American Journal Of Philological Sciences
268
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue06 2025
PAGE NO.
268-271
10.37547/ajps/Volume05Issue06-70
Task Based Learning for School Learners to Increase
Learners Speaking and Writing Skills
Kurbanova Gyulsanem Kenesbaevna
Karakaplak State University named after Berdakh, Post-doctoral programme student, Uzbekistan
Received:
25 April 2025;
Accepted:
21 May 2025;
Published:
23 June 2025
Abstract:
The introduction provides the rationale for the topic focusing on the challenges and solutions in TBL and
especially working with students to increase their speaking and listening skills.
Keywords:
Сommunication, language aquisition, modification, fluency, accuracy, motivation, reliability
.
Introduction:
Task-based learning (TBL) encourages
language learners to complete meaningful interactive
tasks which, in turn, encourages communication
between learners and between the learner and the
teacher (Wills and Willis, 2007). TBL requires learners
to use the target language with a specific objective in
mind, for example writing a letter, planning a trip to a
specific destination or designing a project in a team-
based situation (Wills and Willis, 2007).
The communication that TBL encourages enables
discussions of the target language and the ways in
which the language should be used which encourages
deeper learning and the acquisition of a larger
vocabulary (Wills and Willis, 2007). Task-based
teaching presents various challenges for teachers in
terms of how to develop the tasks that are specified in
a task-based syllabus into specific lessons (Skehan,
2018) and how to encourage participation of all
learners in TBL and task-based lessons (Ellis, 2020).
The rationale for this choice of topic is that whilst TBL
is highly effective method for language learning
because it encourages the learner to acquire/use the
target language as a tool and not simply as a goal
(Dorathy, 2018), TBL presents key challenges for both
teachers and learners. The aim of the essay is to
highlight the main challenges and possible ways of
overcoming these challenges so that the multiple
benefits of this learning approach can be harnessed.
Concept of TBL and effect on Learners Performance
“Learning a second or foreign language may be
facilitated using a teaching strategy known as Task-
based learning (Ellis et al., 2019). Tasks assigned in class
are oriented at fostering language acquisition and
development (Tan, 2021). Within the context of the TBL
curriculum, a focus on grammatical and lexical norm is
reduced in preference of a strategy that is more
realistically practical and interactive (Rachayon &
Soontornwipast, 2019)”.
The ability to communicate effectively is essential for
learning a new language. This feedback loop allows
learners to revise their dialogue in consultation with
their language partners, resulting in clear and
understandable information (Masuram & Sripada,
2020). By negotiating, students are more likely to be
conscious of the formal aspects of the target language.
This can be done by emphasizing the shape of the
language, which students may not always be aware of
(González-Lloret, 2019). In order to acquire a second
language, it is necessary for students to concentrate on
the forms of the target language. In consideration of
this, it may be deduced that value consistency and
input modification are both significant (Fang, et al.,
2021).
According to this point of view, tasks provide students
with a beneficial opportunity to analyze the
significance of the material, make modifications to the
content, and focus on the formal aspects of the
language they are attempting to acquire (Bhandari,
2020).
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
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2771-2273)
Learner outcomes are regarded as being of the utmost
significance in the process of education because they
assist learners in transitioning from an understanding
of the semantics of the target language to an
understanding of how to interpret it, in addition they
assist students in testing hypotheses regarding the
target language. For these reasons, learner outcomes
are considered to be of the utmost significance
(Nassaji, 2020). Students are able to identify the gap
between what they intend to express in their second
language and what they are really capable of
communicating due to this technique. This allows
students to develop on the “linguistic abilities they
already possess, enabling them to overcome the gap”
(Chong & Reinders, 2020). In other words, production
provides students with a unique opportunity to actively
apply their cognitive resources. Student output is not
only an indication of acquired data but also of learning
on the job. Research has revealed that assignments
offer competent opportunities for students for
modifying their production to make it more
comprehensible (Namaziandost, Nasri & Esfahani,
2019).
“Fluency, accuracy, and criticality are considered to be
the three most important aspects of learning a second
language. The ability of a student to speak a language
clearly and correctly is referred to as fluency, while
accuracy refers to the learner's capacity to use the
language in the manner in which it should be used in
accordance with the expectations of the culture. The
term "criticality" relates to the extent to which a
student is able to make use of increasingly complicated
linguistic structures and patterns” (Ali, 2019). Learners
may enhance their fluency, accuracy, and complexity
by engaging in task-based learning activities. For
instance, if a teacher wants to boost the students'
fluency, they may have had them participate in a task
that focuses on the meaning of the words (Liu, Mishan
& Chambers, 2021); If the purpose is to raise the degree
of or the amount of reliability of a task, the teacher
may give the students with extra activities that are task-
based in order to accomplish this objective.
According to Vygotsky, the main source of cognitive
and mental activity for students is the external activity
they participate in. When students are actively engaged
in this activity, their cognitive processes are activated.
This can occur at a psychological level, including
cognitive and language development (Motlhaka, 2020).
