The Effects of Task-Based Language Teaching Method Training in Improving English Language Teachers’ Practices of Teaching Vocabulary: Gudar Town Middle Level Schools in Focus

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of task-based language teaching method training in improving English language teachers’ practices of teaching vocabulary: Gudar town middle level schools in focus. In order to conduct this study, descriptive and repeated measures designs were utilized. For this purpose, ten participants were selected by means of purposive sampling technique. Mixed method approaches were used, and the data were collected by means of classroom observations, tests and questionnaires. The qualitative data were described and analyzed thematically; and the quantitative data were analyzed by using SPSS version 25. The results of base line study indicate that before the intervention, the teachers did not follow the principles and procedures of teaching vocabulary using TBLTM. As a result, they practiced it ineffectively. That is the classroom situations were not set well to teach the lessons effectively. Vocabularies were not revised and introduced at the beginning of the lesson. Tasks were not provided for the students appropriately and learners’ vocabulary retentions were not assessed well. In this context, they used lecture method, reading method and grammar translation method. After the intervention, even though there was shortage of teaching materials, they tried to follow the principles and implemented TBLTM to teach the target skill. That is, they set the classroom conditions, introduced key words of the day’s lesson, explored learners’ back ground knowledge, motivated the learners, gave vocabulary tasks and supervised them. In addition, they made the students to make sentences by using new words they have learned. Furthermore, the mean results of teachers’ knowledge tests were increased by 20% and the grand mean of the data collected by means of questionnaires changed from 3.3873 to 4.2375. All these indicate that the treatment significantly affected the practices of teachers in teaching vocabulary using TBLTM.