Rod Ellis - TBLT: Where Did It Start and Where Is It Going? - Plenary KOTESOL 2019

Task-Based Language Teaching: Where Did It Start and Where Is It Going? Plenary at the 2019 KOTESOL International Conference. Task-based language teaching (TBLT) is now the approach mandated by a number of educational authorities in Asia. In my talk, I will show how task-based language teaching (TBLT) grew out of communicative language teaching, drawing on both second language acquisition research and theories of education. I will trace its development from its early days, pointing to the multiple influences that have helped to shape its evolution. I will address key issues such as how to define “task,“ how tasks have been classified, how they can be sequenced into a syllabus, and how a complete lesson can be built around a task. I will also consider the use of tasks in computer-mediated language teaching and in assessment. I will emphasize that TBLT is multifarious and conclude with a set of questions that can guide the ongoing development of TBLT. Bio Rod Ellis is currently a research professor in the