Domains and Directions in the Development of TBLT

Abstract

If one has to use a catchy word to capture the connection between the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and Language Teaching (LT), the word “task” would be most likely to jump to mind. Since its initial proposals in the late 1980s, the concept has now blossomed into a distinct field of research, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), which is often deemed to be a researched pedagogy that bridges a gap between SLA research and LT. Much of the development in TBLT is due to scholarly presentations and publications, particularly those by Long (1985, 2015), Skehan (1998), and Robinson (2001, 2011), among many others. The book Domains and Directions in the Development of TBLT is a comprehensive collection of selected plenary speeches delivered at biennial international conferences on TBLT from 2005 to 2013. Martin Bygate, editor of the book, introduces the book by highlighting the pivotal role of tasks and the research and educational relevance of TBLT, echoed throughout the entire book.