Task-based and Task-supported Language Teaching

Abstract

My purpose in this article is to give some clarity to what task-based language teaching (TBLT) is and how it differs from task-supported language teaching (TSLT). Central to both approaches is the notion of ‘task’, so I will begin with a definition of this and point to some problems in distinguishing a ‘task’ from an ‘exercise’. I will go on to discuss how tasks figure in TBLT and TSLT. I will then address arguments that have been used to claim that TSLT is better suited to some teaching contexts, such as those found in Asia, where teachers and students are used to traditional examinations. I conclude by suggesting that while TSLT should not be seen as an alternative to TBLT, it can complement it in several ways.