Includes bibliographical references (p. 280-287) and index.

"Task-based learning (TBL) is rapidly gaining popularity, but what actually happens when we use communication tasks in real language classrooms? In this collection, teachers of English as a second or foreign language describe how they implemented TBL with learners of various ages and in a range of contexts. They explore the interaction and language stimulated by tasks, and investigate the effect of variables such as task type, planning time and repetition.

This book also offers: a wealth of practical ideas for teachers experimenting with TBL in the classroom. stimulating suggestions for classroom-based projects for teachers studying on Certificate, Masters and Diploma programs. a useful collection of classroom transcripts that can be used for detailed study." (Book Cover)

TABLE OF CONTENTS :

About the Contributors

List of Abbreviations

Acknowledgements

INTRODUCTION: Aims and Explorations into Tasks and Task-based Teaching / Jane Willis

1. Task-based Language Learning and Teaching: Theories and Applications / Ali Shehadeh

PART A IMPLEMENTING TASK-BASED LEARNING: CONTEXTS AND PURPOSES

2. Developing from PPP to TBL: A Focused Grammar Task / Lamprini Loumpourdi

3. Integrating Task-based Learning into a Business English Programme / Patricia Pullin Stark

4. Language as Topic: Learner-Teacher Investigation of Concordances / Raymond Sheehan

5. Storytelling with Low-level Learners: Developing Narrative Tasks / Patrick Kiernan

6. Adding Tasks to Textbooks for Beginner Learners / Theron Muller

7. Using Language-focused Learning Journals on a Task-based Course / Jason Moser

PART B EXPLORING TASK INTERACTION: HELPING LEARNERS DO BETTER

8. Exam-oriented Tasks: Transcripts, Turn-taking and Backchannelling / Maria Leedham

9. Training Young Learners in Meaning Negotiation Skills: Does it Help? / Seung-Min Lee

10. Task Repetition with 10-Year-old Children / Annamaria Pinter

11. Collaborative Tasks for Cross-cultural Communication / David Coulson

PART C EXPLORING TASK LANGUAGE: LEXICAL PHRASES AND PATTERNS

12. Interactive Lexical Phrases in Pair Interview Tasks / James Hobbs

13. Multi-word Chunks in Oral Tasks / Maggie Baigent

14. Can We Predict Language Items for Open Tasks? / David Cox

PART D INVESTIGATING VARIABLES: TASK CONDITIONS AND TASK TYPES

15. Fighting Fossilization: Language at the Task Versus Report Stages / Craig Johnston

16. Storytelling: Effects of Planning, Repetition and Context / William Essig

17. The Effect of Pre-task Planning Time on Task-based Performance / Antigone Djapoura

18. Balancing Fluency, Accuracy and Complexity Through Task Characteristics / Gregory Birch

19. Quality Interaction and Types of Negotiation in Problem-solving and Jigsaw Tasks / Glen Poupore

Epilogue: Teachers Exploring Research / Corony Edwards

References

Index