A Study on the Application of Task-based Language Teaching Method in a Comprehensive English Class in China

Abstract

This study set out to investigate whether the implementation of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in a comprehensive English class would have a positive effect on students’ study motivation and language proficiency. A two-phase eight-cycle action research project was conducted in one of the author’s classes. Questionnaires, interviews, classroom observation and a teaching journal were employed as data collection instruments. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data revealed that the majority of students showed positive perceptions towards the use of TBLT in their English learning class and acknowledged a growth in their study motivation, indicated by increased interest, enjoyment and study autonomy, and their language skills, especially speaking and writing as well as some other related skills like information retrieving. However, problems arose in the process, showing that more literature reading and further research are needed by the author for better implementation of this language teaching approach in English learning classes in the future.