1. Ine Callebaut, K.U.Leuven, Belgium
TotemTaal
A task-based curriculum for five grades of primary school: focus on form
Ine Callebaut, K.U.Leuven, Belgium

2. Attainment targets Language skills Language awareness
Language criticism
Knowledge of the language system

3. “ ... learn much of grammar incidentally, while focusing on meaning, or communication.
Research shows, however, that a focus on meaning alone is insufficient to achieve full native-like competence, and can be improved upon, by periodic attention to language as object.” (Long)

4. Task-based approach
Language skills
Communication & meaning focus
Functionality of tasks
Language awareness
Language criticism
Knowledge of the language system

5. Language awareness goals
How to embed language awareness goals?
'Traditional' approach: Focus on Forms
Segments of the language system are presented in a determined sequence
Focus-on-meaning-approach
grammar is learned incidentally and implicitly through meaning or communicative tasks
Focus on form
drawing learners attention to linguistic elements as they incidentally occur in a meaning or communicative task

6. Method needs guarantees
Focus on Form
Method needs guarantees

7. Planned Focus on Form
explicit language awareness tasks: target specific linguistic items during meaning focused activities
Incidental Focus on Form
implicit language awareness moments: linguistic structures are dealt with as they arise spontaneously in meaning focused activities

8. Alternation between: In TotemTaal: Planned Focus on Form
Incidental Focus on Form
In TotemTaal:
Tasks that targets an aspect of the language system that will become explicit
Tasks with occasional shifts toward the language system

9. Example explicit FonF: spelling of the verbs

10. Example explicit FonF: spelling of the verbs
For example: The party calendar
Writing down events on the calendar
Focus on verbs
Formulating hypotheses in groups
Discussing the hypotheses
The explicit rule in an overview

11. Example explicit FonF: spelling of the verbs

12. Example explicit FonF: spelling of the verbs
Starting point is functional, motivational task
Focus on form is integrated
Chance to develop hypothesis
Chance to understand & implement rule
Reflection and communication skills
Think about language phenomenon
Verbalize hypothesis, argue and discuss
Teaching skills
Coach the process
Knowledge of the language system
Flexible

13. Example explicit FonF: diminutives

14. Example explicit FonF: diminutives
Grey Mouse wants to get lost
Reading the story
Finding out whose list it is
Reflecting on how you know something is small
Looking for diminutives
Focus on the form
Giving examples
Explicit overview

15. Example explicit FonF: diminutives

16. Example explicit FonF: diminutives
Grey Mouse wants to get lost
Reading the story
Finding out whose list it is
Reflecting on how you know something is small
Looking for diminutives
Focus on the form
Giving examples
Explicit overview

17. Example explicit FonF: diminutives

18. Example explicit FonF: diminutives
Main focus of task is on meaning
Forms occur as part of the task
Shift of attention

19. Example implicit Focus on Form: communication
Write an invitation for an exhibition
Writing task
Decisions about communicative aspects (e.g. the receiver of the message)
Comments:
Occasional shift of attention
Difficulties during a task ask for attention shift
Errors as a possibility for learning

20. Conclusions
We hope that TotemTaal (tasks, explicit task descriptions, tools for support and assesment, ...) encourages and supports teachers in heterogeneous classrooms to create a powerful task-based environment for language learning for every learner: not only by confronting them with challenging tasks but also by giving them the support they need to be able to perform these tasks and thus become more proficient in Dutch.

21. More information:
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