Integrating Task-Based Learning and Pragmatics: Some practical ideas

Abstract

Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT), or Ensino de Línguas Baseado em Tarefas, in Portuguese, requires pragmatic skills from its students because it privileges authentic communicative interactions. However, very little has been written about how to combine TBLT with pragmatics in teaching contexts. This article offers two lesson plans that consider both TBLT and a specific pragmatic aspect, speech acts, with the purpose of providing ideas to be adapted to different contexts. The target audience contemplated in the article was native Portuguese speaking first graders, from a bilingual public school, that adopts Context and Integrated Language Learning (CLIL). The subject is Science, and the class is taught in English. Both lessons are an adapted version of an asynchronous online lesson planned and taught by me in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.