From Task-based Needs Analysis to Task and Syllabus Design

Task-based needs analysis (TBNA) has been consolidated as a key area of inquiry for syllabus and task design over the last four decades. Despite numerous TBNA studies, only a handful of them have reported explicitly on the transfer from TBNA to actual task and syllabus design. How can we integrate TBNA outcomes in the decision-making process during design? How are tasks detected by NA to be selected and sequenced in a language program? What dimensions of target tasks should inform pedagogic task design? The twelve chapters in this book tackle the issue of transfer from TBNA to design, across educational and professional contexts, communities and languages, debunking some of the major myths surrounding TBNA. The book shows that TBNA and its transfer to design can work in general language and specific language contexts alike. It can integrate teachers’ and students’ perspectives and interests, across educational levels, within small and large institutions. This book will be particularly helpful for readers building language programs around the world.