Task-Based Language Teaching and Learning: An Overview

The purpose of this article is to present an overview of second language (L2) taskbased language teaching and learning. Prabhu (1987) deserves credit for originating the task-based teaching and learning, based on the concept that effective learning occurs when students are fully engaged in a language task, rather than just learning about language. Ellis (2003b) distinguished between task-supported teaching, in which tasks are a means for activating learners’ prior L2 knowledge by developing fluency, and task-based teaching, in which tasks comprise the foundation of the whole curriculum. I am concerned here with the latter of the two. To address the topic, the article is arranged in the following way: (a) the concept of “task,” (b) analyzing tasks, (c) sequencing tasks, and (d) implications for future research.

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