Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

Diego Ortega-Auquilla; Uvaldo Recino-Pineda

Investigación y Desarrollo • Revista de Divulgación Científica y Cultural • Volumen 11

Diciembre 2016 • PP 58- 66 • Dirección de Investigación y Desarrollo • U.T.A. • Ambato - Ecuador

COMMUNICATION-ORIENTED LESSONS: MOVING FROM COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE

TEACHING TOWARDS TASK-BASED INSTRUCTION

LECCIONES DE COMUNICACIÓN ORIENTADA: DE ENSEÑANZA DE LENGUAJE

COMUNICATIVO HACIA INSTRUCCIÓN BASADA EN TAREAS

Diego Ortega-Auquilla / Universidad Nacional de Educación / diego.ortega@unae.edu.ec

Uvaldo Recino-Pineda / Universidad Nacional de Educación / uvaldo.recino@unae.edu.ec

ABSTRACT

ommunicative-oriented language teaching methodologies need to have a central role in the current foreign language education. In fact,

language teachers are expected to shift away from traditional language teaching methods that have proven to be ineffective for language

learning. Nowadays, a movement, which favors and embraces interaction, communication, and negotiation of meaning, is growing in language

education; therefore, pre-service and in-service teachers of English need to be responsive to and become aware of the importance of these key

aspects. With these notions in mind, the present article can be seen as a contribution to help language teachers gain an understanding of key

theoretical notions related to the emergence of communicative language teaching and its most well-known methods – CLT and TBLT. Additionally,

this work analyzed CLT and TBLT as these two language teaching methods are not opposing but in line with the communicative approach. The

importance of implementing communicative-oriented lessons into the English classroom was also examined. In this sense, a table made up of

speciﬁc guidelines was elaborated by using works of leading experts in language teaching and learning. The table is intended to help teachers to

be better equipped to design and implement TBLT lessons into the classroom, which may have a positive impact on foreign language learning.

Key words:

communicative classroom, interaction, language teachers, lesson design,

tasks

RESUMEN

as metodologías comunicativas de enseñanza de lenguas necesitan tener un papel central en la educación en idiomas extranjeros. De hecho,

se espera que los profesores de idiomas se alejen de métodos de enseñanza tradicionales, las cuales han demostrado ser ineﬁcaces en el

aprendizaje de lenguas. En la actualidad, un movimiento, que favorece y acepta la interacción, comunicación, y negociación de signiﬁcado, está

creciendo en la educación en idiomas. Por lo tanto, los profesores de inglés en formación y en ejercicio deben ser receptivos y estar conscientes de

la importancia de estos aspectos claves. Con estas ideas en mente, este artículo puede ser visto como una contribución para ayudar a profesores

de idiomas a entender de una mejor manera nociones teóricas claves relacionadas a la aparición de la enseñanza comunicativa de lenguas y

de sus métodos más conocidos – CLT y TBLT. Adicionalmente, este trabajo analizó CLT y TBLT debido a que estos dos métodos de enseñanza

de lenguas no son opuestos, sino que están en consonancia con el enfoque comunicativo. La importancia de la implementación de lecciones

comunicativas en la clase de inglés fue también examinada. En este sentido, una tabla compuesta de directrices especíﬁcas fue elaborada a raíz

de trabajos de expertos destacados en la enseñanza y aprendizaje de idiomas. La tabla está destinada a ayudar a los profesores a estar mejor

equipados al momento de diseñar e implementar lecciones basadas en TBLT en el aula de clase, lo cual puede tener un impacto positivo en el

aprendizaje de un idioma extranjero.

Palabras claves:

clase comunicativa, interacción, profesores de idiomas, diseño de leccio-

nes, tareas

ARTÍCULO RECIBIDO: 21/11/16

ARTÍCULO ACEPTADO: 30/11/18

ISSN: 1390 - 5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

Communication-oriented lessons: moving from communicative language teaching towards task-based instruction

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

INTRODUCTION

t is imperative that English as a foreign language (EFL)

practitioners have a solid understanding of communicative

language teaching methodologies, as they facilitate student

language learning. Thus, this paper puts forward an analysis of

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), which is known to be

a descendant of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

(Demirezen, 2011). In this sense, it is pivotal to demostrate that

both of these language teaching methods came from a similar

theoretical foundation.

