Task-based Language

This· study discusses roles and responsibilities in team-teaching by
English native-speaking ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) and JTLs (Japanese Teachers of Language) in English classes at Japanese secondary schools. Mombukagakusho (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) organized a 'JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme' to offer students more opportunities to develop their communicative competence. However, there is much discussion and many difficulties have arisen. This study investigates the complex
relationship between the JTLs and the ALTs, described in the policy
document. The ALT is positioned in contradictory ways in the
document, that is as both an assistant and expert. This is problematic for the relationship the two teachers are expected to form. To overcome these difficulties, a proposal is suggested that the requirements to be met by the ALTs should be modified to ensure they are trained teachers.

The article illustrates the application of the task-based learning method during the second
semester of the academic year 2016/17 at Sichuan International Studies University in
Chongqing, China. The first part explains the theoretical assumption underlying the choice
of this method, in particular the need to reduce the gap of Italian language competence
between oral and written skills. The phases of the task method are then described together
with their impact on the habits of the study of Chinese students, highlighting positive results
and critical issues. The second part analyzes the written compositions created during the
semester by the second-year students and the results obtained in the acquisition of the
verb. In the last part is included, a brief collection of students' perceptions regarding the
task method.

No atual quadro de promoção da aprendizagem de línguas, este livro tem como finalidade contribuir para uma maior divulgação do Ensino de Línguas Baseado em Tarefas, dirigindo-se a especialistas e professores que trabalhem, em particular, na área do Ensino do Português como Língua Estrangeira e que queiram atualizar-se relativamente aos princípios e modo de implementação de uma abordagem que, em muitos aspetos, se tem revelado mais eficaz para a aquisição e aprendizagem de segundas línguas do que os métodos tradicionalmente privilegiados.

Teaching  English as a Foreign Language or as a Second Language implies the use of a whole linguistic approach that requires the use of various methods and techniques which are analytically provided in depth through the theories of psycholinguistics.  Considering that learning a foreign language may seem to be a complex task, a comparison between the Grammar Translation Method and Task-Based Language Teaching is intended to be analyzed throughout this essay so as to have a deeper view of its strengths, weaknesses and its possible outcomes. Nothing is ever definite, a method that works best for an X educator might not be equally effective for a Y educator. However, the method, technique or approach used should be geared towards the way a student best acquires the subject matter at task.

The present study sets out to explore the distinctive roles played by the phonological and executive components of working memory in various aspects of L2 task-based speech planning and performance. As such, a group of forty intermediate Chinese EFL learners took part in the empirical study. Their phonological short-term memory (PSTM) was measured by a nonword repetition span task and their executive working memory (EWM) was assessed by the speaking span tasks implemented in their L1 and L2. Participants’ L2 spoken narrative task performance was analyzed and coded in terms of a series of fluency, accuracy, complexity measures. Statistical analyses produced two findings. First, corroborating previous L2 task-based research, the study found positive effects of strategic planning and task characteristics. Second, it was found that participants’ PSTM was not related to any of the speech performance measures, while their EWM was significantly correlated with some lexical, syntactic and stylistic features of their L2 speech performance. These later results are interpreted as lending initial empirical support to the Phonological/Executive Hypothesis regarding working memory effects on SLA.

