportunities,

focus on form and feedback. To achieve thorough language learning, learners have

social interaction in the holistic and goal-directed activity.

Kumaravadivelu highlights in his work Understanding Language Teaching

From Method to Post Method the suggestions of advocates of language-centered

pedagogy to make the input “usable and useful set of form and meaning-based

learning materials”. There is no one to one correspondence between grammatical

forms and communicative functions. A single form can express many functions

depending on the communicative context. The way in which interactional activities

are performed in the classroom conveys how the utterances are reformulated to make

those utterances communicative oriented. A wide variety of innovative classroom

procedures are used to import communicative nature to the interactional activities.

Pair work, group work, role play, simulation games, debates and scenarios are a

few classroom procedures, which are to be followed in the class (124).


25

In the same work, he argues that meaningful communication in the

classroom can be fostered with the information-gap activities in which a learner of a

pair knows what the other learner does not. It needs the inclusion of open-ended tasks

to offer a choice of response to the learner, the emphasis on contextualization, the use

of language at discourse level, the admittance of error as a natural outcome of

language development and the creation of tasks that integrate listening, speaking,

reading and writing skills (120).

Robertson‟s work, The Study of Second Language Acquisition in the Asian

Context, brings out the need for creating the necessary learning condition for the

acquisition of language from psychological perspective. Engaging learners in a

single task all the time checks the promotion of acquisition. Instead, different tasks

with same set of goals and performing those tasks with different sets of learners,

planning with different social contexts may likely to end up with the acquisition of

language. Learners‟ prolonged and repeated exposures to the new words transfer

these words, which are stored in the short term memory, to the long term memory.

The article by David Nunan “Important Tasks of English Education” in the

same work deals with specific needs of learners on the continent and gives, in detail,

the important features of Task Based Learning. Task Based Learning is more student-

centered learning. It encourages the deployment of authentic experience as well as

principles of constructivism, develops a greater sense of language ownership, gives


26

prominence to specific lesson goals and responds to learners‟ learning style,

personalities, multiple intelligences and the overall local contexts.

David Nunan in his work, Designing Tasks for the Communicative

Classroom, analyzes, in detail, the nature of macro language skills after defining

the task in the first two chapters. The detailed explanation of each task component

individually occupies the third chapter of the book. The following chapters deal

with the role of teachers, learners and teaching materials and the grading and

sequencing of tasks. He appends plenty of tasks for practising in the class.

Kumaravadivelu in his book, Understanding Language Teaching from

Method to Post Method, quotes Littlewood on outlining the role of teachers.

To Littlewood, the responsibility of teachers is to help learners to develop

knowledge or ability to manipulate the linguistic system. Learners have to use it to

convey their message spontaneously and to understand the necessity for performing

the communicative functions with the linguistic system that they have mastered.

Teachers should help them develop styles and strategies to communicate as

effectively as possible and to be aware of using the socioculturally appropriate

language for different circumstances.

The roles of communicative teacher as an interdependent participant within

learning groups are for organising resources and acting as a resource himself or

herself. In addition to that, they act as a guide within the classroom procedures and

activities to make learners understand what they need to do to achieve a specific


27

task, if they indicate that such guidance is necessary. Language learning is

influenced by the teacher‟s curricular objectives, classroom activities and even

personal attitudes.

1.8.2 Relational Studies on Learner Autonomy

In the same manner, innumerable research studies on learner autonomy are

about the strategies employed to know the self-directed attempt of learners to

study independently and the application of technologies to develop in them the

skills for self-instruction.

Naizhao, in his article “An Empirical Investigation of Learner Autonomy in

Some EFL Classes in China”, confirms the contribution of learners‟ self confidence to

the autonomous learning as the learners collaborate with one another. It is an

observational study carried out for two years. The attempt ended in the learners‟

decision to move in the “appropriate direction” to reach the “goal for all learning”.

Cetin and Flamand in “Posters, Self-directed Learning and L2 Vocabulary

Acquisition” reveal how the learners‟ active interest in their surroundings out of

their own volition helps them to acquire new knowledge through exposure to

posters with pictures. The study insists hardly on the intentional or deliberate

learning to improve learners‟ vocabulary.

Learners‟ motivational orientations determine their autonomous regulation

of their learning and competence and as a result of the effective classroom

teaching strategies, learners will be motivated to speak English volitionally by


28

getting over the psychological barrier. “The Effects of Autonomy-Supportive

Climates on EFL Learner‟s Engagement, Achievement and Competence in

English Speaking Classrooms” conveys the outcome of Ali Dincer‟s study.

