Ali Shehadeh

Ellis et al., 2020) have warned that the construct of task, the key concept in task-based language teaching (TBLT), is often confused with the construct of exercise, causing the task's loss of 'taskness.' However, no systematic attempt has been made to distinguish between the task and exercise constructs. Therefore, this article systematically compares the construct of a task with that of an exercise to help teachers distinguish between the two (Ellis et al., 2020, p. 10), thus enabling them to use pedagogic activities properly. To this end, the article answers the question "Based on the task-based language teaching approach, how do we distinguish a task from an exercise?" Using a reading activity as an illustrative example with two scenarios, the article identifies and explains 10 key differences between a task and an exercise. Acknowledging that these differences are not always clear, the article concludes by emphasizing its purpose: not to suggest that exercises are worthless and tasks are worthy but to outline the value of understanding their differences for their pedagogical implications.

1. Preface 2. Foreword (by Pica, Teresa) 3. Chapter 1. Introduction: Broadening the perspective of task-based language teaching scholarship: The contribution of research in foreign language contexts (by Shehadeh, Ali) 4. Section I. Variables affecting task-based language learning and performance 5. Chapter 2. Effects of task complexity and pre-task planning on Japanese EFL learners' oral production (by Sasayama, Shoko) 6. Chapter 3. Measuring task complexity: Does EFL proficiency matter? (by Malicka, Aleksandra) 7. Chapter 4. Effects of strategic planning on the accuracy of oral and written tasks in the performance of Turkish EFL learners (by Genc, Zubeyde Sinem) 8. Chapter 5. Effects of task instructions on text processing and learning in a Japanese EFL college nursing setting (by Horiba, Yukie) 9. Chapter 6. Task structure and patterns of interaction: What can we learn from observing native speakers performing tasks? (by Hobbs, James) 10. Section II. Implementation of task-based language teaching 11. Chapter 7. Patterns of corrective feedback in a task-based adult EFL classroom setting in China (by Iwashita, Noriko) 12. Chapter 8. Incidental learner-generated focus on form in a task-based EFL classroom (by Moore, Paul J.) 13. Chapter 9. Qualitative differences in novice teachers' enactment of task-based language teaching in Hong Kong primary classrooms (by Chan, Sui Ping (Shirley)) 14. Chapter 10. Implementing computer-assisted task-based language teaching in the Korean secondary EFL context (by Park, Moonyoung) 15. Chapter 11. Task-based language teaching through film-oriented activities in a teacher education program in Venezuela (by Chacon, Carmen Teresa) 16. Chapter 12. Task-based language teacher education in an undergraduate program in Japan (by Jackson, Daniel O.) 17. Chapter 13. Incorporating a formative assessment cycle into task-based language teaching in a university setting in Japan (by Weaver, Christopher) 18. Chapter 14. Language teachers' perceptions of a task-based learning programme in a French University (by McAllister, Julie) 19. Epilogue. What is next for task-based language teaching? 20. Chapter 15. TBLT in EFL settings: Looking back and moving forward (by Carless, David) 21. About the contributors 22. Index

... She is the author of English for Telephoning CD-ROM (Delta Publishing 2004). ... Simply stated, I believe that Natural Grammar is more of a reference book, like the Collins COBUILD Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs, for instance, than a grammar book. ...

... Ali Shehadeh. Associate Professor, Language Unit,. College of Languages and Translation,. King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ... The students were instructed to think aloud while writing, and especially when they were faced with a problem. ...

... Learners achieve this by modifying and approximating their production toward successful use of the target language (Swain 1985, 1993, 1995; Swain and Lapkin 1995; Pica 1994; Pica, Holliday et al., 1989; Pica, Kanagy, and Falodun 1993; Pica, Lincoln-Porter, et. ...

... input, their inter-language (IL) performance was still off-target; that is, they were clearly identifiable as non-native speakers or writers (Swain, 1984 ... Nobuyoshi and Ellis (1993) investigated learners' ability to produce more accurate output when teachers requested clarifica-tion. ...

1. Preface 2. Foreword (by Pica, Teresa) 3. Chapter 1. Introduction: Broadening the perspective of task-based language teaching scholarship: The contribution of research in foreign language contexts (by Shehadeh, Ali) 4. Section I. Variables affecting task-based language learning and performance 5. Chapter 2. Effects of task complexity and pre-task planning on Japanese EFL learners' oral production (by Sasayama, Shoko) 6. Chapter 3. Measuring task complexity: Does EFL proficiency matter? (by Malicka, Aleksandra) 7. Chapter 4. Effects of strategic planning on the accuracy of oral and written tasks in the performance of Turkish EFL learners (by Genc, Zubeyde Sinem) 8. Chapter 5. Effects of task instructions on text processing and learning in a Japanese EFL college nursing setting (by Horiba, Yukie) 9. Chapter 6. Task structure and patterns of interaction: What can we learn from observing native speakers performing tasks? (by Hobbs, James) 10. Section II. Implementation of task-based language teaching 11. Chapter 7. Patterns of corrective feedback in a task-based adult EFL classroom setting in China (by Iwashita, Noriko) 12. Chapter 8. Incidental learner-generated focus on form in a task-based EFL classroom (by Moore, Paul J.) 13. Chapter 9. Qualitative differences in novice teachers' enactment of task-based language teaching in Hong Kong primary classrooms (by Chan, Sui Ping (Shirley)) 14. Chapter 10. Implementing computer-assisted task-based language teaching in the Korean secondary EFL context (by Park, Moonyoung) 15. Chapter 11. Task-based language teaching through film-oriented activities in a teacher education program in Venezuela (by Chacon, Carmen Teresa) 16. Chapter 12. Task-based language teacher education in an undergraduate program in Japan (by Jackson, Daniel O.) 17. Chapter 13. Incorporating a formative assessment cycle into task-based language teaching in a university setting in Japan (by Weaver, Christopher) 18. Chapter 14. Language teachers' perceptions of a task-based learning programme in a French University (by McAllister, Julie) 19. Epilogue. What is next for task-based language teaching? 20. Chapter 15. TBLT in EFL settings: Looking back and moving forward (by Carless, David) 21. About the contributors 22. Index

Task-based learning (TBL) is an approach to second/foreign language (L2) learning and teaching and a teaching methodology in which classroom tasks constitute the main focus of instruction (R. Richards, Schmidt, Platt, & Schmidt, 2003). A classroom task is defined as an activity that (a) is goal-oriented, (b) is content focused, (c) has a real outcome, and (d) reflects real-life language use and language need (for a review, see Shehadeh, 2005). The syllabus in TBL is organized around activities and tasks rather than in terms of grammar or vocabulary (R. Richards et al., 2003). Why are many teachers around the world moving toward TBL? Why are they making the change to TBL? This shift is based on the strong belief that TBL facilitates second language acquisition (SLA) and makes L2 learning and teaching more principled and more effective. This belief is supported by theoretical as well as pedagogical considerations. In the first half of this introduction, we briefly summarize the variou...