Reflections on Task-based Language Teaching

by Ellis, Rod

• ISBN13: 9781788920124
• ISBN10: 1788920120
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2018-08-30
• Publisher: Multilingual Matters

Summary

Task-based language teaching is now a well-established pedagogic approach but problematic issues remain, such as whether it is appropriate for all learners and in all instructional contexts. This book draws on the author's experience of working with teachers, together with his knowledge of relevant research and theory, to examine the key issues. It proposes flexible ways in which tasks can be designed and implemented in the language classroom to address the problems that teachers often face with task-based language teaching. It will appeal to researchers and teachers who are interested in task-based language teaching and the practical and theoretical issues involved. It will also be of interest to students and researchers working in the areas of applied linguistics, TESOL and second language acquisition.

Author Biography

Rod Ellis is Research Professor in the School of Education, Curtin University, Australia and Emeritus Distinguished Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is also a Visiting Professor at Shanghai International Studies University and an Appointed Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. He has researched and published extensively in the fields of second language acquisition, language teaching and teacher education.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Section 1: Introduction

Chapter 1: A brief history of task-based language teaching and research

Chapter 2: Task-based research and language pedagogy

Section 2: Researching task-based teaching

Chapter 3: Non-Reciprocal Tasks, Comprehension and Second Language Acquisition

Chapter 4: Focus on form: A critical review

Chapter 5: Preparing learners to perform tasks

Chapter 6: Is there a role for explicit instruction in task-based language teaching?

Chapter 7: Measuring second language learners' performance of tasks

Section 3: Task-based language pedagogy

Chapter 8: Task-based language teaching: Sorting out the misunderstandings.

Chapter 9: Moving task-based language teaching forward

Chapter 10: Towards a modular curriculum

Chapter 11: An options-based approach to doing task-based language teaching.

Chapter 12: Teachers evaluating tasks

Section 3: Conclusion

Chapter 13: Key issues in Task-based research and pedagogy