Foundational Principles of Task-Based Language Teaching

Martin East is Professor of Language Education in the School of Cultures, Languages and Linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

This book provides an engaging, informative, and reader-friendly introduction to the theory and practice of task-based language teaching (TBLT). Through a thoughtful discussion of the fundamental principles and rationales that inform TBLT and ways to implement and evaluate task-based teaching, this book will be an invaluable resource for language teachers, researchers, and students interested in task-based teaching and learning.—Andrea Révész, Professor of Second Language Acquisition, University College London Institute of Education, UKStarting from the nature of how languages are learned and taught, and subsequently moving through the historical foundations of TBLT, theoretical assumptions, pedagogical options, and cutting-edge research, East masterfully provides a stand-alone, cohesive examination of task-based language teaching. Written via clear, straightforward descriptions that are engaging and accessible for all levels of TBLT expertise, this is a must-read for language teachers and task-based researchers alike! —Laura Gurzynski-Weiss, Associate Professor (Spanish and Portuguese) and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Indiana University​, USA

• AcknowledgmentsPrefacePart I: Theorising TBLTChapter 1 - Languages: How are they learned and how should they be taught?Chapter 2 - Input, output and interaction – crucial foundations for TBLTChapter 3 - The construct of task for the purposes of TBLTPart II: Practising TBLTChapter 4 - Putting TBLT into practice: the bigger pictureChapter 5 - Evaluating, sequencing and scaffolding tasksChapter 6 – Attending to grammar in TBLTPart III: Evaluating TBLTChapter 7 - Using tasks for classroom assessment purposesChapter 8 - Classroom- and programme-level evaluations of TBLTChapter 9 - The potential and the challenge of TBLT: Arguments for and arguments againstPostface