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Article published In: Teacher Education for Task-Based Language Teaching
Edited by Xavier Gutiérrez, Lara Bryfonski and Greg Ogilvie
[TASK 5:2] 2025
► pp. 159–176

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Bridging the research-practice gap in task‑based language teaching

The role of teacher education

ORCiD logo with link | University of Alberta, Canada
ORCiD logo with link | Georgetown University, United States
 | University of Lethbridge, Canada
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with the University of Alberta.

Published online: 5 February 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/task.25009.gut
Abstract
The gap between research and practice has been a long-standing concern in the second language acquisition field and in task-based language teaching (TBLT) specifically. We begin this article with a brief overview of the trajectory of TBLT-related research, highlighting the increased focus on studies grounded in practice and the essential role that teachers play in the implementation of the approach. We then make the case that teacher education is uniquely positioned to strengthen the connection between research and practice as it can facilitate teachers’ access to research as well as increase awareness of teachers’ concerns so that research and practice inform one another. After outlining key features of effective teacher education initiatives, we present the articles that constitute the special issue on TBLT-oriented teacher education.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Overview of TBLT, tasks and research
  • TBLT implementations
  • Teachers’ reality and TBLT
  • Teacher education and the broader research-practice relationship
  • Overview of the special issue
  • Friction, growth, and the future of TBLT teacher education
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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