Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions towards TaskBased Language Teaching (TBLT) in Teaching English Reading at a Public University in China

Abstract

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), as the top-down policy advocated in English education in China, has been acknowledged as an effective method to improve students’ reading skills. Teachers’ perceptions about TBLT could influence the design and implementation of TBLT in the class and, ultimately, students’ learning outcomes. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on teachers’ perceptions within the classroom context. This research aims to explore EFL teachers’ perceptions of TBLT in teaching English reading at a public university in China. A qualitative case study was conducted with 11 university EFL teachers through purposive sampling. The analysis of the focus group interview with 8 teachers and the individual interviews with 3 teachers was conducted in this study. Additionally, data triangulation was employed with document analysis. The findings indicated that college EFL teachers in the university had a comparatively clear understanding of TBLT in teaching English reading. However, some of the teachers misunderstood TBLT, which caused challenges for them when implementing TBLT in the class. The results propose pedagogical ideas for successful TBLT design and implementation in the tertiary setting in China.