Abstract:

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) is acknowledged to be a mighty tool for teachers and educators worldwide in planning classroom activities. For some time it has been excessively used in educational programs despite the level of language learners – from elementary level to the proficiency one. For decades running it has been treated as kind of an epitome of language teaching. Nevertheless, the value of such a thrusted approach initially created for forming the very basic language skills is questionable in academic English.

This study offers the analysis of university faculty evaluation of task-based language teaching and learning in terms of its efficacy in studies of academic English.

The authors of the studies conducted a research based on a questionnaire form intended for the faculty members of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) concerning the following aspects of TBLT usage at classes, namely – overall evaluation of suitability of this methodology for academic English teaching, the frequency of its usage as well as possible drawbacks and benefits.

The subject of the research is a questionnaire database filled in by 118 teachers of English of MGIMO University concerning their evaluation and usage of task-based language teaching and learning approach as well as its suitability at various aspects of their university language classes.

The study has got a number of limitations though. Firstly, it is based on one university faculty’s questionnaires only. Secondly, only teachers of 3 university departments participated in the research.

The methods applied are: a questionnaire, content analysis, sampling and categorization.

The findings of this study imply that MGIMO faculty are highly concerned about the task-based teaching and learning approach in general and consider it to be an integral part of English classes. Nevertheless, despite the usefulness of this approach, MGIMO faculty members believe that with the level rise of language skills acquired by the students, the role of such assignments is progressively diminishing, its improper and excessive use may result in progress stopping and poor acquisition of the language structure.

Keywords:

Task-based language teaching, academia evaluation of TBLT, English language learning, educational curriculum.