TASKS DESIGN: A CHALLENGE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Ramiaida Darmi¹*, Haliza Harun², Rosni Samah³, Fariza Puteh-Behak⁴,
Noor Saazai Mat Saad5, Suraini Mohd Ali6

¹ Dr., Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, MALAYSIA, ramiaida@usim.edu.my
² Dr., Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, MALAYSIA, haliza@usim.edu.my
³ Assoc. Prof. Dr., Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, MALAYSIA, rosni@usim.edu.my
⁴ Dr., Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, MALAYSIA, fariza@usim.edu.my
⁵ Dr., Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, MALAYSIA, noorsaazai@usim.edu.my
⁶ Dr., Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, MALAYSIA, suraini@usim.edu.my
*Corresponding author

Abstract
Creating tasks may sound simple, however, it is one of the challenging jobs for language teachers. In teaching language, teachers need to consider many things such as learners’ social background, learner’s language proficiency, learners’ ability, learners’ attitude and many more. Thus, creating tasks can be a challenge for them. Cummins (1981) suggests 2 main elements in designing materials – contextual relevance and cognitive difficulty – which are formed into a matrix to show four levels to consider in tasks design. Based on Cummins’ matrix, tasks can be easy for some, and difficult for some. One task may not suit all learners, and thus make task design a challenge for language teachers. This study looks at the use of tasks, developed based on Cummins’ matrix, for low proficiency English language learners. Five types of tasks are used, and learners’ views are gathered to understand what they think of the tasks. The aim of the study is to explore learners’ perceptions towards tasks prepared for an English language class, and aligning them with the teacher’s understanding of the tasks. Fourteen learners were involved in the study. Using qualitative approach, data is gathered through interviews, which are then transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic analysis. Results show that learners have different views of tasks, which may be due to many factors within learners’ experience and knowledge. This shows that although learners are of the same proficiency level, the difficulty of tasks may not be equal for all learners as it is affected by the contextual relevance of the tasks to learners, as well as the cognitive level of learners in their ability to perform the tasks. Therefore, understanding learners is important for teachers in planning suitable tasks for their learners. By doing this, learners will have more enjoyment in language learning, and able to associate tasks more to their life.

Keywords: Tasks, contextual relevance, cognitive difficulty, language learning