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Task-Based Language Teaching in the Business English Classroom By

Colleen Hyde

A Master's Paper

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of

The Requirements for the Degree of

Master

of Arts in TESOL ________________________________

Major Advisor's Signature

________________________________ Date

University of Wisconsin-River Falls

2013

brought to you by COREView metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.ukprovided by Minds@University of Wisconsin

Abstract

Students all over the world attend classes in Business English to further their careers. Business English instruction can prepare students for jobs in international business or improve their current English level. Instructors use the most recent teaching methods for English language instruction and adapt them to the Business English classroom.

One current

instructional method is Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) which centers class time around a pedagogical task. Students work together in groups to complete tasks while the teacher acts mainly as a language guide. Since the business world primarily consists of tasks, TBLT can teach business tasks and Business English using classroom tasks.

This paper

examine s both the history and characteristics of Business English and TBLT, and discusses how TBLT is suited for

Business English instruction.

TBLT is compared to more traditional, teacher centered approaches and methods. The basic stages of TBLT are examined and discussed with emphasis on when the teacher can focus on form and/or meaning. Two sample lesson plans developed for post-graduate university students are included in the paper to show how TBLT can be used in the

Business English classroom.

The lesson plans focus on the business tasks of writing business emails and writing an itinerary. These TBLT lessons plans can be adapted for use in Business English classrooms and illustrate how TBLT can be used to teach Business English by using pedagogical tasks that mirror real world business tasks. This makes the lesson plan more meaningful to the students, and allows them to use the business skills and language taught outside of the classroom. These basic lessons can also be used as templates to teach additional business tasks including: writing business letters, giving presentations, and preparing business reports.

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Table of

Contents

Introduction

1 1.

Business English. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.1

History of Genre-Analysis and ESP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

1.2 Traditional Teaching of Business English

5

1.3 Types of Business English Learners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1.4 Goals of Business English Learners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1.5 Cultural and Social Aspects to Business English

9

1.6 Business English and TBLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2. TBLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2.1 TBLT's Basics and Origins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2.2 Social

Constructivism and TBLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2.3 TBLT and Communicative Language Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2.4 Emergence of TBLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2.5 Definition of Tasks in TBLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

2.6 Business English and Emphasis on Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

2.7 Combining Form and Meaning in TBLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

3.

Traditional Teaching Method- PPP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

4.

Stages of a TBLT Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

4.1 Pre-Task Stage of TBLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

4.2 Task Cycle Stage of TBLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

4.2.1 The Task

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

4.2.2

Planning Stage of the Task Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

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4.2.3

Reporting Stage of Task Cycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

4.3

Language Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

4.3.1

Analysis Stage of Language Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

4.3.2

Practice Stage of Language Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

5

Additional

Information on the Role of the Teacher in TBLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 6.

Applying TBLT to Business English Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

6.1 TBLT in Action

32
6.2

Sample

Business English Lesson Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

7.

TBLT Itinerary Lesson Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

7.1

Pre-Task Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

7.2 Task Cycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

7.2.1 Task Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

7.2.2 Planning Stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

7.2.3

Reporting Stage of Task Cycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

7.3 Language Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

7.3.1 Analysis Stage of Language Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

7.3.2 Practice Stage of Language Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

8.

TBLT Email Lesson Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

8.1 Pre-Task Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

8.2 Task Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

8.2.1 Task Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

8.2.2 Planning Phase of Task Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

8.2.3 Reporting Phase of Task Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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8.3 Language Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

8.3.1 Analysis Phase of Language Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

8.3.2 Practice Phase of Language Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

9.

Discussion of the Lesson Plans

. 43

Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Works Cited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

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Introduction

Today, English is the language of international business, and the field of Business English is growing to meet demand. Ellis and Johnson write that there are over 100 schools in the United Kingdom alone with Business English courses for non-native language learners, and the International Association for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) reports

1500 members in their Business English special interest group (3). Despite this interest, the field

of Business English is often neglected by linguistic researchers. But in recent years its popularity has caused educators and publishers to take notice (Ellis and Johnson 3).

Instructors

and schools are searching for ways to teach Business English that will prepare students for success in business communication. International business consists of individual tasks such as email writing, presentations, and meetings. The pairing of Business English instruction with Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) will help prepare students for careers in international business. Although Business English is a growing field in language instruction and TBLT is a popular instruction method, there is little existing scholarship that deals with them together. In this paper, I will show that TBLT is an effective method of English instruction for Business

English.