The introduction to this volume is intended to be a holistic introduction to international /intercultural  communicative competence.  In this introduction and part 1, the four
chapters on the meaning of EIL competence by four different authors present very different perspectives. We do not wish to attempt to resolve differences of perception, although I will
discuss some differences in this introduction. After all, the tolerance of different perspectives is an essential part of the epistemology of EIL. As Moser, (2002, p.17) eloquently suggests in
defence of his own epistemology, meta-epistemic instrumentalism,
Within the tolerant confines of meta-epistemic instrumentalism, we can welcome even as rational, much of the remarkable divergence we see in contemporary epistemology (p.17).
When faced with a broad and divergent body of knowledge, it would have been tempting to simplify the different accounts of knowledge into some kind of coherent whole. This can
sometimes take the form of rejecting scholarship that we cannot reconcile within our own paradigm. In our own field, we might want to reconsider whether a common target for rejection
(frequently also within this volume), Chomskian linguistics, is indeed really in opposition to holistic views of competence. For Moser (2002, p.6), holism is related to ‘epistemic coherentism’ as it “finds the ultimate source of justification in a system of interconnected beliefs or potential beliefs”. However, Moser does not support the artificial creation of a tidy fixed, impervious system of interconnected beliefs. Moser (p.16) argues instead that to characterize the present state of epistemic scholarship as ‘rational’, a tolerance of conceptual divergence is
needed that might not be encompassed in a coherent holistic model (coherentism). Moser coins the phrase ‘meta-epistemic instrumentalism’ (p.16) which “enables us to explain as rational
conceptual divergence what initially looks like perennial disagreement.” In Moser’s view, “the diversity hides a deeper rational unity” (p.17). As Sivasubramaniam suggests in this volume, we must therefore view all attempts a creating ‘final’ systems as temporary. The parts may come together in apparent coherence as with a kaleidoscope, but the ‘fixed’ outcome will only be
provisional. In the case of Chomskian linguistics, might we not need to acknowledge that EIL specialists have so far struggled to come up with an adequate characterization of linguistic
competence? As a result of this conceptual divergence in part 1, there is inevitably some repetition too. On closer examination, however, I have found that similar but very important concepts are
contextualized very differently in these chapters. This is perhaps most apparent in Sivasubramaniam’s contribution, which provides a much broader challenge to the concept of competence itself. Sivasubramaniam proposes a pluricentric view of community leading to a notion of competence that is enriched by its dependence on a plurality of contexts. His suggestion that we are actually in search of context-based confirmations rather than objective and context-free affirmations underline the difficulty of providing a meaningful definition of EILcompetence at all. My co-editor therefore provides a different angle on “rational diversity” as he underlines the need to broaden our perspectives, whereas as definitions tend to summarize and reduce. His strongly expressed views of social alignment and sociolinguistic sensitivity have, I
hope, helped me avoid reductionism in my own attempt to characterize (rather than definitively or narrowly define) EIL competence in this introduction. I have nonetheless responded to my own perception that the EIL literature has spent a lot of time pointing out what EIL competence is not, but less time suggesting what it is. If readers feel we have made a first step in this regard, we will be delighted.

Η παρούσα μελέτη κάνει λόγο για το γραμματικό φαινόμενο "μεσοπαθητικοί τύποι ρημάτων" (возвратные глаголы) στη Σύγχρονη Ρωσική γλώσσα και παρουσιάζει μια πρόταση διδασκαλίας με τη βοήθεια της επικοινωνιακής προσέγγισης και της μεθόδου Task-Based learning Approach.

"This paper will outline the rationale behind the design of units of learning ‘activities’ in the form of interlocking sets of interactive holistic ‘tasks’ and supporting ‘exercises’. The illustrations used to support the argumentation are extracts from “task-based units” designed for a general education English foundation course at
Kochi University in Japan over a seven-year period, and which are still being used and developed today. The paper will attempt to describe the theoretical underpinning of the units in relation to their practical aim: to encourage students to develop their
ability to learn how to use English as a means of international communication."

The objective of this paper is to discover the writing skills of students through task-based instruction (TBI) tasks, its significance for intermediate students, and their current level of writing skills. For this purpose, we used a quantitative approach. We used a structured questionnaire for collection of data from Government College of Vehari and Punjab College Vehari. The sample was taken randomly. The size of sample was 120 students of intermediate level studying English as a compulsory subject. Liket Scale was used to measure the attitude of the students about task-based instruction (TSI). The data was analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 17.0). Our study results show that these students have positive attitudes towards TBI tasks. We suggest that TBI method may be used in teaching to improve the writing skill of the students.

https://www.amazon.com/Task-Based-Language-Teaching-Cambridge-Linguistics/dp/1108713890/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ellis+task-based+language+teaching&qid=1559225717&s=books&sr=1-3

