ABSTRACT

“The New English Curriculum Standards" requires that new junior graduates are able to participate in the discussion of simple daily topics, express their views and opinions. It requires the increasing commitment to the oral English learning. Because of the limits of traditional education and the lack of authenticity in materials, students are not willing to participate and engage in the class activities. It poses great challenges to teachers, and calls for the reform in the field. Task-based approach is a task-centered method, focuses on text authenticity and full accessibility, and serves to achieve the goal of oral English learning and application. At present, most of the research focuses on the application of this approach at the primary school and university level. On the contrary, the paper attempts to apply the task-based approach to junior middle school and to test whether task-based approach can effectively improve the junior middle school students' English learning interest and oral English proficiency. Through the study it proves that the use of task-based approach in junior high school oral English teaching can stimulate students' interest and enhance their confidence to speak English. This study intends to fill the gaps in this area, hopes to help the reform in the junior high school oral English teaching.

In this paper, the first chapter analyzes the background, purposes and significance of this study. The second chapter summarizes the research of task-based approach at home and abroad. The third chapter mainly analyzes experimental teaching based on TBA and traditional teaching and analysis of the experimental data. The fourth chapter concludes and introduces some implications. 

Key words: oral English in junior high school; class teaching; task-based approach

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

1.1 Research Background-1

1.1.1 The requirements of the New Curriculum Standard-1

1.1.2 Current situations and problems of junior high school English teaching-2

1.2 Research objectives and significance-3

1.3 Structure of the thesis-4

Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW-5

2.1 Task-based Approach/ (TBA)-5

2.2 Definitions of the “Task”-6

2.3 Current Study of TBA at Home and Abroad-7

Chapter Three RESEARCH PROCEDURES-10

3.1 Research Purposes-10

3.2 Research Question-11

3.3 Research Preparations-11

3.3.1 Subjects of the experiment-11

3.3.2 Research materials-12

3.4 Research Methodology-13

3.5 Research Design-13

3.5.1 The pre-test-13

3.5.2Teaching procedures-13

3.5.2 The post-test-14

3.5.3 The interview-14

3.6 Data Collection and Analysis-15

3.6.1 Analysis of pretest data-15

3.6.2 Analysis of post-test-16

3.6.3 Analysis of the interview-16

Chapter Four CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS-18

4.1 conclusions-18

4.2 Implications-19

4.3 Limitations of the Study-20

REFERENCES-22