I will investigate the field of Business English instruction, traditional language teaching methods and approaches, the emergence of TBLT as a popular method of English language instruction, and the basic theories behind TBLT. This paper will examine the application of TBLT in the Business English classroom. Specifically, this paper will examine Business English language learners who are seeking M.B.A. degrees and plan to have jobs in the field of international business. These learners will benefit from the application of TBLT to their Business English instruction, but there is little literature existing that addresses this language

Hyde 2

learner group. The sample TBLT lessons at the conclusion of this paper will not only teach university students Business English but also will show them how to apply the language in authentic business settings. 1.

Business English

1.1

History of Genre

-Analysis and ESP

Business English is included

in the

English for

Specific Purposes (ESP) category which

encompasses specialized areas of English including: EAP (English for Academic Purposes),

English for IT

(Information Technology) professionals, and English for medical professionals. ESP characteristics are given by Sarani and Sahebi.

1) Designed to meet the specific needs of the learner

2) Related in content to particular disciplines, occupations and activities

3) Centered on language appropriate to those activities in syntax, lexis, discourse,

semantic and so on , and analysis of the discourse

4) In contrast with

"general English" (119)

Business English is

therefore, designed to meet the needs of learners who will be/are in business occupations. The roots of Business English lie in the analysis of the English language and situations that take place when English is used by business professionals. Business English, therefore, can be considered a unique genre, and researchers use genre-analysis to study English in the business sector to discover what language and situations can be categorized as the unique domain of Business English (Zhang 403). Business English, as a unique type of English instruction, owes its existence to the field of genre-analysis.

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The roots of genre-analysis and the emergence of Business English as a genre of study lie in the study of discourse. Researchers of language learning believe that teaching language at a word or sentence level is not sufficient and that language exists in context. Nodoushan notes that linguists in the 1960s and 1970s began to study register (formal and informal language) and genres and first developed the field of genre-analysis (64). Swales, a leader in the field of genre- analysis, defined genre as "a class of communicative events commonly used by the members of a given community who share some set of communicative purposes" (Nodoushan 66). Linguists, like Swales, recognized that language can be divided into many distinct genres with their own rules and lexicon (Yayli 232). These genres can be taught separately to meet the needs of the language learners. One way that researchers were able to isolate structures, vocabulary, and idioms unique to genres was by studying concordances. According to Huttner, Smit, and Mehlmauer-Larcher, linguists carefully analyze the concordances (lists of words and their frequency in a text or texts) on two levels to draw conclusions about the genre. "This step-by-step procedure pre-supposes two levels of analysis.

The one deals with the

situat ional concerns of the discourse community . . . and the oth er with the linguistic analysi s" (102). So Business English seeks to look at both the communicative situation and the linguistic structures.

The goal of studying

genre was to make language learning and materials more relevant to language learners' needs (Nodoushan 65). Myskow and Gordon also note that genre-based learning strategies have now expanded beyond just using linguistic properties of a genre for instruction into also considering their social functions (284). By using genre-analysis, researchers can provide both language teachers and learners with more information about Business English.

Educators and publishers

Hyde 4

of Business English materials must build upon the research of genre to provide an appropriate framework for instruction. Students of Business English must develop an awareness of their genre to be effective business people. Yasuda believes that the goal of genre-awareness is to make the students recognize what is possible within the genre and be able to manipulate that knowledge to communicate with their intended audience (2). Students need to be aware of what is possible in Business English at the word, sentence, and discourse level (Nodoushan 64). Instructors need to develop their lessons so that students can internalize what vocabulary and sentence structures are used in Business English, and how English is used in discourse (conversation). "It is the recognition of the relationship between purpose, audience, and linguistic choice that is at the center of genre-based writing pedagogy" (Yasuda 4). This genre knowledge of Business English needs to be built up through exposure to authentic business discourse, explicit instruction in the rules of the genre and opportunities to produce language. Students must be exposed to different authentic types of business writing, among other forms and areas of the genre, and understand the different rules of Business English.

English is

now the international language of business, and around the globe people enroll in schools to learn Business English. Companies even set up classes in-house to improve their employees' English skills (Ellis and Johnson 3). Business English is a specialized field and requires unique, tailored instruction. In order to understand the suitability of TBLT to teach Business English, it is important to first understand more about the traditional teaching of

Business English.

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1.2

Traditional

Teaching

of

Business English

Genre-analysis is the method that isolates the field of Business English but that leaves educators to decide the best method of instruction The

Business English education industry

emerged in the late 1960s in response to the growth of English as the international language of business. Ellis and Johnson , in their bookquotesdbs_dbs11.pdfusesText_17

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