It is worth noting that CLT is viewed as a broad, philosophical

approach for language teaching and learning, while TBLT

is regarded as a realization of this philosophy at the levels of

syllabus design and methodology (Nunan, 2004). One of the

greatest differences between these two language teaching

methods lies in the notion that tasks play a central role in TBLT

as they provide a context that activates the learning process

and promotes second language (L2) learning in the classroom

(Izadpanah, 2010). Furthermore, research (e.g., Aliakbari &

Jamalvandi, 2010; Ruso, 2007) indicates the effectiveness

of TBLT in L2 pedagogy. Therefore, TBLT positively impacts

language classroom instruction because TBLT emphasizes the

use of authentic language through communicative, meaningful

tasks aimed at developing L2 effectively and enhancing target

language use among students.

With the purpose of gaining an understanding of TBLT, key

theoretical information as well as study results, indicating its

effectiveness, are to be highlighted. In addition to that, the

different types of tasks and the framework of lesson design within

TBLT methodology, consisting of three major phases, teacher and

student roles, procedural options, and the participatory structure,

will be provided and analyzed. As a result, it is expected that

EFL instructors will obtain a better picture on how to go about

designing and delivering more meaningful and communicative-

oriented language instruction. As TBLT methodology provides

language teachers with clearer guidelines, especially in terms

of lesson design, communication and interaction are more likely

to occur in the language classroom. In this regard, it is crucial

that language teachers plan and deliver their lessons directed by

TBLT rather than their instruction being centered on CLT alone,

since it provides general guidelines only and lacks a speciﬁc

methodological framework to employ it in the classroom.

In the attempt to equip language teachers with the necessary

knowledge and tools to implement communicative lessons based

on TBLT, a table, which details key information of practical aspects

of TBLT methodology, was elaborated as part of the present

article. The table created makes evident that this communicative

language teaching method provides a greater variety of learning

activities and better overall guidance for teachers than other

language teaching methods (as suggested by Cook, 2001). The

framework of lesson design and methodological procedures allow

teachers to build a language curriculum centered around tasks

(Ellis, 2003). By learning about these key aspects, EFL teachers

are to be prepared to begin shaping a communicative classroom

grounded in TBLT, where students have ample opportunities to

actively engage in authentic communication by achieving a goal,

performing and/or completing a task.

It is crucial that teachers, from the EFL context, create and

implement classroom instruction based on communication

and interaction by using teaching methodologies aligned with

the communicative approach. This is of great importance since

there is empirical evidence indicating that the use of traditional

teaching methods (based upon focus on grammar, translation,

and teacher-centered) hinder students’ command of the

English language, especially because of a lack of development

of listening and writing skills among students from rural and

public schools in Azogues, Ecuador. Moreover, it has been

found out that teachers, from the above-mentioned setting,

need to improve their pedagogical knowledge or competences

to facilitate effective language learning among their students.

The shortage of English teachers in the public sector and the

lack of meaningful professional development and training on

the current, communication-oriented curriculum to in-service

teachers are at the center of the previously mentioned issues

(Ortega, 2017; Ortega & Auccahuallpa, 2017).

A close look at communicative and

contemporary language teaching: CLT and TBLT

he Direct Method, the Grammar-Translation Method and

the Audiolingual Method were used in the last decades,

and their main objective was to help L2 learners to gain a solid

understanding of grammatical structures. In this regard, the

aforementioned methodologies were common in the ﬁeld of

foreign language education, which had no positive effects on

the development of oral communication among learners due

to the fact that they were mainly asked to memorize language

points and grammar rules (Diaab, 2016). As a consequence,

the Communicative Approach (CA) appeared in the late 1960s,

and it was grounded in study results in second language

acquisition; its course of action became extended in mid-1970s

(Demirezen, 2011). Moreover, the main focus of the CA is on the

communicative phase or dimension of a target language. With

this notion in mind, the language teaching methodologies, which

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

Diego Ortega-Auquilla; Uvaldo Recino-Pineda

evolved from the CA, were as follows: Communicative Language

Teaching (CLT), Content-Based Intruction (CBI), and Task-Based

Language Teaching (TBLT) (Demirezen, 2011; Nunan 2005).

Demirezen (2011) agreed that CLT evolved from the

Communicative Approach. It was ﬁrstly introduced as a language

teaching methodology in the ﬁeld of English as a second language

(ESL) in the United Kingdom in 1970s. Since the beginning of its

emergence, the major goal behind CLT has been to facilitate the

development of L2 learners’ communicative ability, as it places

special emphasis on authentic language use for communication

and the use of real-life situations that promote meaningful

interaction among language learners, as pointed out by Brandl

(2008). It is also paramount to state that two CLT forms or

versions are distinguished – its weak version provides learners

with plenty of learning opportunities in order to use a second

or foreign language for communication along the teaching-

learning process. Within this version, meaning-based learning

and communicative activities have a central role. With regard to

the strong version, Howatt (1984) stated that language learning

and/or acquisition takes place by means of communication.

