Task Based Syllabus

A task-based syllabus is oriented towards the process of language learning in the classroom (Littlewood, 1981). It draws on several principles that formed part of communicative language teaching movement from the 1980s (Richard & Rogers, 2001). Since the end of 1960’s, the communicative task has involved as important component within curriculum planning, implementation and evaluation (Nunan, 1989). In current teaching approaches like TBLT, syllabus content and instructional processes are selected with reference to the communicative tasks. These tasks are tasks that learners will need to engage in outside the classroom.

As the researcher mentioned above, task-based language teaching is another example of the (strong version) of the communicative

The type of task used in instruction may positively influence learners’ performance. Hence, the curriculum or course designer tries to create tasks that foster a language-learning context in which the learners can be involved and supported in their efforts to communicate fluently and effectively (Ellis, 2003; Willis, 1996). Among the ways to create this language learning context, task-Based Instruction (TBI) presents opportunities to employ effective and meaningful activities and thus promotes communicative language use in the language class. While some researchers suggest that the traditional methods include prescribed steps that provide teachers with a clear schedule of what they should do (Rivers, cited in Skehan, 1996). Other researchers emphasize the importance of task-based approaches to communicative instruction which leave teachers and learners free to find their own procedures to maximize communicative effectiveness (Skehane, 1996; prabhu, 1987; Long &Nunan,

As a result, they came up with a variety of recommendations in line with wide-ranging problems of the institutions. For instance, a research conducted by Meseret (2012) was confined teachers and students perceptions and practices in Haramaya University. His finding showed that instructors had favourable perceptions about the contribution of task-based writing to the development of students’ writing ability, but they lacked confidence to implement task-based writing because of their students’ poor writing. Tewodros (2014) carried out a study on the writing tasks in grade nine English textbook based on task-based approach principles in Gode SOS high school, and revealed that there was a variety of task-based writing tasks were explicitly provided in grade nine English textbook, which were categorized under controlled guided and free types of writing tasks. His study also revealed that only few writing tasks were provided in the textbook that encourage learners to perform writing through process approach to writing which was considered as major limitation of the writing tasks. The other research, which was conducted by Aychiluhm (2015), was also concerned with the assessing implementation of task-based approach in teaching writing in Aboker preparatory school in grade 11. His findings should that most teachers are not properly implementing