Victoria Chan conveys through his article, “Readiness for Learner

autonomy: What do our Learners Tell Us?” the readiness of learners at tertiary

level classroom in Hong Kong for autonomous learning with a lot of space

provided for group interaction among the learners.

Abdullah in “Self-Directed Learning ERIC Digest” quotes Bolhuis, Temple

and Rodero for their findings that Self-Directed Learning (SDL) enables the

learner to transfer the conceptual knowledge to address the problems, which

people face in life. Choice in topics could be given within the thematic framework

suggested by the teacher to sustain the interest of the learners.

Zhang and Head, through their article “Dealing with Learner Reticence in

the Speaking Class”, emphasize the identification of learners‟ needs and objectives

from why and how they want to improve their English. This imparts the “sense of

ownership” which is a precursor to self motivation evinced by Williams Burden in

1997. Removal of reticence lies in their readiness to design the course and practice

speaking the target language on their own.

The plenary speeches by Westhoff on “A Priori Assessment of Language

Learning Tasks by Practitioners” drive home the point that checking the effectiveness

of learning materials is important and task materials from the new technologies


29

demand special scrutinizing for their more life-like and topical nature since

autonomous learning has been advocated with the educational reforms in Europe.

Sole and Mardomingo in “Trayetorias: A New Model for Online Task-Based

Learning” explain the possibility of new learning paradigm triggered by

Trayetorias which is a tool of an open problem solving live authentic web pages

and web quest as a result of changing the reader from mentally passive to active

state. With the choice of learning material and interpretations out of their own

experience, the high level of learner autonomy and self awareness is developed.

Andrea Machado de Almeida Mattos in his study on “A Vygotskian

Approach to Evaluation in Foreign Language Learning Contexts” suggests a socio

cultural approach to the evaluation of EFL learners. The worries and frustrations

normally associated with oral tests will be missing, if interaction with scaffoldings

is used for oral tests. These feelings will be minimized since their reliance on

collective resources of the group is available and this can make oral tests a part of

learners‟ daily life.

Kevin McGinley‟s “The Test of Interactive English-From Conception to

Implementation” is a non-specialist account of the development of the Test of

Interactive English (TIE), which aimed at establishing appropriate tests for EFL

learners to ensure the optimum performance of learners with authentic tasks.

Learner autonomy is provided in the selection of investigative task, book and new

story as testing material.


30

Yang, in his article “Corpus-based English Near Synonym Distinction in

Learner Autonomy Mode”, tries to establish “a corpus-based near synonym

distinction” employing learner autonomy mode. This mode has enabled them to

improve their basic corpus knowledge to distinguish the near synonyms.

Lesley Shield et al‟s “Fostering (pro) Active Language Learning through

Moo” defines autonomy as co-dependent pro-action, where negotiation among the

peer learners as to the time of learning, nature and type of learning materials and

the manner in which they can learn them. This article presents using “Text-Based

Virtual Reality” or Moo (Multi-User Domain Object Oriented) in conjunction with

the World Wide Web, how the language learning activities can be designed,

developed and implemented for encouraging active autonomous learning among

learners who are geographically away from one another.

Glenn Stockwell‟s work, Computer Assisted Language Learning: Diversity in

Research and Practice, includes an article by Hayo Reinders on the language support to

develop learner ability to learn independently. Reinders in the article speaks about the

humanist approach which considers a learner to be an active individual with previous

experiences, beliefs and preferences ready to mould her/his new learning experiences.

Learners are disallowed to take responsibility of their learning by making choices. They

will exercise autonomy, if they are free to carry out the choice, her/his decision at a

political level. At a practical level, the development of autonomy may be stifled with

state led education policies, school curricula and the prescribed use of text books.


31

Terry Lamb‟s work, Learner and Teacher Autonomy Concepts, Realities, and

Responses, opens with a chapter on the perspectives of teachers and learners on

autonomy of learning. It confirms the necessity for the conception of autonomy.

In the “response” section of the book, Barbara Sinclair in her article “Multiple

Voices” emphasizes the co-existence of the different levels of autonomy or

“autonomies” in and in-service teacher education context. In the section, under the

title “Realities”, Sara Cotterall and David Crabbe‟s article “Learner Talking”

encourages teachers to foster problem-solving dialogue about learning through

observation, experimentation, discussion and reflection. In the concluding chapter,

Terry Lamb discusses the teacher-learner relationship in the classroom. The three

key components arising out of the exploration into the concepts of freedom,

capacity and reflection are the critical reflection through which the teacher gains

professional autonomy, the commitment to empower the learners by appropriate

learning spaces and developing their capacity for autonomy and the capacity to

nurture the principles and values which underpin their own and learner autonomy.