Therefore, it is crucial to bear in mind these two versions with

the aim of gaining a better understanding of CLT.

It should be noted that language learners are likely to develop

their communicative competence through in-class instruction

based on TBLT and CLT or when these two language teaching

methodologies are combined in the classroom setting. In that

regard, Izadpanah (2010) and Richards (2006) have asserted

that TBLT can be regarded as an extension of the CLT trend.

Additionally, Ellis (2003) observed that the strong version of

CLT is represented by TBLT, and its major characteristic entails

the use of communicative tasks in the language classroom

instruction. These kinds of tasks are major components of TBLT

and can be used as units to organize a L2 course (Littlewood,

2004). In addition to that, student-centered approach and

authentic communicative purposes for language use are

fostered in the TBLT classroom (Izadpanah, 2010); therefore, the

main connection between CLT and TBLT is that both of them are

centered on communication and interaction.

There are key ideas, regarding the interconnection between

TBLT and CLT, that are worth discussing. For instance, according

to Nunan (2004), CLT needs to be understood as an overarching

language teaching methodology. Notwithstanding, TBLT is

acknowledged as an attainment of CLT theory at the moment

of designing course syllabus and implementing communicative

language teaching methodology in the L2 classroom.

Furthermore, scholars (e.g., Richards & Rodgers, 2001) hold the

view that TBLT and CLT both are grounded in similar, overarching

principles and that these two language teaching methodologies

encourage language teachers to implement communicative-

oriented lessons into the classroom, which help language

learners achieve learning goals. Littlewood (2004) went on to

explain that there are similarities between CLT and TBLT, as

language learners’ experiences, interests, desires and needs

must lead classroom instruction based upon either of these

communicative language teaching methodologies.

After the relationship between CLT and TBLT has been highlighted,

this paper will now discuss CLT solely and TBLT. This is necessary

in order to gain a solid understanding of their premises,

characteristics, and principles. Consequently foreign language

practitioners will be equipped with the necessary information to

better put theory into practice in their classrooms. In this sense,

it should be restated that CLT can be viewed as a more general

language teaching methodology, whereas TBLT provides foreign

or second language teachers with more guidance on how to go

about planning and delivering communicative-oriented lessons.

When CLT is analyzed, it is paramount to bring into discussion

the major assumptions and principles behind this key language

teaching methodology. With regard to assumptions, Ahmad and

Rao (2013) and Al-Twairish (2009) stated out that a second or

foreign language is acquired when L2 learners take part in the

process of communicating in the target language. In addition

to that, these authors indicated that in a CLT classroom L2

learning is facilitated when students engage in collaborative

learning activities, interaction, communication, and negotiation

and sharing of meaning. Moreover, learners need to be provided

with plenty of opportunities in which they can use the target

language in a creative manner and make errors, as especially

the production of errors constitute a normal part of the learning

process. In fact, learners should not be afraid to make mistakes

in the language classroom.

Concerning the fundamental principles of CLT, it is key to take

into account that structure-based teaching methodologies do not

provide learners with meaningful and communicative learning

opportunities, but CLT does provide opportunities for (second/

foreign) language learning. Richards (2006) noted that the six

key principles behind CLT are as follows: ﬁrst, the main focus

of language learning is authentic communication; second, a

provision of lots of opportunities for trying out what learners know

and are able to do is essential; third, a tolerance of L2 learners’

is needed as this may be evidence of their communicative

competence development; forth, guidance and personalized

attention for helping learners develop both accuracy and

ﬂuency; ﬁfth, use of inductive learning for grammar instruction;

sixth development and enhancement of the major language

Communication-oriented lessons: moving from communicative language teaching towards task-based instruction

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

skills is essential. Regarding the last principle, Savignon (1997)

commented that within a communicative classroom context L2

learners need to develop effectively their speaking, listening,

reading and writing skills. Such development is at the center of

the CLT methodology because they altogether facilitate learners

to achieve communicative competence.

In order to design and implement classroom instruction based

upon CLT in an effective manner, it is crucial to switch away

from a teacher-centered classroom to student-centered learning.

