ABSTRACT
This study determined the challenges and coping strategies in implementing task-based learning as groundwork for a seminar workshop at Caninguan National High School for the school year 2023 - 2024. The participants in the study were thirteen (13) purposively chosen English teachers who were implementing task-based learning. An in-depth interview guide duly validated by expert jurors was used to gather data. Thematic analyses were used to analyze and interpret the responses. The results revealed that teachers implement task-based learning as: a collaborative learners' activity, aligning authentic materials with objectives, and differentiating tasks for learning. The results also showed that the challenges in implementing task-based learning were time-consuming/time constraints, the need for assessment methods, and student engagement issues. The coping strategies employed by the teachers to overcome the challenges were prioritizing the tasks and giving Learners the freedom to choose their tasks.
Keywords: English teachers, Task-Based Learning, Groundwork, Seminar Workshop
INTRODUCTION
The English language is one of two official languages in the Philippines. The nation is acknowledged worldwide as one of the largest English-speaking countries, with most of its citizens possessing at least a basic level of fluency in the language. English has been established as the primary language of instruction throughout all educational stages – from elementary to secondary and tertiary levels- and it is included as a subject within the nation's Fundamental Education Curriculum.
While the circumstances appear favorable regarding the application of English in practical scenarios, the actual situation of English within the teaching-learning environment reveals a noticeable decrease in learners' proficiency in the classroom. This decline in English proficiency can be traced from the teachers’ approach to teaching and students’ approach to learning. The traditional way of teaching English, including simply giving lectures and examples followed by a task assessing the students’ learning, is one of the factors affecting the slump of students’ English language proficiency.
Teachers usually utilize lecture-based and form-based exercises in their English instruction, which are usually decontextualized and meaningless. With this, learners could not find the importance of or reason for learning the components of language, thus leading them to disengage themselves in the teaching-learning process. This also allows the learners to be passive in the classroom. The declining curve of learners in terms of their knowledge of the English language is affected by their dependence on memorization since acquisition did not involve them in the learning process.
As stated by Nasiba (2022), human beings learn well when they are involved in the tasks or activities they are interested in. Students do not learn by attending classes where teachers fill their minds with information while they are taking notes, but by becoming involved in the content to be learned.
Teachers utilize task-based learning, a key component of delivering quality instruction, to help learners develop language proficiency and adapt to the demands of the modern world. By tailoring learning objectives to specific tasks, discussions, and performance assessments, teachers create engaging and relevant lessons that cater to individual students' motivations, thus fostering deep learning and effective delivery.
Through task-based learning, the learners explore activities that help them develop the tasks assigned to them, either individually or in groups. Through collaborative efforts among the members of the group, they discuss, read, plan, experiment, and use authentic materials to achieve the task.
Task-based learning makes the learners develop not only language skills but also socialization with other learners through group work. It also develops self-confidence, independent thinking, a sense of responsibility, creativity, and self–fulfillment when the learners accomplish their tasks with success.
By setting authentic and relevant goals and objectives, teachers can design instructional practices that connect tasks to learners’ needs and interests, thereby fostering a deeper understanding of the context by which the learners should achieve.
The researcher, a teacher with seven years of experience, can attest that task-based learning has significantly transformed the approach to instruction. By providing students with real-world tasks that require them to use language in a meaningful way, the researcher has witnessed a notable improvement in their ability to communicate effectively.
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