Introduction
Effective language learning means engaging in meaningful tasks that develop the knowledge, skills, & attitudes that are necessary for real-world communication. Transfer appropriate processing (TAP) is a fundamental principle in instructional design that ensures learning activities develop the competencies students need to participate in their target discourse communities. By aligning educational experiences with real-life language use, educators can create more useful and durable learning outcomes.
As instructional designers, curriculum developers, & teachers, our goal is to enable our students to participate competently in a wide variety of discourse communities. Discourse communities are groups of people that use language, in this case, English, in specific forms & specific ways in contexts such as the workplace, academia, leisure, & social integration.
For instance, professionals in the tourism & hospitality industry use particular language structures to coordinate work & provide customer service. Similarly, university students need to navigate lectures, academic readings, & social interactions using appropriate academic discourse. Even exam preparation classes, where students aim for certification, represent a (somewhat artificial) type of discourse community, requiring competencies that help them succeed in their exams.
Competencies are complex configurations of knowledge, skills, & attitudes. In language learning, communicative competencies – comprising these elements – is the primary objective. Our intention is to design learning activities that help to develop these competencies through appropriate & meaningful engagement with texts & discourse, a process central to transfer appropriate processing (TAP). TAP is fundamental in instructional design, curriculum development, teaching, & learning because it ensures that what our students practise in class effectively transfers to authentic use in real-world contexts.
The challenge of language classrooms
A major challenge in language education is that typical classrooms do not always reflect the discourse environments & communities that our students need to function in. The types of interactions & language used in classrooms often differ from those in professional, academic, or social settings. Consequently, educators must design substitute activities that engage our students in processing language in ways that facilitate participation in real-world discourse communities.
Some effective TAP activities may seem counter-intuitive. Activities that effectively help to develop knowledge, skills, & attitudes may look quite different from the competencies our students eventually need to master. The aim is to ensure that our students engage deeply & for sustained periods in meaningful tasks that process meaning & language appropriately, & develop their ability to use language in their target discourse communities.
The role of instructional design in TAP
More mature students are often sensitive to how well a given learning activity may contribute to their language learning goals. When they understand the rationale behind an activity, they are more likely to engage more purposefully & effectively. Therefore, teachers & curriculum developers must be well-informed about how language acquisition happens & how specific learning activities contribute to language development in order to convey this to our students & guide them during language development activities more effectively.
To optimise instruction, we need to identify activities that offer the most effective transfer appropriate processing. This requires a deep understanding of the affordances, constraints, & risks associated with different teaching & curriculum design techniques, strategies, & approaches.
The importance of research in TAP
How can we be sure that particular learning activities contribute to competency development? The answer lies in well-designed research. Scientific evidence provides the best insights we have into effective learning strategies.
For example, does reading & listening to meaningful, comprehensible input improve language competencies? Research overwhelmingly supports this as an essential component of language acquisition. Extensive reading & listening are not only beneficial but also a low-risk strategy that optimises language learning across various contexts.
Conversely, do mechanical grammar exercises, such as conjugating verbs in isolated sentences, AKA “pedagogical grammars,” enhance communicative competence? Research indicates that while such activities may improve performance on discrete grammar tests, they offer little to no benefit in real-world language use. These exercises lack transfer appropriate processing, meaning the skills practised do not transfer well to actual language use.
A more complex question is whether guessing the meaning of words from context supports language development. The answer depends on several factors. For instance, it may be effective if our students already understand at least 98% of the surrounding text (the co-text), ensuring that too many unfamiliar words do not disrupt overall comprehension. However, to further complicate things, ambiguous or counter-intuitive language may lead to misunderstandings, requiring teacher intervention. In some cases, enhancing the text with inline glossaries or brief clarifications can improve learning outcomes.
Conclusion
Transfer appropriate processing is a critical concept in instructional design, curriculum development, & teaching. Ensuring that learning activities align with the competencies our students need in their target discourse communities enhances language development & improves student motivation. By relying on research-informed techniques, strategies, & approaches, we can optimise instructional strategies & provide our students with useful, meaningful, & transferable language competencies. Understanding & implementing TAP principles enables us to design more effective curricula, creating learning experiences that truly prepare our students for real-world language use.
Reflection and Discussion Questions
To deepen your understanding of transfer appropriate processing (TAP) and its implications, consider the following questions:
- Can you identify examples of discourse communities you have participated in? How did you develop the necessary language competencies for them?
- Think about your own language learning experiences – were the activities you engaged in aligned with real-world language use? Why or why not?
How can teachers design classroom activities that better reflect the target discourse communities of their students? - What are some examples of typical language learning activities that may lack transfer appropriate processing? How could they be modified to be more effective?
- How does understanding TAP influence the way educators assess language learning progress?
- If you were designing a curriculum for a specific professional or academic context, what strategies would you use to ensure effective TAP?