Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) is an educational approach that emphasizes the use of meaningful tasks to enhance language learning, focusing on all four language skills. It promotes active learner participation and necessitates various teacher and learner roles while integrating real-world communication. TBLT provides several advantages, such as increased exposure to language and meaningful interactions, though it also presents challenges, including the need for creativity and resources beyond standard materials.

1. Task-Based
learning

2. Task-Based
Language
Teaching
(TBLT)

3. “
Introductio
n
Task-based learning is an alternative approach to
communicative language teaching because a task
involves a primary focus on meaning, real-world
processes of language use and any of the four
language skills.

4. Introductio
n
😉 Teaching efficiency is improved when the learners
and their learning are the focus of attention instead
of the teacher.
😉 It is a communicative approach
😉 The aim of TBL is to integrate all four skills and to
move from fluency to accuracy plus fluency.

5. BACKGROUND

6. 📌 Language is primarily a means of making meaning.
📌 Multiple models of language inform TBI: structural,
functional and interactional models of language.
📌 Lexical units are central in language use and
language learning.
📌 “Conversation” is the central focus of language and
the keystone of language acquisition.
Theory of language

7. “
“A piece of classroom work that involve
learners in comprehending, manipulating,
producing, or interacting in target language
while attention is focus on meaning rather
than 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, a middle and an end.”
(Nunan, 2004)

8. “
“Any approach to language pedagogy will
need to concern itself with three essential
elements: language data, information, and
opportunities for practice”,
David Nunan

9. “
What is task?

10. “
“A taskis an activity where the target language is used by
the learner for a communicative purpose (goal) in order to
achieve an outcome.”
“ A taskis a piece of work that must be done, especially
one that is difficult or that must be done regularly.”
(Longman English Dictionary)
(Willis, 1996)

11. “ A task is to give someone the
responsibility for doing something.”
(Longman English Dictionary)
“ A task is any activity that learners engage in to
process of learning a language.”
(Williams and Burden, 1997:168
“In contrast, exercises are activities
that call for primarily form-focused
language use. “
(Ellis, 2003)

12. Why Using Task-Based Approach
TBLT- Engaging Your Students
“ Students may not produce the target language during the free
practice stage because they find they are unable to use
existing language resources to complete the task”.
Richard Frost

13. The TBL framework supports these conditions in a classroom
environment.

14. Teacher Roles
SELECTOR AND SEQUENCER OF TASKS:
A central role of the teacher is in selecting, adapting and/or creating the tasks
themselves and then forming these into an instructional sequence in keeping with
learner needs, interests and language skill level.
PREPARING LEARNERS FOR TASKS:
Activities might include topic introduction, clarifying task instructions, helping
students learn or recall useful words and phrases to facilitate task accomplishment
and providing partial demonstration of task procedures.

15. Learner Roles
Primary roles that are implied by task work are:
GROUP PARTICIPANT: many tasks will be done in pairs or in small groups.
MONITOR: in TBL, tasks are not employed for their own sake but as a means of facilitating learning.
Class activities have to be designed so that students have the opportunity to notice how language is
used in communication.
RISK-TAKER AND INNOVATOR: many tasks will require learners to create and interpret messages for
which they lack full linguistic resources and prior experience. The skills of guessing from linguistic
and contextual clues, asking for clarification and consulting with other learners may also need to be
developed.

16. The
Frame
work of
TBLT

17. The language focus
Analysis
• Students are given an opportunity to reflect and
analyse the new language which has emerged
through the task.
Practice
• Students put the language acquired into
practice.

18. Speaking Task-Based Activities
Find Something in Common
● Great activity to start conversations;
● Having a timer on the screen/board to tell students they need to switch
partners;
● Not more than 1-2 minutes per person;
● The student who will report having talked to the greatest number of students in
class may win a prize;
● You may provide students with a few useful phrases before the activity;
● Pencil-paper-walking around;
● Questions like “Have you ever lived abroad? Brothers/sisters?”
● Write the name of the person you have sth in common and move on to the next
person;
● Feedback-Language used to start conversations; something interesting the
learned; Anything that many students in class have in common?

19. Five-Minute
Debate
Skills: Speaking/Listening
Time:10-20 minutes/Level: Intermediate to
Advanced
○ Pre-teach expressions of agreeing and
disagreeing.
○ Give students an age appropriate controversial
statement;
○ The best singer/soccer player/etc or “It’s better
to rent/buy-depending on students’ level and
age.
○ Give students time to prepare their argument.
They will present for about one minute;
○ Give time for free discussion at the end;
○ A quick poll whether students changed sides.