Hayo Reinders in his thesis, Do it Yourself? A Learner’s Perspective on

Learner Autonomy and Self-Access Language Learning, underscores the role of

personal experience in learning. In learning, the activities become more meaningful

when related to his or her own personal experience and needs and this active process

of knowledge construction, in turn, shapes the learner. By and large, learners are

made aware of the learning process, a pre-requisite for successful learning.


32

Lydia M. Gilmore in her book on the exploration of the benefits of EMBA

coaching programme at Kennesaw State University underlines the view of

constructivists and experientialists that learners‟ interaction with peers, objects,

experts and occurrences leads to the construction of their own meaning. This learning

can only be encouraged and facilitated.

Ernesto Macaro in his work, Target Language, Collaborative Learning

and Autonomy, advocates the adoption of negotiated syllabus. If learners are

provided with an opinion for their choice of activities, it will develop autonomy in

language learning. Selection in activities is to be based on their personal

competence or autonomy of choice and action. The restriction on the learning

content may check the degree of freedom of choice.

Douglas J. Hacker in his work, Handbook of Metacognition in Education,

mentions the importance of competency. The competency of a learner carries out

the regulation of it. To possess the competency, the awareness is essential for the

fact that a person‟s knowledge and beliefs are the products of his or her experience

and in the same way, the experiences of others shape theirs. The belief that people

can hold contradictory beliefs to reality, as distinction exists between the mind and

world, is essential.

Zoltan Dornyei‟s dynamic view of motivation mentioned in the work of

Lynn Errey and Rudi Schollaert titled, Whose Learning is it Anyway? Developing

Learner Autonomy through Task Based Language Learning, gives importance to


33

the decisions, which learners make on the things they choose to act upon and to

learn. It explains how the post-actional stage sustains the motivation since learners

reflect upon what they have learnt. This reflection helps them to take decision for

further learning experiences. Thus, responsibility of making decisions keeps their

motivation sustained and focused.

Though a lot of researches have been done on various teaching and learning

problems especially, based on Task Based Language Teaching and leaner autonomy

till now, a need for a method, which integrates Task Based Language Teaching

and learner autonomy to satisfy the expectations of learners with differential

ability and needs, is yet to be devised. The review of literature, thus, drives home

the necessity for the research on the feasibility of designing the tasks with the

diversity of learning content for learners‟ choice and for their deployment of the

linguistic forms through which the previous personal experiences of learners can

be expressed.

The review of related literature confirms the need for the integration of

learner autonomy with Task Based Language Teaching to bridge the gap between

the expectations of teachers and the actual ability of learners for improving their

skills in communication.

1.9 Need for Triangulation

The researcher makes an attempt to adopt methodological triangulation to

collect data to boost the validity of the findings. The method chosen for the


34

triangulation is phenomenological study which explores how learners perceive

their personal and social experiences through the description of their lived

experiences to find out whether any improvement in their speaking skill with the

liberty granted in the class.

The perceptions about a particular situation differ from an individual to

individual. The difference may be due the varied conceptual frameworks, which

are fabricated in the minds of people and have a bearing on their previous

experiences. From the philosophical perspective of phenomenology, reality is

perceived to be socially constructed by individuals and so, the co-existence of

multiple realities needs to be “uncovered” by the researchers involving themselves

in interaction with the participants in meaningful ways (Lodico).

1.9.1 Phenomenological Method

The accession of Phenomenology is through the Phenomenological

psychology, which Husserl developed in 1927 and Philosophical Phenomenology,

which German Mathematician evolved (Ganeson 71). Colaizzi‟s descriptive

phenomenology is based on Husserl‟s philosophy. The outcome is “the description

of the meaning of an experience, often through the identification of essential

themes” (Polit and Beck 519).

Phenomenological research method seeks to support or challenge a policy

or action from the perceptions of the informants. As mentioned in Internet

Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, Husserl points out that “A central task of


35

phenomenology is to describe rather than explain the way things appear without

any distortion of truth” and so, the perspective is free from any preconception or

hypothesis. Van Menon asserts that phenomenological research brings an insight

into reality and the reader closes to the living world of phenomenology. The lived

experiences of informants enable the readers to gain a deep understanding of the

meaning of the experiences (Shosha). These experiences of the informants enable

the policy makers to take a stand and in turn, to establish the validity of the policy

or action (Lester).