Contents

Section 1. Introduction
1. The pedagogic background to TBLT

Section 2. Theoretical perspectives
2. Cognitive- interactionist perspectives
3. Psycholinguistic perspectives
4. Sociocultural perspectives
5. Psychological perspectives
6. Educational perspectives

Section 3. Pedagogical perspectives
7. The task-based syllabus
8. The methodology of task-based teaching
9. Task-based assessment

Section 4:  Investigating TBLT programmes
10. Comparative method studies
11. Evaluating TBLT programmes

Section 5.  Moving Forward
12. Responding to the critics of TBLT
13. Moving forward

The aim of the present study is to explore the selection and organization of tasks, the
essential units of TBLT, in the 4th Grade ELT coursebook “Time for English 4” that
has been adopted by the State Primary Schools in Turkey in the 2006-2007 education
year. In this frame, the appropriateness of the activities entailed as tasks by the
coursebook to the task criteria identified by TBLT, the distribution of the activities
characterized as tasks among different task types and language skills and whether the
most commonly utilized task types are sequenced in an increasing level of difficulty
have been the concerns of research. The findings of the research indicate that
activities characterized as tasks are displayed in a limited number in the book, that
they do not represent a balanced distribution among task types and that tasks utilized
in the book promote reading and writing skills. Besides, in the recurring task types,
the language demand posed by the tasks has been viewed on a gradual increase from
easy to complex while the cognitive demand of them does not show a similar
increase. The absence of a gradual increase in the interactional and involvement
demands of the same tasks stands as another significant finding revealed by the
research.

Levels of learner oral participation within classroom discussions have been examined within second language research in recent years, with the belief that maximizing oral production of speech can improve use of the L2. Persistent discussion silence among East Asian learners is often attributed to issues such as learners being culturally bound or too shy to share opinions. Such research lacks learner self-reported data on specific reasons for such silence, as well as practical recommendations for instructors struggling with such non-participation within classroom environments. Thus, this study examined the root causes of silence, according to students themselves, and summarizes steps necessary for boosting the participation of discussion group members. Extensive interview data from six instructors of English within a university in Japan and survey data from 131 of their Japanese learners was collected and analyzed. 14 identified 'barriers' and 15 potential 'boosts' to learner oral participation were identified and categorized under 1) task design, 2) group set-up and 3) instructor actions. This paper concludes with recommended actions for instructors to nurture oral participation within classroom group discussions.

Location: TBLT in Asia 2016, Kyoto, Japan. Date: June 26th, 2016. High levels of learner 'engagement' within classroom tasks is of constant interest to language learning researchers and instructors. Ideally, classrooms adopting a TBLT approach should reach a situation where all learners are continuously invested in tasks they are given, with little or no chance of them becoming distracted from undertaking or completing them. This maintained state can be referred to as high task 'engagement' amongst learners, or a state of 'flow' (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997), and has been investigated across several education-related fields in recent years.

However, the conceptualization of and potential pedagogical significance of task engagement are still at an early stage within language teaching research. Various attempts to explain constituents have included changes in learner behavioral (actions), emotional (feelings and thoughts) and cognitive (investment in understanding and mastering the task) engagement across time (Fredericks, Blumenfeld & Paris, 2004). Additionally, several assessment tools are often used to triangulate learner engagement, which include self-reported surveys, interviews, observations schemes and experiential sampling. The speaker will use a wide background of theoretical research to discuss the appropriate design and implementation of such instruments in order to confidently assess engagement as a dynamic variable for numerous classroom task scenarios. This will be accompanied by a look at potential validity and reliability issues requiring further consideration.

Following this, the speaker will use a series of classroom-based oral task recordings to demonstrate challenges currently facing researchers and instructors when trying to confidently assess learner engagement. By taking a close look at case-studies of learners undertaking tasks, the presenter will discuss the practicality of defining, measuring, and utilizing learner task engagement data. The presentation will conclude with a review of key questions remaining for engagement in the field of TBLT, along with suggestions for future research. Handouts will be provided.