Therefore, as pointed out by Prasad (2013) identifying students’

communicative needs and interests as well as developing

such identiﬁed needs and interests through meaningful and

authentic language use inside and outside the classroom are

the fundamentals for effective decision making from a CLT

perspective. Furthermore, Prasad (2013) added that in order to do

so, foreign language teachers need to implement content into their

lessons content that is likely to have relevant connections with L2

learners’ interests and lives. In addition to that, it is paramount to

help learners embark on the task of personalizing their learning,

so that they need to be given plenty of opportunities to perform

different tasks with their acquired knowledge and developed skills.

Claims of the effectiveness of CLT and TBLT are well-documented

in research studies. Concerning CLT, various authors’ research

ﬁndings (Ahmad & Rao, 2013; Efrizal, 2012; Al-Twairsih,

2009; Mohd et al., 2007) have shown that it helps L2 students

enhance their English language skills. It has a positive impact

on the development of speaking and listening skills by means

of language use for meaningful communication. Furthermore,

language classroom instruction based on CLT facilitate students

to develop self-conﬁdence and increase their motivation. Greater

participation, authentic preparation for every day communication

outside the classroom, and development of communication

strategies are also encouraged and promoted in the CLT

classroom. Consequently, these studies on CLT have revealed

that it has several positive effects on students’ L2 learning

process than traditional language teaching methodologies,

such as the Audiolingual Method and the Grammar-Translation

Method.

Moreover, there is signiﬁcant empirical evidence (e.g., Ismaili,

2013; Aliakbari & Jamalvandi, 2010; Ruso, 2007) regarding

the positive impact of TBLT on student language learning.

Ismaili’s (2013) study reported that TBLT provided students with

meaningful learning opportunities to make use of the English

language at school. Additionally, it was shown that task-based

activities enhanced student-student interaction and the speaking

ability among the participants. The study participants enjoyed

learning the target language and became motivated as a result of

engaging in authentic, real-life tasks within a relaxed classroom

context. It was concluded that TBLT lessons create a meaningful

and suitable context for L2 learning, and this is conducive to

help English students attain communicative competence (Ismaili,

2013).

Aliakbari and Jamalvandi’s (2010) research study was

conducted to determine how effective TBLT role-play instruction

would be to enhance English learners’ speaking ability and to

what degree this kind of instruction would improve the before-

mentioned language ability. The study results indicated that

role playing directed by TBLT facilitates EFL students to better

achieve oral ability within the EFL classroom context. In another

study on TBLT, carried out by Ruso (2007), it was found that

task-based activities helped improve student language learning

in the classroom. Furthermore, it facilitated English learners to

experience better motivation and performance due to the fact

that TBLT lessons provided the study participants with multiple

opportunities for using and practicing the target language

in an enjoyable classroom atmosphere. The participants of

the study expressed their satisfaction because TBLT lessons

created and added variety to the language learning process, led

to the enhancement of L2 performance, and fostered greater

engagement and motivation towards EFL learning.

Essential information of task-based

language teaching (TBLT)

ith the aim of having a clear picture of TBLT, it is essential

to take into account deﬁnitions of it given by leading

scholars in the ﬁeld of Second Language Acquisition (SLA).

For instance, Larsen-Freeman (2000) stated that TLBT is an

approach that gives learners plenty of opportunities for using

the target language in an authentic, natural, and interactive

manner as they try to complete a task; this in turn facilitates

understanding and expressing meaning in the L2 classroom.

Richards and Rodgers (2001) explained that TBLT is a language

teaching approach in which tasks have a central role, because

they are the starting point for lesson planning and delivery in the

language learning classroom. In addition to deﬁnitions behind

TBLT, Izadpanah (2010) stated that the popularity of this important

communicative language teaching approach lies in the premise

that a more authentic language use is fostered when task-based

learning activities are incorporated into the classroom setting.

With these notions in mind, it is believed that TBLT has provided

a different perspective for language teaching and teaching in

general. Additionally, Nunan (2004) agreed that TBLT has a

major role in current L2 pedagogy, mainly because content is

selected through a needs-based approach, communication and

interaction alike are emphasized for an effective acquisition of

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

Diego Ortega-Auquilla; Uvaldo Recino-Pineda

L2. Language itself and the learning process are at the center

of ample learning opportunities in which learners constantly

engage in the classroom, meaningful language use is favored

along the learning process and it is connected and emphasized

to take place beyond the classroom as well.