1.10 Innovative Method - A Justification

To Judith Hamilton, any alteration to established “pedagogical perceptions”

makes teachers innovate (4). The fixed outcome in the learning experiences and

specified sequencing of learning content are needless to develop learners‟

language skills. Excluding these aspects of a teaching method and making

allowance for the spot decisions by the learners in the choice of words and

grammatical elements, learning goal, content and style encourage innovations in

teaching and learning process. Learners‟ linguistic innovations must enable them to

“translate personal meanings into language for autonomous interaction” (Bygate 59).

Judith Hamilton‟s suggestion is the creation of enough room for innovation with

“teamwork, a redefinition of task and remit” (6). Learners are thus encouraged to

take pro- active role for their learning.


36

1.11 Priority to Speaking Skills - Reason

A question can be raised on the need for improving the speaking skills because

of the belief that learners have their own communicative strategies for a particular

situation. Minda Mora answers this question in his article “Training Speaking:

Misconceptions about Teaching Speaking Skills in English” (qtd. in Bhat 17).

His argument is that effective communication must be the goal of speaking skills.

Teachers can guide them to develop proficiency to the fullest extent possible, to

avoid making grammatical or vocabulary error and to improve their knowledge

about socio cultural norms in different communicative situations.

Speaking skill, hitherto a grossly neglected skill in the classroom assumes

much importance with the progress in educational technologies. The success of the

learners‟ candidature in the job market rests with the effective communication

skills of learners. It is given secondary importance in examination, since only a

few educational institutions conduct oral tests to monitor the progress of these

skills in learners. The classroom practice in speaking skill goes a long way in

preparing learners for their successful professional life in future.

Classroom is where learners can vicariously encounter experiences, which

normally people undergo outside the classroom in the world. The class size, which

is large mostly, creates difficulty in permitting all the learners to speak one after

another as demanded by the conventional pedagogy within the class. Each class

with heterogeneous learners hinders the attempt to give practice on the same


37

linguistic content to all the learners at the same time. Owing to the differential

capabilities of learners, the adoption of Task Based Language Teaching with choice

on learning content, timings, group formation and without any imposition of linguistic

form or content is perceived to be suitable for the acquisition of language.

1.12 Information Gap Tasks

Information gap tasks are central to the communicative methodology.

A range of tasks can be constructed from this basic type of tasks. Many other tasks

like problem solving and opinion gap tasks revolve around the information gap

task. The types of task chosen are Jigsaw, information-exchange and decision

making. The criteria on which these tasks were designed by Pica, Kanagy and

Falodun (1993) are followed. Information gap tasks, which require the pooling of

information from the members of a group about a topic under discussion, give

learners an opportunity to share their view of the topic through the bit of

information that they receive.

These tasks, as a dynamic creative tool (Pillai 38), may involve all the four

macro skills. Learners listen, read the materials, write the outcome of tasks and

interact with other learners. But the assessment is carried out on speaking skill only.

David Nunan describes this method “taking the learner‟s immediate personal

experience as the point of departure for the learning experience” (Nunan, Learner 48).

To perform task, learners need to deploy their linguistic resources.

The main aim of task is to make learners use language. This implies the need for


38

life-oriented tasks which help learners to apply their acquired linguistic and

communicative knowledge in life later. Since the tasks designed for the class

reflect on what learners perform in life, learners have to share their personal

experiences using appropriate words from their own linguistic repertoire.

The tasks in the study include life-oriented tasks and pedagogy-oriented

tasks. It is discriminated from the pedagogy-oriented tasks on the grounds that the

latter type of task involves the learners‟ experiences in life whereas the former

type of tasks involves the need for a little manipulation to emphasize the use of

grammatically correct linguistic forms. Pedagogy-oriented tasks, like completion

or construction of a story with the images available which learners may perform in

their life from childhood to adulthood for various reasons, are carried out mainly

with the focus on form.

The focus of the study is mainly on the speaking skill because this skill

needs due consideration for its importance in the learners‟ communication at the

tertiary level. The efficacy of communication has its base in the development of

speaking skill in learners. As speaking skill deserves an important place in the

academic curriculum, information gap tasks designed for the study give due

importance to this macro skill - speaking.

