Options in a task-based language-teaching curriculum
An educational perspective
Rod Ellis | Curtin University , Australia
I draw on the education literature to describe four educational curriculum models, which serve as a basis for presenting
four TBLT curricula based on the proposals of Prabhu (1987); Willis (1996), Long (1985, 2015a, 2015b) and myself (Ellis, 2003 and 2019) – all of which have figured in the development of TBLT. I propose a set of questions that can be used to
evaluate these models. I then turn to examine the curriculum design process, identifying options in TBLT curricula that are available at
each stage of the process. I point to a tension that exists between what SLA theory indicates is needed and what environmental constraints
make feasible and conclude with a plea for flexibility by weighing up which options are appropriate in different teaching situations. I also
summarize how I see TBLT benefitting from adopting a broad education perspective that includes critical language pedagogy.
Keywords: general educational curriculum models, four TBLT curricula, evaluating TBLT curricula, options in the design and implementation of TBLT, need for flexibility
Article outline
- Introduction
- Curriculum models in education
- Curriculum as a product
- Process curriculum model
- Curriculum and critical pedagogy
- Task-based language teaching curricula
- Prabu’s (1987) communicational language teaching project
- Long’s task-based curriculum model
- Willis’ framework for task-based learning
- Ellis’ modular curriculum
- General comment
- Options in the design of a curriculum
- Considering the environment
- Discovering needs
- Following principles
- Determining goals
- Selection and sequencing of content
- Finding a format and presenting materials
- Assessment
- Program evaluation
- Conclusion
- Notes
-
References
This article is currently available as a sample article.
Published online: 27 May 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/task.00002.ell
https://doi.org/10.1075/task.00002.ell
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