TASK - Volume 4, Issue 2, 2024

This interview with Jonathan Newton explores key issues in task-based language teaching (TBLT), focusing on the relationship between TBLT and textbooks, and the potential for TBLT teacher development building on existing practices and materials. Newton challenges the wholesale rejection of textbooks in TBLT, arguing for “taskification” of existing materials as a pragmatic approach for teachers. He discusses the utility and limitations of task criteria (Meaning, Gap, Own Resources, Outcome — “MGOO”) as a heuristic for teachers, emphasizing the need for clearer conceptualization and application across different task types. The interview highlights the importance of building on teachers’ existing practices when introducing TBLT principles, rather than approaching TBLT from a highly theoretical angle. Newton reflects on TBLT implementation in Asian contexts, noting the diversity of educational settings and the potential of TBLT to enhance student motivation and agency. The interview underscores the value of teacher-researcher collaboration in developing practical, context-appropriate TBLT approaches.

This study conducts a task-based needs analysis (NA) to (1) determine the Spanish language needs of primarily English-speaking emergency room nurses in the Southeastern US and (2) inform the design of a potential Spanish for ER Nursing course. This mixed-methods study included three phases of both data collection and analysis, adapted from Serafini and Torres (2015) and Malicka et al. (2019). In Phase 1, a variety of open-ended measures were used to determine tasks common in ER settings as reported by each type of participant. In Phase 2, participants rated the frequency and importance of these tasks. In Phase 3, the participants reviewed the list of tasks in follow-up interviews. Results are presented as a series of tasks performed in the ER context, ranked according to frequency and importance. The study improves upon previous task-based needs analyses by implementing recent methodological considerations by Serafini (2022) and Gilabert and Malicka (2022).

In this study, we report on a task-based needs analysis (TBNA) for primary school-aged newcomers to Austria. 31% of Austria’s primary school students learn German as L2 and thus a systematic analysis of their language learning needs is crucial. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and a survey was distributed. Results show 38 crucial target tasks for social and academic integration and their respective rankings regarding perceived frequency and the need for training. Triangulation of multiple sources and methods facilitated the identification of target tasks in various life domains and the development of detailed task descriptions along multiple task dimensions. Collectively, the results provide a basis for task selection, task sequencing, and the development of a meaningful syllabus for refugee/migrant populations at the primary school level in Austria.

Task repetition (TR) has been shown to improve fluency, but empirical evidence of its impact on complexity and accuracy (CAF) remains mixed. Various individual difference factors appear to be intricately linked to the benefits of TR. One such individual difference is L2 grit, representing perseverance and passion for language learning goals, which has been positively correlated with L2 proficiency. The present study aimed to clarify the effects of TR on all CAF measures and elucidate whether learners with high and low levels of L2 grit benefit differently from TR. Forty-two Polish EFL secondary school learners participated, with their oral task performances analyzed before and after immediate exact TR. The findings show that both high- and low-grit learners benefit from TR, with significant improvements in fluency, complexity, and accuracy. Furthermore, high L2 grit learners consistently outperform low L2 grit learners. Notably, high L2 grit levels amplify the benefits of TR, particularly in accuracy and fluency measures. However, the interaction effect between TR and L2 grit appears to positively influence only the measures of lexical diversity and correct verb forms.

Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT), introduced in the early 1980s, has significantly matured through the integration of theories and research from instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) and educational practice, effectively addressing the growing need for efficient programs. Although many initial criticisms have been treated as non-issues using evidence from empirical research (Ellis, 2017; Long, 2016), program-wide adoption of TBLT is less widespread than might have been expected by now (Long & Ahmadian, 2022). The three areas that I see as needing improvement are (1) long-term collaboration with various stakeholders for different roles, (2) producing TBLT ambassadors through teacher education, and (3) documenting TBLT programs in action. This paper begins by reviewing different collaboration models for developing and maintaining TBLT curricula and sharing sample TBLT programs in action. I then present a sample case study demonstrating work with various stakeholders, particularly focusing on novice teachers, and fostering TBLT ambassadors. The paper concludes by suggesting six principles for developing and maintaining sustainable TBLT curricula at the programmatic level.