Development and Application of Task-Based Achievement Standards in Elementary English Classes

Development and Application of Task-Based Achievement Standards in Elementary English Classes

  This research attempted to develop task-based achievement standards as target communicative competence in elementary English classes in Korea. This objective related to the issue of specifying and grading communicative language tasks. In this research, achievement standards were specified by task components: input (functions, exponents, vocabulary, and language forms) and activities (preliminary, comprehension-based, early production, and interaction). They were graded in terms of the difficulty of task components. For input, the frequency of functions in elementary English textbooks were considered. Activities were graded in terms of mode, input, output, meaning, and interaction. The achievement standards were applied to English classes at elementary schools in Korea, and its results were analyzed in terms of students" task performance and self-confidence. It is believed that this research provides a comprehensive model of task-based achievement standards in elementary English classes in terms of the communicative approach to language syllabus design.