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In:From Task-based Needs Analysis to Task and Syllabus Design: Insights from across educational contexts
Edited by Roger Gilabert and Aleksandra Malicka
[Task-Based Language Teaching 20] 2026
► pp. 43–76

Chapter 3
Task-based needs analysis

Enabling targeted task design for primary school-aged refugees

 | University of Barcelona
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
Amidst the surge in refugee arrivals in Europe, schools face a critical challenge in facilitating the integration of young refugees, in which learning the host country’s language plays a pivotal role. In Austria, 31% of all primary school students learn German as L2 and thus a systematic analysis of their language learning needs is crucial. This task-based needs analysis (TBNA) is tailored to primary school-aged newcomers to Austria and provides a comprehensive exploration of how both qualitative and quantitative findings can be leveraged to inform the development of task-based syllabi and the design of pedagogic tasks. It shows how a TBNA can guide teachers and designers in creating effective courses, which may eventually enhance the integration process of young refugees.
Article outline
  • Introduction
    • The Austrian context
  • Literature review
    • TBNAs and task and curriculum design
    • TBNA in refugee and migrant language education
  • Methodology
    • Participants
    • Instruments and analysis
      • Interviews
      • Online survey
      • Creation of thematic task groups
  • Results
    • Qualitative results
      • Identified target-tasks
      • Task descriptions
    • Needs beyond language learning
    • Quantitative results
  • Discussion
    • Exploring the implications of the results for curriculum and task design
      • Task selection
      • Task sequencing
      • Task design
  • Limitations
  • Conclusion
  • Reflection questions
  • Suggestions for further reading
  • References
  • Appendix
References (29)
Suggestions for further reading
Gilabert, R. (2023). Where SLA and language education meet: The transfer from task-based needs analysis to task design. Education Sciences, 13(10), 1015. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Huang, L. S. (2021). “I have big, big, BIG dream!”: Realigning instruction with the language-learning needs of adult Syrians with refugee experience in Canada. Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees, 37(2), 141–163. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Serafini, E. J. (2021). Adapting and advancing task-based needs analysis methodology across diverse language learning contexts. In M. J. Ahmadian & M. H. Long (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of task-based language teaching (pp. 73–98). Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Toker, S., & Sağdıç, A. (2021). A task-based language needs analysis of Syrian refugee parents in Turkey. In M. J. Ahmadian & M. H. Long (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of task-based language teaching. Cambridge University Press.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
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