Abstract :
This paper examines the theoretical rationales and practical aspects of taskbased
language teaching (TBLT) with particular reference to research
findings in EFL/ESL contexts. The definitional scope of the term ‘task’,
polarizations in terms of task vs. non-task, and its relation to different
language teaching approaches have engendered conceptual and
methodological ambiguities. Moreover, factors related to task difficulty and
task procedures have been rarely examined empirically. The adoption of the
approach has faced serious resistance due to the incompatibility of some of
its underpinnings with the nonwestern cultures of learning, the long-held
psychometric traditions of testing, and its claims about communication and
task accomplishment as conducive to language acquisition. The
unpredictability of the learners’ reactions during communication, disregard
for the teachers’ sense of plausibility and learners’ level have created tension
amongst teachers, learners, and authorities as to the suitability of this
approach. It is argued that the ideological stance of the approach needs to be
tampered with greater realism thorough accountability reports and evidential
research.