1.13 Appropriateness of Learners’ Level Chosen

Learners pursuing post graduate courses are expected to be proficient in

English to present papers, participate in group discussion or debate and to become


39

successful candidates in the interview. These learners who have reached young

adulthood are also ready to explore the existing things and share their views

with others.

In the late adolescence (approximately 17-21 years of age), the possibility

of ability to think through ideas, to express ideas in words, to make independent

decisions and to set goal to follow are established through research studies (Stages).

The peak of cognitive development is in the adolescence through adulthood

according to Piaget‟s stages of formal operations (Elkind 189). Though granting

them autonomy to use their own expressions may likely to succeed, yet a very

careful and measured planning is imperative to make them autonomous.

1.14 Aim of the Research

The belief that only the well established teaching methods, the well-designed

syllabus and text materials aid the teachers to enhance the communication skills of

learners, has taken a back seat with the kind of researches pursued on the line of

encouraging the learners to self direct or self regulate their learning. Attempts to make

them self-direct their learning may go a long way to create the desired effect.

The desire to take responsibility for their learning, to some extent, can be made

indeed with the opportunities given to them to work together.

Working with peer learners encourages a lot of interactions among them.

Interactions act actually as a platform for the improvement of speaking skill as

they involve negotiation of meaning among the learners. These opportunities


40

coupled with the choice of learning content and grouping will create the conducive

atmosphere for learners to draw out matters from their own previous personal

experiences or experiences of other people which they have known or shared with

their peer learners.

Learners rely on their own linguistic repertoire to perform the learning

tasks chosen by themselves from a range of such tasks designed with the possible

alternative goals by the teachers.

The choice available in this manner at the beginning of the course will

enable them to take responsibility of their learning in the due course of time.

With this aim in mind, the researcher undertakes this research based on the

integration of strong and convincing theoretical bases of Task Based Language

Teaching and learner autonomy for enhancing the communication skills of

learners at the Post Graduate level.

1.15 General Objectives

To make the learners identify the goals and objectives of their learning and

if needed modify them in response to their needs and interests

To keep the learners informed of the choices available in the learning

content in a range of meaningful interactive learning situations which have

a bearing on their interests and needs and to provide the learners with

plenty of opportunities for recalling their previous experiences for their

values and beliefs in harmony with their convictions


41

To place them with actual or virtuous learning experiences which expand

their knowledge and in turn, skills by the creation of interface between their

point of view out of past experiences in life and possibilities of different

confrontational ideas, beliefs and values in varied social contexts

To prepare them for the demystified knowledge about the learning process and

thereby, the expanded space will provide opportunities for utilizing personal

views of life for gaining self-confidence in speaking the second language and

to create classroom atmosphere to equip them with necessary skills for

designing their learning materials and thereby, augmenting their motivation

1.16 Specific Objectives

To find out the effect of tasks carried out for autonomous learning on the

improvement of learners‟ speaking skill

To find out the influence of the learners‟ socio economic factors on the

enhancement of their speaking skill

To understand the motivational level of Commerce major learners towards

English language learning.

To explore the learners‟ perceptions on this innovative method to validate

the findings of the pre-experimental study


42

1.17 Hypotheses of the Research

The speaking skill of the learners shows an improvement with the designed

tasks aimed for their autonomous learning.

The medium of instruction of the learners has its influence on the

enhancement of the learners‟ speaking skill, when the targeted tasks aimed

for their autonomous learning are carried out.

The education of mothers plays a role in the improvement of the learners‟

speaking skill, when the designed tasks with an aim for their autonomous

learning are carried out.

The learners‟ speaking skill reveals improvement with the planned tasks for

their autonomous learning, when the education of their fathers is under control.

The speaking skill of the learners shows an improvement with the

implemented tasks aimed for their autonomous learning, when the influence

of gender is under control.

The speaking skill of the learners enhances with the implementation of the

tasks, when the language spoken by the learners at home is under control.

The enhancement of speaking skill of the learners is realised with the

targeted tasks for their autonomous learning controlling the influence of

kind of hometown.


43

Controlling the influence of the occupation of fathers, the speaking skill of

the learners shows an improvement with the tasks designed for their

learning autonomously.

The speaking skill of the learners shows an enhancement when the tasks

targeted for their learning are adopted with autonomy controlling the

influence of the occupation of their mothers.

The learners are positively motivated towards English language learning.

1.18 Scope of the Present Study

Classroom environment should match with the natural lifelong drives in

learning. According to Bhaskaran Nair, with the old teaching methodology,

teachers are helpless to create a proper environment in the class to receive

sufficient support and response from learners (qtd. in Philip 39).