20. Just a Minute
Skills: Speaking/Listening
Time:10-15 minutes
Whiteboard, timer
○ Students required to talk for one minute
without stopping about a certain topic;
○ Students who aren’t talking pay attention to ask
follow up questions;
○ Elicit general categories from students and
write them on the board like jobs, hobbies,
dreams, movies, food etc;
○ Put students in groups of 3-4 numbering 1-4.
○ Throw a paper plane towards the board, All
students numbered 1, start talking about the
word the plane got closer to.
○ If taking too long, student out of the race.

21. Odd One Out
Skills: Reading/Speaking/Writing
Time: 10 minutes
Groups of words/pictures
○ Groups of vocabulary words where students
determine the odd one out and explain their
reasoning;
○ Pre-task-do an example so students understand
what they are expected to do.
○ Depending on the students’ level sometimes
more than one way of explaining/determining
might be possible.

22. Shopping List
Skills: Speaking/Listening/Writing
Time: 10-20 min/Level:-Intermediate to
Advanced
○ One student is the chef-the other is the
personal shopper;
○ Pre-teach measurements;
○ Students need to ask specific questions
like”do I need onion or garlic for this recipe?
or what kind of cheese?
○ Both shopper and chef can provide feedback
about the accuracy of the shopping list

23. Survey
Activities
Skills: Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing
Time:20-30 minutes/Level: High-beginner to Advanced
Materials: Survey Handout
○ The teacher prepares the questions ahead of time;
○ Include beginner’s level questions as well as
advanced;
○ Not more than 10 questions/2min per question;
○ Clearly explain the instructions-all students need
to be standing and asking questions to each other;
only speaking in English/target language; write the
answers and student’s names to report back to the
class.

25. Vacation Time
Skills: Speaking/Listening/Writing
Time: 20-30/Level: High-Beginner to Advanced
○ Ask students to plan a vacation trip for a certain
group/pair of people;
○ describe the group’s
preferences/interests/hobbies
○ ask students to suggest places to visit/activities
to do/ means of transportation there etc.
○ They will plan a week vacation for this group.
○ if a big class, students present their projects and
we vote for the best presentation;

26. Where are the
Places?
Skills: Speaking/Listening;
Time: 10-15 minutes/Level: Beginner to
Intermediate;
Materials: Map A & Map B with missing info in each
○ Classic Information gap activity;
○ perfect to practice giving directions and asking
questions; “What is next to the school?”
○ Good idea to pre-teach some direction words and
prepositions;
○ Show students the completed version of the
maps to check their answers and understanding;

27. Advantages
1. 1. TBL is applicable and suitable for students of all ages and background.
2. 2. Students will have a much more varied exposure to language with TBL.
3. 3. Students are free to use whatever vocabulary and grammar they know,
rather than just the task language of the lesson.
4. 4. Allows meaningful communication.
5. 5. Students will be exposed to a whole range of lexical phrases,
collocations and patterns as well as language forms.
6. 6. Encourages students to be more ambitious in the language.

28. Disadvantages
1. TBI requires a high level of creativity and initiative on the part
of the task.
2. TBI requires resources beyond the textbooks and related
materials usually found in language classrooms.
3. TBI is not teacher-centered and it requires individual and group
responsibility and commit mention the part of students.
4. There is a risk for learners to achieve fluency at the expense of
accuracy.

29. 📖 David Nunan,Aspects of Task-Based Syllabus Design, The English Centre, University of Hong
Kong, December 2001.
📖 Teaching English through a task-based approach. Jane Willis, 2002.
📖 Richard Frost British Council, BBC World Service, 2006 .
📖 Nunan, D. (2004). Task-based language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
📖 Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based language learning and teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
📖 Harmer, J. (1998). How to teach English: An introduction to the practice of English teaching.
Essex : Addison
Wesley Longman Limited.
📖 Nunan, D. (2004). Task-based language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
📖 Jost, N. (2003). Issues in Task-based Language Instruction.
📖 JALT Conference Proceedings. Tokyo : Association for Language Teaching.
📖 Willis, J. (1996). A framework for task-based learning. Essex : Addison Wesley Longman
Limited.
References