Along the following lines, key aspects of TBLT are to be analyzed.

these aspects refer to the most important principles and purposes

behind TBLT, as well as what an actual task is and its varied

types of tasks. In addition, its framework for lesson design will

be highlighted. This information is intended to help EFL teachers

to implement lessons directed by TBLT into classroom practice

in an effective manner. The main principles and purposes

concerning TBLT will then be examined in this article. With

regard to its principles, Nunan (2005) indicated the following:

a) in order to help learners move on with greater autonomy and

understanding in L2 learning multiple instructional practices are

needed, b) learning activities and tasks should be created based

on the previous ones to come up with systematic task chains, c)

student language learning needs to be maximized by recycling

different language points and structures, d) a developmental

learning process is needed to build linguistic competences

among L2 learners, e) language learning takes place effectively

when learners are engaged and use the target language as

actively as possible, f) lessons should include grammatical

structures and how they are used communicatively, and g)

learners should engage in learning opportunities that utilize and

foster their imagination and creativity rather than engage in drills

and passive practices only as part of their teacher’s lesson.

Concerning the rationale behind TBLT, Ellis (2000) stressed

based on Willis’ 1996 work the following key and well-deﬁned

purposes: conﬁdence should be given to learners for using

their acquired L2 knowledge and skills, spontaneous or natural

interaction is important for L2 students to experience in the

classroom. This provides opportunities aimed at learning how

alike meanings or viewpoints are expressed among peers. Target

language should be employed cooperatively and purposefully,

meaningful or relevant interaction which is at the center of the

language learning process so that students do not say isolated

words or short sentences only. Communication strategies must

be implemented in the classroom and employed by L2 learners.

As it was mentioned previously, the term task has a central role

in TBLT methodology. In this regard, key notions concerning

the deﬁnition of task itself and the TBLT varying types of

tasks are to be examined in the following lines. According to

Izadpanah (2010), from a TBLT perspective the L2 learning

process is activated and promoted through the use of tasks in

the classroom. As afﬁrmed by Nunan (2004), the central idea,

behind the term task, refers to communicative language use

derived from the implementation of tasks in the classroom

where greater emphasis is centered on meaning, more than

forms or structures. Nunan (2004) further explain that a task

within TBLT involves creating, communicating, and practicing in

the target language and in a learning atmosphere where sharing

meaning is more important than the mastery of grammar. In

order to plan and deliver effective TBLT lessons, it is pivotal to

learn about the different types of tasks. In this sense, Jost (2003)

and Willis (1996) suggested these fundamental tasks, along with

examples for each one of them: fact-ﬁnding and brainstorming

are regarded as listening tasks; ranking, categorizing, and

classifying are regarded as sorting and ordering tasks; matching

and ﬁnding differences are considered as comparing tasks;

examining unreal and real situations fall within problem solving

tasks; exploring personal or family experiences, describing and

narrating past and current events and explaining viewpoints may

be utilized as sharing lived experience tasks; ordering and sorting,

comparing and contrasting, and problem solving are referred to

as creative tasks. With the aim of designing and implementing

TBLT lessons effectively, it is crucial for EFL teachers to take

into account the above-mentioned information. In this way, their

lessons can be comprised of both deﬁnite tasks and varied types

of tasks in order to activate, facilitate, and promote consistent L2

learning in the classroom.

Putting theory into classroom practice: TBLT

lessons

t is imperative to examine the TBLT framework of lesson design,

as it provides speciﬁc direction and clear guidelines that help

EFL teachers to put the theoretical information behind TBLT

methodology into practice in the language learning classroom. In

addition, if EFL teachers carefully analyze and use the guidelines

that make up the framework, they will be equipped with the skills

and knowledge to shift away from traditional language teaching

methods and embark on creating TBLT lessons in a meaningful

manner. The framework was proposed by Willis in 1996, and it is

made of these three components or phases: pre-task, main task

or task cycle, post-task or language focus. The framework at

hand is made up of three phases, which are given in detail below,

and it is important to know that the below table was elaborated

using Ellis’ (2006) work and Willis’ (1996) work. Speciﬁcally,

Willis’ (1996) work was used to obtain the information with

regard to the TBLT different phases and the teacher’s and

students’ roles and Ellis’ (2006) work was consulted to acquire

the information needed for the procedural options for each phase

in the framework.

Table 1. Classroom framework of communicative lessons: Facilitating

Communication-oriented lessons: moving from communicative language teaching towards task-based instruction

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

language teachers

to design and implement communicative-oriented lessonsbased on TBLT.

