ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics - Online First

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) has increasingly been used in an Asian context. However, research into its implementation in Vietnam remains scarce. This study aims to investigate the effects of a task-based intervention on learners’ performance of listening, reading, speaking and writing tasks compared to the effects of a more traditional teaching method (TTM), which is based on form-focused instruction in combination with the Presentation-Practice-Production method. Through a pretest-posttest design, the researcher can measure the effects of the two settings on learners’ progress. The results show that the participants in the TBLT setting outperformed the participants in the TTM setting for speaking, listening and writing, but not for reading. The results of this study will encourage more research in the field of TBLT implementation in Vietnam.

Despite an abundance of studies that address the fundamental issue of the relationship between students’ IELTS results and their academic performance, findings remain inconclusive. One reason for this are variations in research design, notably in how researchers collect, analyse, and interpret data, and report their findings. The present study constitutes a critical methodological synthesis of 32 published IELTS predictive validity studies. The results revealed a number of efficacious design practices, and also some concerning tendencies, including: (a) dependency on linear models of causality, (b) small sampling frames situated in Anglo-Australian contexts, (c) a lack of thoroughness in describing contexts, samples, and approaches to academic performance measurement, and (d) where qualitative data was generated through interviewing and observation, a tendency to overlook ‘quality’ issues, such as confirmability, dependability, and trustworthiness. Recommendations are made for enhancing research designs along with suggestions for novel investigations to address gaps in the predictive validity literature.

This study investigated variation in receptive L2 English vocabulary among Norwegian university students in relation to their field of study and exposure to English, both within and outside of formal education. A survey comprising the Vocabulary Levels Test ( Schmitt, Schmitt, & Clapham, 2001 ) and questions about sources of language acquisition was completed by 189 Norwegian university students. The results indicate that vocabulary knowledge varied between students whose courses required different amounts of English reading. Extramural exposure to English was found to be a stronger predictor of vocabulary scores than formal English education. Since vocabulary knowledge is an important predictor of reading comprehension, it is important to consider how much the observed variation in vocabulary knowledge might affect academic outcomes.