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In:Broadening the Horizon of TBLT: Plenary addresses from the second decade of the International Conference on Task-Based Language Teaching
Edited by Martin East
[Task-Based Language Teaching 17] 2025
► pp. 82–100

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Chapter 5
Task-based language learning among children in an EFL context

Research and challenges

 | University of the Basque Country
Published online: 24 April 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/tblt.17.05gar
Abstract
Task-based language teaching (TBLT) research has expanded substantially in foreign language contexts. However, most studies until relatively recently have been carried out with young adults in university settings, despite the fact that, among young children, exposure to a foreign language (mainly English) is on the increase worldwide. This chapter focuses on current research with children learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) while they perform collaborative tasks in mainstream and content and language integrated learning (CLIL) contexts. The studies, carried out within interactionist and socio-cultural frameworks, are first steps in charting the territory with regard to young EFL learners and will hopefully lead to improved task-based language programs for such learners. Our findings show that children successfully negotiate to make language meaningful, show mainly collaborative patterns, focus on form, and feel motivated towards the tasks. Moreover, the findings reveal how some implementation variables (learner setup, task repetition, task modality) impact the children’s output and task performance. The chapter concludes by highlighting challenges and future research directions.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Children negotiating for meaning
  • Effects of task repetition as an implementation variable
  • Other implementation variables: Task-modality and learner set-up
  • Collaborative writing in child EFL contexts
  • Conclusion and lines for further research
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (88)
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