Revisiting functional adequacy and task-based language teaching in the GBA: insights from translanguaging

Abstract

Research and practice in task-based language teaching (TBLT) as a cognitively oriented second language (L2) pedagogy have grown substantially over the last three decades. A concurrent development in language education that thrives along the sociocultural paradigm, translanguaging, is also gaining great traction due to its potential in helping to form a holistic communicative repertoire among L2 learners. Despite their different theoretical underpinnings and ideological perspectives, TBLT and translanguaging share many common grounds that are worth exploring. This article argues that translanguaging offers a practical tool for improving L2 task-based performance, especially functional adequacy. Adopting translanguaging in TBLT would be beneficial for learners with a common first language background such as Chinese but lower affect as well as limited lexical and morpho-syntactic knowledge. Implications for L2 or foreign language education policies in the Great Bay Area of China and the implementation of translanguaging in the pre-, during-, and post-task phrases in a TBLT classroom in the region are discussed.