23 - Tasks and good language learners

Summary

In recent years there has been a great deal of interest in task-based language teaching and learning (for instance, Ellis, 2003, 2005; Nunan, 2004), as well as a considerable amount of research into issues related to the use of tasks (for instance, Cohen, 2003; Skehan and Foster, 1997). According to Skehan (1998), a language task is meaningful in its own right and linked to the real world, although it may also be focused on a particular language goal. Task-based language teaching does not begin with an ordered list of linguistic items (Nunan, 1999), but with a series of tasks which are intended to develop learners' communicative skills and contribute incidentally to their linguistic development (Ellis, 1997). Advantages of task-based language learning over other approaches (such as grammar-based) are that students are likely to be more motivated if they see an activity as meaningful and as having some relevance to authentic activities which they may be called on to perform outside class (Ur, 1996).

How do good language learners manage language tasks? One of the most important procedures in learner self-management (LSM) that expert learners use to be successful in their language learning is planning, which involves defining/selecting goals, setting criteria to measure goal achievement, task analysis, and setting a time line. Task analysis, while frequently cited, has not been extensively researched.