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Article published In:
TASK
Vol. 3:2 (2023) ► pp.273–304

Bangladeshi EAP teachers’ perspectives on task-based language teaching

ORCID logo | Michigan State University , USA | North South University , Bangladesh
ORCID logo | Michigan State University , USA

We explored the extent to which academic English teachers from an English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) context held beliefs that aligned with Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) principles, as well as their levels of receptiveness to using tasks in the classroom. In this mixed methods study, 41 tertiary-level EFL teachers from Bangladesh were invited to take a survey on TBLT and participate in follow-up interviews. We used convergent mixed methods analysis to triangulate the data and verify the findings. Results showed that participants agreed with TBLT principles from a moderate to high level, and consistently favored use of tasks over traditional activities, which included audio-lingual and form-based instruction. Moreover, teacher beliefs and practices seemed to have become further aligned with TBLT tenets in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequential shift to online teaching.

Keywords: task-based language teaching, Bangladesh, teacher perceptions, language teaching methods, online language teaching
Article outline
  • Literature review
    • Core crinciples of TBLT
      • Definition of task
      • TBLT vs TSLT
      • Methodological principles underlying TBLT
      • TBLT in EFL contexts
      • TBLT in EAP courses
    • The need for this study
  • Methods
    • Participants
    • Study context
    • Questionnaire
      • Likert-Scale Survey
      • Preferred Activities Survey
      • Background information
    • Interviews
      • Procedure
      • Data analysis
  • Results
    • Results from quantitative analysis
      • Descriptive statistics from Likert-scale survey
      • Descriptive statistics from Preferred Activities Survey
    • Results from qualitative analysis
      • Thematic coding of Preferred-Activity Survey rationales
      • Thematic coding of semi-structured interviews
    • Further results
  • Discussion
    • Research question 1
    • Research Question 2
      • Impact of virtual classes on teaching approaches
    • Implications and recommendations
    • Limitations and future directions
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
Published online: 11 March 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/task.00023.sid
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