Abstract:

The delivery of Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) has been facing many challenges in Irish third-level education over the last two decades: a relentless shift away from learning foreign languages in a globalised culture, the increasingly generic nature of syllabi and the rise in student diversity are threatening the essence of the dominant LSP model established in the 80s and 90s. This article will assess the usefulness of Task-Based Language Learning (TBLL) as a methodology for incorporating different objectives while retaining a rigorous unifying framework for syllabus design and evaluation. TBLL is the approach recommended for language learning by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) published in 2003. We will focus our attention on the development, implementation and evolution of one specific task performed by students on a range of courses in the tourism, leisure, event and hospitality areas. We will show how it has survived the test of time while every other aspect of the language curriculum was being called into question. We will draw conclusions as to the strengths of TBLL as a tool for maintaining specific language learning objectives relevant to future professionals while enabling the pooling of resources required by institutions under financial pressure. We will make recommendations on how to reinforce and extend this adaptive template in anticipation of future language learning needs in further education.

Keywords:

Task-based Language Learning, TBLL, Language for Specific Purposes, LSP, French as a Foreign Language, curriculum design, evaluation.