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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. 101–122

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Chapter 6
“It takes a village”

Developing and maintaining sustainable TBLT curricula

 | Georgia State University
Published online: 24 April 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/tblt.17.06kim
Abstract
Over the last three decades, the field of task-based language teaching (TBLT) has expanded significantly in terms of research topics, research methods, and practical applications to language teaching (Ahmadian & Long, 2022). For instance, by adapting several aspects of second language acquisition (SLA) research methods, an increasing amount of research has examined various task design and implementation features as well as task-based language performance and development (Ellis et al., 2020). However, several “real issues” in TBLT still remain (Long, 2016), including research-informed TBLT curriculum development, task-based assessment, researcher-practitioner collaborations, and in-service teacher education. In this chapter, I focus on one of the issues in TBLT that goes beyond individual task design and addresses concerns regarding course and program curricular development. I first review the research trends in TBLT curricula design and introduce four TBLT curricular design collaboration models. I argue that in order to implement and systematize TBLT curricula in language programs, a collaborative endeavor involving a collection of stakeholders is needed — that is, it takes a village to establish sustainable TBLT curricula.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Research reporting TBLT curricular development
  • Cases of different collaborative models for TBLT program implementation
    • Teacher as a single village member with a TBLT expert’s guidance
    • Institution as policy implementer of TBLT but with a lack of resources for curricular updates
    • Ambassadors as continuous TBLT implementers with institutional support
    • Multiple village members as TBLT actualizers with institutional support
  • Innovation in education: Suggestions for developing sustainable TBLT curricula
    • Ensure policy makers’ involvement
    • Break down the walls among various stakeholders
    • Make resources available for all stakeholders through community efforts
    • Prioritize teamwork with TBLT ambassadors over time
    • Relying on TBLT ambassadors for sustainability of curriculum
    • Suggested model for developing and implementing sustainable TBLT curricula
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (38)
References
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