A task‐based approach to the development of the oral skills of international law students

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This article provides an account of a study which set out to explore methodological issues associated with the development of oral skills on a Bar Vocational Course at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. The study involved overseas law students who were exposed to traditional teaching approaches involving teacher‐led drills and exercises and to a task‐based approach which placed an emphasis on message conveyance and learner‐owned language. The study indicates that in the short term overseas students may benefit most from approaches—essentially teacher‐led—that clearly connect with previous learning and teaching experiences, but that a task‐based approach may be capable of providing learners with greater long‐term benefits in terms of language skills.