[Abstract]：The current English teaching in colleges is still characterized by the adoption of the traditional teaching method，which is known as the 3Ps approach（presentation，practice，production）and in which student participation and interaction are quite limited. Task-based language teaching（TBLT），a further development of communicative language teaching，seems to satisfy such demands by converting the communicative language teaching principles into a practical classroom teaching model. There are six important principles of designing tasks. Based on the principles of designing tasks a procedure for TBLT can be proposed.

[Key words]：3Ps approach； Task-based language teaching； College English Instruction

I. THE CURRENT SITUATION OF ENGLISH TEACHING IN COLLEGES

Although college English teaching and learning researches in China have undergone great changes during the past decades. The current English teaching in colleges is still characterized by the adoption of the traditional teaching method，which is known as the 3Ps approach（presentation，practice，production）and in which student participation and interaction are quite limited. Although the traditional grammar teaching method helps to improve the students’ mastery of the grammatical rules，the students cannot use these rules flexibly and appropriately in communication. That’s to say，the traditional teaching method has its disadvantages which prevent the students from developing their communicative competence. The teacher，being the “knower”，undertakes the task of transmitting knowledge to the students and orchestrates what the students do in class. The students accept the English knowledge passively in the procedures set ahead of time by English teachers step by step. So the students cannot improve their communicative strategies in English learning.

II. A NEW APPROACH IS NEEDED URGENTLY

Communicative language teaching has brought a marked shift from “what to learn” to “how to learn”. It holds the view that the ultimate goal of language teaching is to develop students’ communicative competence，which includes both the knowledge about language and the knowledge about how to use the language appropriately in communicative situations. Syllabus for English Majors mentions “the teaching methods of the specialized courses are directly related to the development and improvement of students’ abilities. Classroom teaching should be student-centered and teacher-guided，and attaches importance to developing students’ learning abilities and research abilities”. In the past decades，teachers and researchers have devoted themselves to finding a method which functions as a bridge to join the usage and use of the language，the form and meaning，and the process and product. Task-based language teaching（TBLT），a further development of communicative language teaching，seems to satisfy such demands by converting the communicative language teaching principles into a practical classroom teaching model that organizes classroom activities around tasks.

III. CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS OF “TASK”

TBLT came into being in the 1980s. Different scholars defined task in a variety of ways. Nunan defines task from pedagogical angle. The task is a piece of classroom work that involves learners in comprehending，manipulating，producing，or interacting in the target language while their attention is focused on mobilizing their grammatical knowledge in order to express meaning，and in which the intention is to convey meaning rather than to manipulate form. The task should also have a sense of completeness，being able to stand alone as a communicative act in its own right with a beginning，middle and an end.

IV. THE DESIGNING PRINCIPLES OF TBLT

Nunan suggests that tasks should contain five parts：input，roles of teachers and students，goals，activities and settings. TBLT is a teaching method that puts tasks at the center of the methodological focus. It considers the learning process as a set of communicative tasks that are directly linked to the curricular goals. On one hand，TBLT advocates‘ using language to do things’，and requires that language teaching resemble the real world and be socialized，that a supporting condition favorable to language acquisition and internalization be created，and that language be used in a natural and meaningful way. On the other hand，the learners，through completing tasks，instead of learning from teacher or books，try to make use of all kinds of resources and employ various means to accomplish tasks so as to cultivate their abilities to use the language in an all-round way with the guidance of task goals，and by means of communication.

There are six important principles of designing tasks.

（1）The authenticity materials.

（2）Be able to stimulate students' interest in use of language.

（3）In ways that make form and function relationships transparent.

（4）Design task step by step.

（5）Pay attention to language form.

（6）Learning by doing.

Based on the principles of designing tasks a procedure for TBLT can be proposed. The procedure constitutes of three phases：pre-task，task cycle，and language focus.

The pre-task phase. This phase centers on the introduction to topic and task. The teacher introduces the target task by previewing or reviewing words and phrases related to the task，by discussing topics associated with the task，and by assigning the learners relevant activities so as to help them acquire a full understanding of the task goal and outcome.

The task cycle phase. In this phase，learners carry out tasks either individually，in pairs，or in groups. On the one hand the learners prepare for their reports concerning the implementation of task，on the other hand the teacher helps identify and correct errors in the learners’ reports. The aim of this stage is to supply the learners with opportunities to use the target language，and meanwhile enable them to pay sufficient attention to both language accuracy and fluency.

The language focus phase. In this phase，the teacher analysis the new words，phrases and sentence structures relevant to the listening or reading material to the learners and guides the students how to use difficult and important language points .

V. THE FUTURE

Due to the fact that the more theory and the less practice，a number of related issues such as how the task is selected，how the teacher guides the learner responding to the TBLT practice，still remain for further studies and more explorations.

REFERENCE

[1] Qiaoling Lu. A Reconsideration of Task-based Language Teaching in College English Instruction. Master Degree Paper，4，2006.

[2] Wang xiaojie. Research and Application of Task-based Instruction to Grammar Teaching for English Majors in Colleges. Master Degree Paper，September，2007.

[3] Shouren Wang. Some Thoughts on College English Teaching in China[J]. FLLTP，2011，1：1-5.

[4] Shanyan Tan. The Theories of Task-based Language Teaching and an Experimental Application in the Teaching of College Intensive Reading. Master Degree Paper，5，2006.