Implementing Tasks in Primary English Education in Portugal

• Main Author: Maria Isabel Mendonça Orega
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad de Granada 2019-04-01
• Series: ReiDoCrea
• Subjects: task-based language teaching
• Online Access: https://www.ugr.es/~reidocrea/8.3-7.pdf

This paper refers to the work of the students doing the Master’s in Teaching English in Primary Education, taught at the University of Algarve. The study plan of the degree will be presented focusing on the components regarding observation in schools and the teaching practice, namely the courses Introduction to the Professional Practice, in the first year of the degree, and the Practicum in the first semester of the second year. A task-based approach is recommended in the main guiding documents, on both the teaching of English in general, and the Primary Education context, (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, 2001; Cameron, 2001; Thomas & Reinders, (eds.), 2010; Richards & Rodgers, (3rd. ed.), 2014; Bygate, M. (2015). Nevertheless, most of the textbooks used in the schools offer few suggestions of tasks and focus on more traditional language activities. As a result, the teachers have a very important role in the implementation of a task-based approach. They are responsible for deciding on how to plan the lessons and how to think of the necessary changes and adaptations, in order to be able to work from a task-based perspective.