Task based language teaching: an approach to EFL classrooms in Malaysia

Abstract

One of the many perplexing questions and challenges that await a language teacher is to know which is the correct method to use in teaching language successfully. According to Long and Doughty (2009), historians of language teaching have noted a “considerable fluctuation in the methodological preferences” (p.373) where more than ten basic methods or approaches are available. With the innumerable methods and approaches that exist in the field of language teaching, the variety of selections may have discommoded some aspiring teachers. Hence, this paper aims to share the experience of teaching English to L2 Malay learners, using a task based language teaching (TBLT) or task based instruction. Nunan (2004) proposes that this method is able to strengthen several language teaching principles and practises, as it uses authentic language situations, aside from asking the students to do meaningful tasks in the target language. Moreover, this paper will also discuss the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, as well as the implications of task based instruction in a classroom setting. The experiences may be shared by teachers who move from a teacher-centred approach to an approach that encourages learners to play an active and independent role.