(References available on request)

The present study aimed to examine EFL teachers' perceptions of task-based language teaching (TBLT) in Iranian context. The data for the study were collected through questionnaires from a total of 160 teachers at 20 different language institutes in Iran. The data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings of the study showed that the majority of Iranian EFL teachers have a clear understanding about TBLT concepts. However, there exist some negative views about implementing TBLT with regard to its classroom practice. Based on the findings, some pedagogical suggestions have been offered which can help teachers and teacher-trainers to design and implement TBLT more effectively in Iranian context.

This article expands upon research into task planning effects by looking at how the addition of planning prior to group discussions may positively and negatively influence performance. 24 Japanese university students performed three weekly discussions in groups of four. Prior to each
discussion, they undertook either no planning, strategic planning or an oral rehearsal with a partner outside of their group. Discussion were recorded and transcribed, and performance assessed using 14 measures related to participation, complexity, accuracy, fluency and discourse
complexity. One-way repeated measures ANOVA results showed significant statistical effects on performance by both types of planning, especially with students who spoke less often than others within discussions. Post-hoc pairwise comparisons showed that rehearsal significantly improved participation (words spoken) and fluency (speech rates and pauses), while strategic planning reduced pauses and enabled students to give more reasons within speaking turns. However, strategic planning also resulted in students referring to the turns of others less often during discussions. These findings show that the addition of planning for group discussions can have a positive impact on participation and fluency, but that strategic planning may negatively affect how often students will directly address the turns of others.

This study examines the relationship between the repetition of oral monologue tasks and immediate gains in L2 fluency. It considers the effect of aural-oral task repetition on speech rate, frequency of clause-final and mid-clause filled pauses, and overt
self-repairs across different task types and proficiency levels and relates these findings to specific stages of L2 speech production (conceptualization, formulation and monitoring). Thirty-two Japanese learners of English sampled at three levels of
proficiency completed three oral communication tasks (instruction, narration and
opinion) six times. Results revealed that immediate aural-oral same task repetition was related to gains in oral fluency regardless of proficiency level or task type. Overall gains in speech rate were the largest across the first three performances of each task type, but continued until the fifth performance. More specifically, however, clause-final pauses decreased until the second performance, mid-clause pauses to the fourth, and
self-repairs decreased only after the fourth performance indicating that task repetition
may have been differentially related to specific stages in the speech production process.

Let us suppose that you are a research linguist, tormented by some doubts and questions about the state of your profession, and not constrained by having to repeat a catechism of "known truths" to Linguistics 101 students, and not worried about employment tenure. How would you actually go about tackling "the central problem of linguistics", namely how we acquire and maintain knowledge of the probability of systemic relationships in a language?

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory investigation into first-year Japanese university students’ (N = 220) preferences among twelve pedagogical activities based on their English proficiency. Student proficiency levels are pre-intermediate (n = 73), intermediate (n = 74), and upper-intermediate (n = 73) based on a placement exam. Six of the twelve activities may be considered traditional, instructivist classroom pedagogical activities and six may be considered components of a constructivist communicative language teaching pedagogy and/or task-based language teaching activities. A principal components analysis placed the six traditional activity variables into one factor and the communicative / task-based activity variables into two factors of three variables each. Means comparisons between the groups show statistically significant differences in the preference for Small group / team activities for the intermediate and upper-intermediate students compared with the pre-intermediate students. The intermediate students, a sample representing 70% of the students in the faculty, prefer Activities where I am moving around in the room more than the other two groups. Grammar drills / practice show a statistically significant decline in preference as ability increases. Finally, all of the communicative / task-based activities are ranked higher by the upper-intermediate students compared with the pre-intermediate students. The results and implications are discussed.

