TASK-BASED INSTRUCTION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION

PRACTICES AND PROGRAMS

betty lou leaver and jane r. willis, editors
Task-based language instruction has proven to be highly effective, but surprisingly underutilized.
Theory can only go so far and hands-on experience can greatly speed and enhance the learning of
a second language. Nineteen talented instructors who have successfully implemented task-based
programs explain the principles behind the programs, discuss how problems were resolved, and
share details on class activities and program design. Each chapter takes the reader through the
different stages in designing and setting up such programs, adjusting them, and appraising and
testing them in normal classroom conditions. This book covers TBI syllabus and program design
and is based on actual classroom experience. Any one of the courses or programs discussed can
serve as models for others. Many of the contributors are highly respected practitioners who are
presenting their programs for the first time, while others are regular participants in today's
ongoing
dialogue
about
teaching
methods.
Full of concrete, adaptable models of task-based language teaching drawn from a number of
countries and eleven different languagesincluding Arabic, Chinese, Czech, English, French,
German, Korean, Spanish, and UkrainianTask-Based Instruction in Foreign Language
Education presents proven, real-world, practical courses and programs; and includes web-based
activities. It demonstrates useful and practical ways to engage students far beyond what can be
learned from reading textbook dialogue. TBI involves the student directly with the language
being taught via cognitively engaging activities that reflect authentic and purposeful use of
language, resulting in language-learning experiences that are pleasurable and effective.
For all instructors seeking to help their learners enhance their understanding and grasp of the
foreign language they are learning, Task-Based Instruction in Foreign Language Education is a
rich and rewarding hands-on guide to effective and transformative learning.
Betty Lou Leaver is associate dean of Global Education and dean of New York Institute of
Technology campuses in Jordan. She has introduced task-based instruction into several foreign
language programs, including the Defense Language Institute, the American Global Studies
Institute, NASA, the American Language Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the American
Language Center in Chisinau, Moldova. She has also provided assistance to programs using TBI
in
Brazil,
Turkmenistan,
Japan,
and
Korea.
Jane Willis is a visiting fellow at Aston University, Birmingham, UK, where she taught in the
Masters in TESOL/TESP distance learning programs, specializing in course and materials design
and lexical studies. She has taught English to European and Asian students and has educated
teachers in Africa, Cyprus, Iran, and Southeast Asia. She began experimenting with task-based

English teaching in 1982 in the British Council Teaching Centre in Singapore. She is the author
of A Framework for Task-based Learning and coauthor of English for Primary Teachers.
Reviews
"A worthy addition to task-based literature and can be recommended without hesitation to EFL
practitioners. Its marriage of theory, practice, and examples provides a highly stimulating
resource for those whose job is to do rather than to talk about doing."Korea TESOL Journal
"An invaluable resource, made even more so by the thoughtfulness of the chapters. Rather than
offering prescriptive plans, these authors share the thinking behind their decisions and thereby
provide generous insights into incorporating TBI in many different circumstances. Any teacher
who wishes to improve student's fluency will find inspiration and guidance in this volume."
Patricia Chaput, professor of the Practice of Slavic Languages, Harvard University
"An eminently useful contribution to the field of language pedagogy combining the theoretical
background of task-based instruction (TBI) with many examples of actual language learning
tasks in a variety of languages, at a wide range of levels, at a number of different programs.
Includes much information difficult to obtain elsewhere, such as using the Internet to implement
TBI and training teachers in TBI."Cornelius C. Kubler, Stanfield Professor of Chinese and
chair,
Department
of
Asian
Studies,
Williams
College
"The introductory chapter, an overview of task-based instruction (TBI), and the ensuing chapters
and descriptions of the practical application of TBI in various language programs provide a
valuable pedagogical resource for instructors of all languages. The concrete examples given in
each chapter illustrate the levels of creativity that can be accomplished in the language
classroom."Frank J. Miller, professor of Slavic languages and Russian Language
Coordinator,
Columbia
University
"Leaver and Willis have assembled a distinguished and varied cast of authors, covering
languages and programs not frequently treated in U.S. publications on foreign language methods
and techniques. While much attention continues to be spent on variations on proficiency in
foreign language education, they shift our attention to task-based instruction and present both
theoretical and practical considerations for teachers, scholars, and program coordinators. They
take great care to offer recommendations for students/learners as well as teachers in discussing
this innovative type of foreign language instruction. Finally, most impressive about the volume
as a whole is the considerable amount of space devoted to the incorporation of technology and
internet resources in task-based foreign language programs."Thomas Jess Garza, Director
of the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, University of Texas at Austin
- See more at: http://press.georgetown.edu/book/languages/task-based-instruction-foreignlanguage-education#sthash.ISGtnIBR.dpuf