Summary #3

CL596 TESOL Program

Chapter 9: Macro- and Micro-Evaluations of Task-Based Teaching

By Rod Ellis

Summarized by Mohammed S. Alkhamali

When do we consider language-teaching activity to be a 'task'?

The author mentioned four criteria that language-teaching activity needs to meet to be considered as a task as following.

1-The activity should focuses on meaning.

2-The activity should contain an information gap to provide learners with communicative opportunities.

3-Learners should be free to use their own linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge to complete the activity.

4-Language works as a means for achieving outcome.

According to the aforementioned criteria, how can we distinguish between task and situational grammar exercise?

The previously mentioned criteria are related to the task while the situational grammar exercise meets only the 2^nd and the 3^rd ones. In terms of the 1^st and 4^th criteria, the situational grammar exercise focuses on practicing correct grammar and the main outcome in using of correct language.

There is another important distinction between task (task-based) and the situational grammar exercise (task-supported language teaching); which is, the first one needs a syllabus that consisting of unfocused tasks (tasks that are designed to provide learners with chances of using language communicatively. The second one uses structural syllabus.

What are types of 'Tasks'?

Tasks can be distinguished in a number of ways as following.

Unfocused tasks are tasks that are designed to provide learners with chances of using language communicatively in general.	Focused tasks are designed to provide learners with chances of communication using specific linguistic feature.
Input-providing tasks engage learners in tasks of receptive skills.	Output-providing tasks engage learners in tasks of productive skills.
Closed tasks are the ones with limited number of possible answers (information-gap tasks).	Open tasks are the ones with many possible answers (opinion-gap tasks).

Macro-evaluation

Macro-evaluation is the evaluation that tries to answer one or both of the following questions:

1)To what extent was the program effective and efficient in fulfill its goals? (Accountability evaluation)

2)In what ways can the program be improved? (developmental evaluation)

To conduct a macro-evaluation we need to collect information about one or both of the following:

A)Administrative matters that support the program such as logistical and financial matters. 
B) Curriculum matters that consist of      Materials, Teachers and Learners

Such evaluation does not go along with the perspective that many teachers have about what to be involved in evaluation. Therefore, any attempt teachers do to conduct a macro-evaluation will be a result of a whole series of micro-evaluation.

Micro-evaluation

On the other hand, micro-evaluation is the evaluation that focuses on specific areas of the curriculum or the administration of the program. Such evaluation might be used to in top-down way to consist a macro-evaluation. Micro-evaluation helps in deciding whether specific tasks work or not. It also helps teachers in self-reflection and development.

Macro-evaluations of task-based teaching

Beretta and Davies (1985) did one of the studies that the author mentioned under this title. They compared the learning outcomes of learners involved in the project with those in traditional class where the structural-oral situational method was used. The two researchers designed a set of test to avoid prejudice. These tests include tests favored the experimental group, tests favored the control group and three neutral tests. The results support the effectiveness of the task-based teaching as seen in both experimental and neutral tests. However, the controlled group took the lead in the structural tests. The researchers conclude that the results support the use of task-based instruction procedures. This can be seen in learners' superior acquisition of structures that they were taught inductively and in their ability to circulate what they have learned easily. The researchers point some problems. One of these problems was the difficulty in planning and conducting macro-evaluations after the course started.

Micro-evaluations of tasks

Micro-evaluations can be used to accountability or improvement aims. Such evaluations can involve different types of information about (1) the learners' opinions about the task, (2) how the task was performed, and (3) what learning resulting of such performing. In terms of these information there are three different approaches of tasks evaluation. (A) a student-based evaluation, (B) a response-based evaluation, and (C) a learning-based evaluation. Each type requires different kind of information.