This study aimed to examine the effect of task repetition on foreign language output. Twenty eight Saudi female
students in the Preparatory Year (PY) at King Saud university, were randomly selected to conduct an oral informationgap
task. The participants were asked to perform the task two times with two-week interval between the two
performances. The oral performances were transcribed and analyzed to measure fluency and accuracy of language
output. The collected data were coded for the two dimensions of oral production (fluency and accuracy), based on the
established criteria. A within group dependent t-test for paired samples was computed to find out whether there were
significant differences between the mean scores of the first and the second performances. The findings revealed that
task repetition resulted in significant differences in the subjects’ oral discourse in terms of fluency and accuracy. The
findings of the current study recommend that researchers and teachers might find it very beneficial to devote some of
their time to design effective task repetition to help language learners improve their oral production.

Task-based syllabus is often presented as the strong version of CLT which requires real-world activities that occur in authentic situations. However, the definition of task is not fixed and it has been explained in a good number ways, giving rise to different characteristics of task-based syllabus. Regardless of different views about the principles of task-based syllabus, some key features have been found to be common based on the premise that this syllabus is superior to traditional (structural/grammatical) syllabuses. Top three basic features of task-based syllabus could be noted in the following manner: a) paying great attention to learner-centered approach, b) setting goal and learning outcome that focus on the application of the target language for functional purposes and c) deviating from the formal instruction on linguistic forms. In brief, these advantageous principles contribute to meet the learners' real-world needs by promoting fluency not accuracy.

Abstract
In this paper, insights from the specialized learning and assessment literature are used to outline some important challenges and the proposed solutions in one academic context in which holistic in-house tasks and rating scales that support teaching were designed. The first challenge is to ensure that the design of tasks and rating scales is not just task-based but also construct-based. (Bachman, 2002, p.470). In this respect, holistic learning and the holistic nature of academic competence are key constructs. Secondly designers need to make sure the design is fully sensitive to all aspects of their own context (context validity, Weir 2005). Thirdly, specific areas of atomistic language ability that are relevant to the course need to be identified and included. (Bachman, 2002, pp. 470-471). Yet another challenge is to provide an adequate and varied sample of task responses through a variety of procedures. Arguably the most important challenge is to make sure that in-house assessment design enhances learning. In this respect, fully involving students in their own assessment can make an important contribution. In relation to construct validity one important holistic solution is to use complex, skills-integrative and goal-oriented assessment tasks (Norris et al., 2003, p.397) that match the teaching. Other relevant solutions involve designs of tasks that are sensitive to the relationship between academic competence and task performance and the relationship between task difficulty and task performance.

This study investigated Task-Based Language Learning (TBLL) through Digital StoryTelling (DST) in a blended learning environment. Twenty-six Turkish university-level students prepared a DST individually and shared it with their peers in an online discussion platform. Each evaluated and graded others' DST performance based on an assessment scale. After this, they performed their stories in the classroom and similarly assessed their peer's performances. Ultimately, they were asked to give their self-reflection on the pros and cons of performing tasks online and in the classroom. Findings showed that TBLL through DST was more favoured than storytelling in the classroom and helped them to improve their speaking skills. The study suggested DST could be a positive approach in language learning and should be explored further in other language skills and multiple contexts.

QUICK DOWNLOAD: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3YJT2OiMX8wekRNVlBfNnF0Z1U/view?usp=sharing
Levels of learner oral participation within classroom discussions have been examined within second language research in recent years, with the belief that maximizing oral production of speech can improve use of the L2. Persistent discussion silence among East Asian learners is often attributed to issues such as learners being culturally bound or too shy to share opinions. Such research lacks learner self-reported data on specific reasons for such silence, as well as practical recommendations for instructors struggling with such non-participation within classroom environments. Thus, this study examined the root causes of silence, according to students themselves, and summarizes steps necessary for boosting the participation of discussion group members. Extensive interview data from six instructors of English within a university in Japan and survey data from 131 of their Japanese learners was collected and analyzed. 14 identified 'barriers' and 15 potential 'boosts' to learner oral participation were identified and categorized under 1) task design, 2) group setup and 3) instructor actions. This paper concludes with recommended actions for instructors to nurture oral participation within classroom group discussions.

