Task-based language assessment: a compatible approach to assess the efficacy of task-based language teaching vs. present, practice, produce

Abstract

Task-Based Language Teaching has been developed in response to the teacher-dominated, focus-on-forms methods such as Present, Practice, Produce (PPP). The body of literature is replete with studies examining the learning efficacy of the PPP approach versus TBLT; however, these studies did not use assessment tasks in comparing these two methods. To this end, the present study used an Assessment Task, a Grammaticality Judgment Test (GJT), and an Elicited Imitation Test (EIT) to compare the efficacy of PPP versus TBLT. Thirty-four lower-intermediate English language learners in Iran were randomly assigned to TBLT, PPP, and Control groups. The study results revealed that the performance of TBLT and PPP on the GJT and EIT significantly improved from pre-assessment to post-assessment, while the Control group did not show any significant improvements on any of the tests. Results indicated that only the TBLT group made substantial improvements in TBLA in the post-assessment, while the PPP and Control groups’ performance did not significantly improve.

Keywords

• assessment task
• elicited imitation test
• grammaticality judgment test
• task-based language assessment