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

Diego Ortega-Auquilla; Uvaldo Recino-Pineda

Note. This table was created by using key information from the works of two leading experts, Jane Willis and Rob Ellis, on second

language instruction. Thus, the information regarding the phases of the TBLT framework and the roles of the teacher

and students was adapted from Willis (1996) and the information concerning the procedural options for each phase in

the framework was adapted from Ellis (2006).

Communication-oriented lessons: moving from communicative language teaching towards task-based instruction

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

Key remarks and learnings regarding TBLT

and CLT to take into account

irst and foremost, TBLT is linked to the overarching philosophy

of the communicative approach, and it is descendant of the

CLT methodology. That is to say, CLT and TBLT are two language

teaching methodologies that can help foreign language teachers

to elaborate communicative-oriented lessons; therefore, they are

interconnected in nature as both of these facilitate and promote

L2 learning communicatively. Additionnally, they both are

grounded in the same principles and have overall characteristics

in common (Demirezen, 2011; Nunan, 2004; Richards &

Rodgers, 2001). Their most common and important features are

as follows: fostering communicative use of the target language

among L2 learners, prioritizing student-centered lessons, and

identifying and addressing students’ needs and interests along

the teaching-learning process (Littlewood, 2004).

Secondly, the methodological principles and theoretical concepts

behind CLT are essential because of their great importance

in current L2 classroom practice. In this regard from a CLT

perspective, it is pivotal for L2 students to become engaged in

communication and interaction as these two aspects facilitate

L2 learning, the use and development of all the major language

skills need to be integrated over the course of student language

learning, the creative use of L2 should be emphasized and

error production should be seen as a natural part in the gradual

process of language learning, student engagement in authentic

communicative interactions is essential to take place in the

classroom, and the foundation for lesson planning and delivery

is based on the communicative needs and interests identiﬁed

among students (Prasad, 2013; Richards; 2006).

Finally, TBLT goes further than CLT due to the fact that it

is recognized as an attainment or accomplishment of CLT

theoretical claims at the levels of syllabus and lesson design

and, above all, actual communicative language teaching

methodology in classroom practice. This key realization, which

is evident in the TBLT framework of lesson design, supports

and guides language teachers to create a more communicative

instructional practice. Consequently, the use of tasks is crucial

in the language classroom, as they activate and promote

student learning and help elaborate language curricula based on

interaction and communication (Izadpanah, 2010; Nunan, 2004;

Ellis, 2003). Therefore, the above-mentioned TBLT framework

provides teachers with detailed guidance or speciﬁc guidelines

to facilitate and promote students’ language learning, which

is more likely to take place when the pre-task, main task, and

post-task phases are implemented successfully into classroom

instruction. Moreover, when language teaching is based on using

TBLT, teachers elaborate and implement effective task-based

lessons. In fact, these kinds of lessons need to be the foundation

for current L2 curricula with the aim of fostering effective student

language learning worldwide in the 21st century.

CONCLUSIONS

n language classrooms, it is paramount for teachers to be up

to date with the new trends in L2 pedagogy and implement

the most effective teaching practices. In this regard, language

teachers can better help their learners get the most out of

in-class lessons and undergo meaningful, positive language

learning. These, in turn, facilitate the enhancement of foreign

language proﬁciency among (English) language students at

different educational levels.

In this respect, the information highlighted in this paper is

fundamental towards facilitating language teachers to gain a

solid understanding of CLT and TBLT and their alignment with

the communicative approach. The former provides overarching

principles, notions, and concepts for an effective communicative

classroom practice, whereas the latter provides speciﬁc

methodological procedures and lesson design guidelines that

aid teachers in building a more communicative and interactive

classroom.

By having EFL teachers become conﬁdent with the framework of

lesson design within TBLT methodology, by means of the crucial

information and the table included in this paper, they are to be

empowered to shift away from dominant, traditional language

teaching. Consequently, with the aid of all the components of the

table, language teachers will ﬁnd it less difﬁcult to know how to

go about designing and implementing communicative-oriented

lessons based on TBLT.

All in all, it is essential to take into account that these two

key language teaching methodologies, CLT and TBLT, have an

important role in contemporary foreign language instruction.

Thanks to the creation of the TBLT framework of lesson design,

foreign language teachers have speciﬁc guidelines in order to

craft authentic communicative classroom instruction. Within the

context of a communicative classroom, language students can

experience relevant, meaningful learning experiences that help

them create their own understanding in the target language

within and beyond the school setting.

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

Diego Ortega-Auquilla; Uvaldo Recino-Pineda

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