This quantitative and qualitative study aims to scrutinize the effectiveness of utilizing interactive task-based activities to teach English writing in Bethlehem Secondary School for Girls. The experiment was conducted at the second semester of the academic year 2016/2017. Two scientific sections from the 11th grade participated in the study; section B was the control group and section C was the experimental one. The former group practiced writing traditionally. The students in the latter group were enrolled in two online platforms, ―Facebook‖ and ―PBworks‖, to practice the target skillelectronically. A questionnaire, pre/posttests, online platforms, a text content analyzer tool and self-reports were administered to investigate the participants’ achievement and attitudes. With regard to the writing skill, the results indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control one. Also, the former manifested more positive attitudes towards e-learning than the other one.

Group discussions are commonly used within Japanese language learning classrooms as a way to encourage verbal interaction and development in the use of the target language. However, a lack of participation within such tasks is often typical within universities, especially for English non-major students. Silence among group members is often attributed to factors such as 'culture' and 'shyness' (Cheng, 2000; Harumi, 2010; Littlewood, 1999), but a lack of preparation to present individual viewpoints, as well as how to respond to opposite opinions, also acts as a barrier (Chang, 2011; Hann, 2007; Nakatsuhara, 2011).

Research into the effects of pre-task planning on monologue style tasks has been plentiful in recent years (Bygate & Samuda, 2005; Kawauchi, 2005; Skehan, 2014; Wang, 2014) and suggests a positive impact on spoken performance. Such effects may also be applicable to classroom discussions and planning research needs to be extended to investigate group oral task settings. However, studies which examine the effects of pre-task planning on student performance within discussions are sparse. 

The presenter will explain a classroom-based study in which different pre-discussion planning tasks were used to boost oral participation and second language use performance by English non-major student during group discussions. Both positive and potentially negative effects will be discussed in detail and recommendations made for teachers who use group discussions within their own language classrooms. Handouts will be provided.   

References:
Cheng, X. (2000). Asian students’ reticence revisited. System, 28, 435-446.
Harumi, S. (2010). Classroom silence: Voices from Japanese EFL learners. ELT Journal, 65(3), 260-269.
Littlewood, W. (1999). Defining and developing autonomy in East Asian contexts. Applied Linguistics, 20(1), 71-94.
Bygate, M. & Samuda, V. (2005). Integrative Planning and the Use of Task Repetition. In Ellis, R. (ed.) Planning and Task Performance in a Second Language. John Benjamins.
Kawauchi, C. (2005). The effects of strategic planning on the oral narratives of learners with low and high intermediate L2 proficiency. Planning and task performance in a second language, 143-164.
Wang, Zhan (2014). On-line time pressure manipulations: L2 speaking performance under five types of planning and repetition conditions. In Skehan, P. (2014). Pp. 27-62.
Chang, F. (2011). The causes of learners’ reticence and passivity in English classrooms in Taiwan. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 8(1), 1-22.
Han, E. (2007). Academic discussion tasks: A study of EFL students’ perspectives. Asian EFL Journal, 9(1), 8-21.
Nakatsuhara, F. (2011). Effects of test-taker characteristics and the number of participants in group oral tests. Language Testing, 28(4), 483-508.
Skehan, P. (Ed.). (2014). Processing perspectives on task performance (Vol. 5). John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Currently, there is a shift in language learning from the 'acquisition' metaphor to the 'participation' metaphor. This involves viewing learners as active constructors of knowledge who can collaborate together to create meaningful language learning situations and contextualised practices. Thus, this worksheet aims at exploring the concept of 'Situated Language Learning' by shedding some light on its significance and importance for many language learning purposes, and also the forms that it might take represented in the approaches and learning scenarios which are consistent with situated language learning as an umbrella term. These forms include: Community-Based Language Learning (e.g. Community Of Practice and Online Language Learning Communities); Authentic Language Learning Pedagogy; Task-Based Language Learning; Virtual Language Learning (VLL); and Cognitive Apprenticeship Models.

Location: TBLT 2015 Conference, Leuven, Belgium
Date: September 16th, 2015

This presentation discusses the task design, implementation and effects of pre-task planning for group oral discussion tasks in a language classroom. Experimental results also reveal potential effects of both guided strategic planning and rehearsal on task performance for learners with Japanese universities.

