Episode 168: How Can Task-Based Language Teaching Engage Students in Authentic Communication With Purpose? A conversation with Dr. Claudia Fernández
Description
Have you ever noticed that some students struggle to see their progress in an acquisition-driven classroom?
When your lessons focus on comprehensible input and communication, progress can feel invisible to students used to “right or wrong” answers. That’s why Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) can be such a game-changer.
In this episode, I talk with Dr. Claudia Fernández, one of the leading voices on TBLT, about how this approach helps students engage in authentic language use to achieve a real communicative goal.
You’ll hear strategies for bringing TBLT into your classroom while keeping language acquisition and connection at the heart of instruction.
Key Takeaways
- A task isn’t just an activity. It has a clear communicative outcome that mirrors real-life language use.
- Authenticity builds motivation. Students feel successful because they accomplish something meaningful.
- TBLT aligns with CI. It naturally supports acquisition through input, interaction, and purpose.
- You can adapt it anywhere. From textbook classes to upper levels, TBLT fits any context.
Why It Matters
Task-Based Language Teaching bridges the gap between knowing about language and using language.
It helps students experience the power of communication — not just as practice, but as a purpose.
Recommended Resources for Teachers:
Bill VanPatten – The Nature of Language and While We’re on the Topic
Martin East – Foundational Principles of Task-Based Language Teaching (Free online)
Daniel O. Jackson – Task-Based Language Teaching: A Concise Introduction
Florencia Henshaw & Maris Hawkins – Common Ground
TBLT Task Bank – Community-shared tasks by level and theme
Growing With Proficiency The Podcast Playlist about Acquisition, Language and Communication.
More resources:
- Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
- Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott
- 📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in my TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency.
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