Open-ended tasks

What and why?

Open-ended tasks are tasks to which there is not a single absolutely correct answer or where a variety of answers are possible. They can be distinguished from 'closed tasks', where students have to answer in a particular way. An example of an open-ended task might be where the students are asked to imagine a person standing in a pair of shoes which they are shown and then to write a description of that person. A closed task using the same type of language might be one where they are given a description with certain words missing, which they have to supply. Both closed tasks and open-ended tasks are useful in language teaching. Where students are working in groups, for example, closed tasks can force the students to discuss more in order to find the correct answer. Open-ended tasks, however, are also very valuable for a number of reasons. Since there is no single correct answer, the students can often answer at the level of their ability. This means that in classes with MIXED ABILITIES, students can be working on the same tasks at the same time. Open-ended tasks also allow for more STUDENT INVOLVEMENT since the students are asked to contribute more of their own personal ideas. This means that the outcome of classroom work will be richer - there will be a variety of ideas expressed which students can further compare and discuss. In this way, the students' AUTONOMY in their own use of English can be developed. Open-ended tasks also allow you, the teacher, to get a good idea of what the students are capable of producing.

For some further examples of open and closed tasks, see the HELP YOURSELF LIST in the Student's Book from Level 3 onwards.

Practical ideas

• If, at the start of a course, you are uncertain how much English the students know, you can use an open-ended task to help you find out. See the Help yourself list in the Student's Book (CEWw 3 onwards) for some ideas.
• You can set the students some open-ended writing tasks by asking them to write their ideas about some educationally broad QUESTIONS, particularly ones which require PROBLEM SOLVING.
• The students' answers to open-ended tasks can be included in a PARCEL OF ENGLISH. They will give the school or class that you send the parcel to a good idea of the range of abilities and interests in your class.
• Instead of asking the students conventional 'closed' comprehension questions about a text they have listened to or read, you can ask open-ended questions. For example, you can ask 'What do you think about ...?', 'What would you do ...?', 'Do you think it was good that ...?', 'Why do you think he/she did that?', 'What do you think they said to each other?', 'What do you think he/she was thinking?' and so on.