Evaluating TBLT: The case of a task-based Spanish program

Abstract

The need for foreign language education in the US has increased in recent years, and teaching methods based on traditional textbooks are unlikely to meet the real-world needs of current learners. As a response, interest in Language for Specific Purposes programs has grown and so has Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) methodology. This article describes and evaluates a recently developed, task-based Spanish course for a governmental agency, which was put in place to help employees conduct their jobs more efficiently. Three exploratory empirical studies undertaken to evaluate this program are presented and discussed: (1) a pilot study comparing the oral proficiency of students in the grammar-based course and students in the TBLT course; (2) a study to establish whether the students’ overall proficiency had improved as a result of the TBLT program; and (3) a qualitative study of students’ perceptions about the Spanish TBLT program. The results indicate that the task-based course not only prepares trainees to complete critical job tasks in the L2, but it also improves participants’ overall Spanish proficiency. These results contribute to the increasing evidence of the potential of TBLT for language learning.