As for The New English Curriculum Standard of High School (2013), the aim of English listening teaching is to cultivate students’ listening skills and competence. With the cultivation of listening, students can get a better understanding of English listening and contribute to their communication with others.
In 2001, English listening has been one part of the national entrance examination. Now it is regarded as an important part of English learning compared with the situation years ago. It should be noted that although it is regarded as an important part of national entrance examination, little attention is paid to listening learning (Wang, 8).
To TBLT, tasks are of great importance, which stresses the importance of teachers as well as students. TBLT focuses on the process of communication. It is closely related to communication. “A task-based approach is normally realized through an appropriate strategy whereby learners do their best to achieve some kind of resolution to a communicative problem and the development of their existing language resources” (Brumift, 43).
The application of TBLT listening teaching in senior high school is of great importance, where more attention is paid to the application of TBLT. It is easy to find that the traditional listening teaching approach still dominates the English listening teaching. TBLT stresses that students can participate in listening activity positively through taking part in different tasks. To the task, it demands students to collect and analyze the resources (Li, 2011, 14). In light of the TBLT, listening teaching should set tasks based on students learning ability and its psychology level. To TBLT, it focuses on the development of students’ competence. Set in current learning situation, TBLT emphasis on the importance of tasks and the involvement of students. It can elicit students’ interests in learning English. Some people did an reach about the application of TBLT to English listening study, while more studies need to be done and analyze the problems of TBLT. Then the researchers should provide some useful tips for the study of listening in senior high school.
II. Task-based Language Teaching Approach in English Listening
2.1 Task
2.1.1 Definitions of Task
Currently, TBLT has attracted great relation to the field of English teaching and studies. In the process of English teaching, the application of TBLT promotes the use of English, emphasizes the importance of students’ involvement of teaching activities especially the tasks. It aims to cultivating students’ confidence in English listening learning. In the past several decades, a variety of students pay much attention to study the application of TBLT in China. However, there is no systemic research on the definition of task.源!自`751~文)论(文]网[www.751com.cn
According to Long (Long, 89), the task is firmly concerned with people’s involvement. Lots of activities can be classified as tasks, for example, reading a sentence, drawing a picture, having dinner, doing homework, driving a car, going to the park, going swimming, playing with friends, and walking a dog. In another way, tasks refer to the things that people do in daily life. It is firmly linked to people’s daily life. In accordance with Richards, tasks are linked closely to the long term or short term objectives. The aim of the task is to cultivate students’ ability to conduct a number of behaviors.
From the perspective of pedagogy, Richard gives a definition of task. That is, a task is due to the influence of an activity which helps students understand the language (i.e. as a response) (Richards, et al. 289). Specifically, when students listen to some materials, the teacher asks the students to draw a picture in light of the listening materials. It is a type of tasks. In addition, when completing the task, it is vital to make a comment on the task that has been finished. 任务型教学在激发中学生英语学习兴趣中的作用(2):http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_53660.html