The belief that what is born on the interpsychic level
would eventually show itself in the whole person drives
the growth of language from the interpsychic to the
intracardiac level. This is accomplished by converting
mental activity from external to internal, which is then
followed by a process of self - reflection and estimation
(Lukas & Yunus, 2021). This indicates that for second
language learning, students build knowledge together
cooperatively as a mutual activity.
This engages students' interest in cognitive procedures
related to second language learning, which in turn
promotes learning, as Ellis (2000) explains: " First,
learners work with a partner to perform a new activity.
After they have learned the skill, they are able to do it
on their own." (p. 209), a process that helps people
learn new skills or techniques is called scaffolding.
Collaborative activities that involve knowledge sharing
are an effective way for students to learn a second
language. Previous research has shown that working
together on atasks helps students learn more
effectively, and collaborative activities can help
students overcome any language difficulties that may
be beyond their own ability.
Challenges in TBL
The exploration of the specific challenges for task-
based learning will be divided into these sub-sections:
Constructing lessons around TBL
This subsection will examine the difficulties teachers
face in creating realistic tasks to ensure that all
students achieve the class's learning objectives (Ellis,
2005), creating lessons based on TBL and thus achieving
policy objectives (Tavakoli and Skehan, 2005). The
willingness of the learners has the greatest influence on
your choice of tasks. There is no point in taking action
if the learners are not ready to take it. They might each
have distinguished agendas: this should be negotiated
and managed as a team. If the learners are enquired
regarding their anticipations, pre-requisites and wants,
courses can be agreed to meet the most reasonable
requests of the learners (Nakamura, Phung & Reinders,
2021). When choosing a method, it must be kept in
mind that an unacquainted method cannot be imposed
on a group regardless of consultation. Facilitators
should adjust decisions and approach based on group
preferences and ongoing evaluation of the course
(Azlan, Zakaria & Yunus, 2019). However, if the
instructor feels the need to introduce a new method to
the learners, this must be discussed with them. As a
result, learners were sometimes surprised by how
much they liked the previously unfamiliar procedure.
In most types of higher education, teachers design
lessons by requesting what they think learners should
know, mentioning students this information, and
ultimately testing how well students absorb what is
taught (Chua & Lin, 2020). On the contrary, designing
TBL courses needs teachers to “think backwards”—
think backwards as they plan around what they desire
learners to be competent enough for doing when they
complete the course; only then do teachers consider
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
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2771-2273)
what students should consider. Wiggins and McTighe
(1998) use the term inverse design for describing this
approach to curriculum development, which allows
teachers to construct a curriculum that offers students
with declarative and procedural knowledge (Payne,
2020). This is a significant difference, but if teachers are
merely teaching with the goal of introducing the
concepts, it could be very complex to decide what
teachers want students to be able to do after the
course is over. The following questions are a good place
to start. The importance of helping students learn
about different cultures is clear when considering TBL
tasks and materials for language courses.
It is believed that by learning a new language, students
will be more motivated to do things differently than
they are used to (Ji & Pham, 2020). It is believed that
students will be encouraged to become aware of
themselves and their surroundings, to understand
others, and to explore aspects of the culture that most
people take for granted. Actions and projects will
challenge preconceived notions and help students
develop a greater understanding of their skills and
abilities (Kang & Lee, 2019). This is a valuable activity
for students who want to be aware of their own cultural
backgrounds and how those backgrounds may impact
their views. For example, people who belong to the
same particular ethnic group might be urged to explore
diverse experiences, ways of life, or social realities in
order to have a deeper understanding of their fellow
peers.. Additionally, attitudes can vary between
different groups. For example, between ethnic groups
within a country, or between different nationalities
living in the same country (Erlam & Ellis, 2019).
Encouraging students to explore their own beliefs and
values, as well as the beliefs and values of others, can
help them better understand the culture.
CONCLUSION
The TBL is designed to help teachers to evaluate their
teaching effectiveness by looking at student
achievement rather than just whether they have
learned the information. Some people criticize the TBL
because they believe that it diminishes the learning
process by reducing it to test preparation. The goal of
the TBL is for teachers to keep teaching as long as the
content they are covering is still applicable to the
students' actual learning. Task-based language learning
and teaching presents many challenges, including
curriculum design, equal student participation, student
motivation, and achievement of learning goals, all of
which can be overcome by using different techniques
and approaches with language learners to ensure TBL is
valid for all students. By following the four basic
components of TBL: well-designed groups, liability,
feedback, and assignments. It can be concluded that
teachers create an environment that encourages the
quality and quantity of communication needed to turn
small groups into influential learning teams. When
students work in pairs or small groups, they are more
likely to come up with creative solutions to problems
during task-based learning activities that emphasize
participation from all members of the group. This is due
to the fact that students are more likely to share their
ideas and feedback with their partners, which can lead
to improved ideas and solutions. Possessing students
liable for attendance and preparation can encourage
team members for behaving in a social manner, which
builds cohesion and fosters trust. It has been concluded
that students develop confidence in the group to the
point where they are committed and competent
enough for tackling complex tasks with minimal or no
outside assistance.
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