Conducive ambience has to be created for the interface between their views

and beliefs in relation to their convictions and the varied views of other learners.

This is a platform for expanding a learner‟s knowledge by confronting varied views

and experiences “pushed out” in response to their own. These confrontations lead to

negotiation of meaning if the communication lacks clarity in their linguistic

expressions. This reflective learning process on the communicative competency

as well as content of interaction boosts their self-confidence and their competence

as well.


44

The researcher has undertaken this study to find out the validity of

enhancing the speaking skill of learners with the choice in content and timings for

expressing their views from sharing their personal experiences with other learners.

The subjects of the research are a single group of post graduate learners from Arts and

Humanities discipline of Bharathiar University in Coimbatore. Needs analysis was

carried out at the beginning of the study to keep track of their needs and interests.

Learning preferences were assessed using the inventory, the adapted version of

Oxford. An entry test was conducted for the single test group of learners to assess and

diagnose their speaking skill. Based on the diagnostic analysis of their performance,

the researcher designed the modules of tasks against the backdrop of implication of

theories of Task-Based Language Teaching and learner autonomy.

A span of 30 instructional hours was utilized for implementing the designed

modules of tasks to the same group of learners by the researcher. The exit test was

conducted subsequently and their responses were assessed with respect to the effect of

the integration of Task Based Language Teaching and learner autonomy. Motivation

questionnaire was administered to them to find out the level of motivation at the end

of the study.

1.19 Chapterisation

1.19.1 Chapter I Introduction

With the background of study, the first chapter traces the necessity for

integrating learner autonomy and Task Based Language Teaching through


45

highlighting the aim of introducing various teaching methods. It attempts to present

how the assumptions of advocates of autonomy have gained the import of “social”

character and the reviews of related studies.

1.19.2 Chapter II Theoretical Perspective of Learner Autonomy and Task

Based Language Teaching

The second chapter examines the theoretical perspectives on the need for

integrating learner autonomy and Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT) for the

problems in enhancing the learners‟ speaking skill. The rationale behind the

adoption of Task Based Language Teaching needs a detailed mention to bring out

the advantages and disadvantages of following the particular method in the

classroom. The assumptions held by the practitioners who support the implementation

of the practices fostering autonomy in learners are presented for ascertaining the

implications of autonomy in the classroom context for language learning.

1.19.3 Chapter III Methodology (Need for Integrating Learner Autonomy and

Task Based Language Teaching through Information Gap Tasks)

The strategic means for adopting the integrated learner autonomy and Task

Based Language Teaching for enhancing the speaking skill of learners find a

mention in this third chapter. Jigsaw tasks, information gap tasks and decision

making tasks are the chosen tasks for creating, at the beginning, awareness about

the learning process and their preferred strategies and style to respond and share

their perceptions and experiences with other learners and later enabling them to


46

choose the learning material with the content of their choice. Though segregation

of any particular skill to develop in learners is against the nature of language

learning, the weight is given to particularly speaking skill in each lesson plan

designed to follow in the class.

1.19.4 Chapter IV Analysis and Interpretation

The fourth chapter, with the quantitative analysis of the data collected from

the post graduate learners after administering the entry test and exit test for the

single group of learners, presents the interpretations of the analysis carried out.

It examines the responses of the same learners about their lived experiences, while

taking the responsibility for their learning through the tasks performed, to relate

them to the findings of the quantitative analysis.

1.19.5 Chapter V Summing Up

The summing up in the final chapter, with the findings of the study, proves the

enhancement of speaking skill through the targeted tasks. This chapter ascertains,

with the findings the positive effect of fostering autonomy on enhancing their

speaking skill by exposing them to the innovative method, the integrated learner

autonomy and Task Based Language Teaching.

1.20 Conclusion

This introductory chapter, thus, has outlined the need for autonomy for

learners to enhance their communicative skills. It has attempted to point out that


47

the imposing of structures and rules of language suppress the learners‟ interest in

learning and the construction of meaning in relation to their needs and interests

creates and sustains their motivation in learning. It highlights the implications of

integration of learner autonomy with Task Based Language Teaching in improving

their communicative skills and mentions the phenomenological study to be carried

out for revalidating the findings of the pre-experimental research work.

The second chapter attempts to present the rationale behind the Task Based

Language Teaching and the assumptions of learner autonomy and their

implications in the classroom context from the theoretical point of view.


chapter i introduction -...

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