The provision of pre-task planning time for second language speech tasks holds some promise as a way to promote the focus on form in tandem with meaning-focused instruction. This study explored the effect of planning time on EFL learners’ task-based oral performance. The participants were 52 Saudi high school students from Riyadh, divided randomly into experimental and control groups and asked to perform the task respectively with five minutes’ pre-task planning and without any planning time. The performances were recorded and transcribed to measure the fluency, accuracy, and complexity of the speech production. T-test results showed that pre-task planning participants significantly outperformed the non-planners. Thus, this study indicated that when learners are given pre-task planning time they are able to produce more fluent, accurate, and complex language than those asked to start doing the task immediately, without planning time. The study did not find any evidence of trade-off competition between fluency, accuracy, and complexity. The study recommended that language learners need to be familiarized with planning time and teachers are required to be trained with planning time activities in order to get better gains. Overall, these results provided important pedagogical implications and suggested useful future research directions.

The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of task-based and topic-based speaking activities on improving the speaking ability among Iranian EFL learners. The study used quasi-experimental design. The subjects consisted of 60 male and female students who were selected from among 90 EFL learners by applying the nelson proficiency test. 30 subjects formed a control group which received conventional method. The other with 15 subjects formed experimental group A which received the task-based speaking activities. Another 15 formed the experimental group B which received the topic-based speaking activities. Oral interviews were used both as the pretest and posttest in order to evaluate the speaking proficiency of subjects before and offer the treatment, the results indicated that task-based speaking activities enhanced speaking ability of Iranian EFL learners, but not significantly enough to reject the stated null hypothesis.

We would like to announce a new edited book on implemented task-based language teaching. The working title is Task-Based Language Teaching in Diverse Contexts: A Guide to TBLT Practices. We are interested in accounts of how theory related to the use of tasks in language teaching is put into practice within the constraints and limitations of diverse educational contexts internationally. Studies might address how tasks are selected and designed according to context and the effect of tasks on learners' engagement, language use or language learning as well as on the affective responses of learners. We are also interested in how TBLT has been realized in published textbook projects and the factors determining publisher's policies toward TBLT. Macro-evaluations and micro-evaluations of tasks are welcome, as are ethnographic studies, but all studies should demonstrate sound research methods and have clear implications for instructional practice and future research. Proposals for planned studies to be conducted in late 2017 following our feedback on initial abstracts and written up in early 2018 are also very welcome.

In this assignment, I critically review the paper, The Power of “Can Do” Statements: Teachers’ Perceptions of CEFR-informed Instruction in French as a Second Language Classrooms in Ontario (Faez, Majhanovich, Taylor, Smith, & Crowley, 2011) from the perspective of the research methods, evidence-based reasoning, and logic. In this review, I find that the paper provides valuable and useful information about French as a Second Language (FSL) teachers' attitudes, beliefs, and opinions towards their understandings of CEFR-informed instruction in the Ontario public schools FSL context. However, insufficient evidence was provided to verify that teachers had sufficiently understood and implemented CEFR-informed instruction.

This set of papers started off as one section of the proceedings of the 2006 Asian EFL Journal Conference held in Pusan, Korea in March but has rapidly developed into a collection of full academic papers on Task-based Learning in Asian contexts. Teachers, curriculum developers and researchers working in Asian contexts, and some of the world's top specialists on Task-based Learning, have all contributed their insights based on extensive experience of task-based learning. It is important to emphasize that task-based learning is not presented in this collection as an ideology,
or indeed a "method" except in the very broadest sense of the term. As a coherent contextualized curriculum framework, it enables us to have meaningful and useful discussions that combine insights from extensive practical teaching experience,
learning theories and practice-based research. When these three are combined, improved learning almost inevitably follows. A task-based framework can also help situate consideration of key issues relevant to all language teaching. One such issue is the relationship between focus on meaning and focus on form, a central concern of
many of the papers in this collection. Arguably achieving the appropriate balance in this respect is the most important factor of successful implementation of task-based learning.