EFL Learner’s Difficult Role Transition from Secondary School to University: From the Perspective and Perceptions of EFL Teachers of TBLT in Western China

Through a series of designed questionnaires, interviews and classroom observation, this study finds out that there are overwhelming differences concerning perception and implementation of TBLT in western China’s secondary school and university English classroom. These differences deeply affect first-year university students having a difficult role transition in learning English from secondary school to university. The difficulties lie in the deep-rooted attitudes towards examination, learning strategies of passive acceptance, lack of motivation and awareness in tasks. As TBLT is one emerging central methodology for teaching English in Asian context (Nunan, 2003), its importance needs to be addressed in western China, especially in the secondary schools in order to let EFL learners have a smooth transition when they enter university.