Quality of language and purpose of task: patterns of learners’ language on two oral communication tasks

Abstract

This study examines the performance of Hungarian secondary school students on two types of unscripted task - an argument task and a narrative task. It focuses on grammatical patterns of learner language, and reports significant differences in the learners’ performance. The article discusses implications for the use and design of such tasks. It concludes by suggesting how their use can contribute to language development by leading learners to establish a routinized relationship between task and language. More generally, the article argues the value of predicting, on the basis of attested patterns of use, the classroom learning that is likely to ensue from the use of particular tasks.