Contentbased, Taskbased, and

Participatory
Practice
II 2014
Approaches
Camila Roldn,
Federico Ramonda.

Content-based
instruction

It integrates the learning of language

with

the

learning

of

some

other

content, often academic subject matter.

Language

across

movement (1970s)

the

curriculum
to integrate

the teaching of reading and writing into

all other subject areas.

Principles
1) The subject matter content is used for

language teaching purposes.

2)
build

Teaching
on

should

students

previous experience.

Principles
3) Learners are motivated when they

perceive the relevance of their language

use. It is a means to an end.

4)

The

teacher

scaffolds
linguistic content.

the

Principles

5) Language: learned effectively when

used to deliver interesting information.

6) Vocabulary: easily
acquired with contextual
cues.

Principles

7) Students need language support.

8)

Learners

work

with

cognitively

demanding language & content.

9)

Communicative competence: ability to

read, discuss & write about content from

other fields.

Task-based instruction

It aims to provide learners with a

natural context for language use.

Learners

have

plenty

opportunities to interact.

of

Principles

1) Activities have a perceived purpose and a

clear outcome.

2)

Teacher goes through a pre-task with the

students before they work individually.

3) The demand on thinking made by the activity

should be i + 1.

Principles

4) Teacher needs to know how involved the

students are, so as to make adjustments in
their

perceptions

of

relevance

and

their

readiness to learn.

5) Teacher uses whatever language necessary

to ensure students comprehension.

Principles

6) Teacher supplies the correct target form.

7) Students complete a task and engage in

authentic
enables

speaking
them

and
to

listening
develop

comprehension and speaking skills.

which
their

Principles

8) Students receive feedback based on the

content. The focus is on meaning.

9) Students have input into the design &

the way of completing the task. This gives
them

more

opportunity

meaningful interaction.

for

authentic,

Participatory Approach

It was originated in the early 60s with

the work of Paulo Freire.

Goal:

to

help

understand

the

students
social,

historical, or cultural forces

that affect their lives & to
help

empower

Ss

to

take

action and make decisions in

order to gain control over

Principles

1) What happens in the classroom should

be connected with what happens outside
that has relevance to the students.

2)

The

curriculum

is

the

result of an ongoing contextspecific

process

problem-posing

Principles

3) Education is most effective when

it is experienced-centered. Ss are
motivated

by

their

personal

involvement.

4) Knowledge becomes a tool to help

students find a voice so as to act in
the world (social & political beings).

Principles

5) Focus on linguistic form occurs within

a focus on content. Language skills are
taught in service of action for change.

6)

Students

can

create

their

own

materials, which can become texts for

other students.

7) Goal: Ss evaluate their own learning

and direct it themselves.

Conclusion

The three approaches share the basic

assumption of learning to communicate by
communicating.

Their differences lie in what they use as a

starting point to communicate:

Content-based uses the content from other subjects.

Task-based uses different tasks to promote communication.

Participatory approach uses the experiential knowledge of

students.