Using Tasks in Second Language Teaching

Task-based instruction features the integration of theory, research, and practice. However, what is missing in the literature is 'practice', that is, how to effectively implement task-based instruction by taking into account various factors at the macro and micro level. Lambert and Oliver fill a significant gap through this timely initiative. * Shaofeng Li, Florida State University, USA * This volume provides insights into teachers' practices and challenges when introducing tasks in their classroom, covering a wide range of international educational contexts. Pre-service and in-service teachers will benefit from the concrete advice about practical issues in implementing tasks in different contexts. It is also useful for researchers and postgraduate students in that it considers the effects of tasks on L2 acquisition and performance. * Natsuko Shintani, Kansai University, Japan * Lambert and Oliver have assembled an excellent variety of chapters on task-based instruction. They provide a huge breadth of coverage, of different age ranges and instructional contexts. Most distinctive are the wide geographical contexts and the range of ages which motivate the different studies. This is an important book for researchers and professionals alike, making important theoretical and practical contributions. * Peter Skehan, Birkbeck College, UK * [This book] offers insightful considerations on theoretical and empirical aspects, highlighting research, pedagogical needs, and practical implications for the foreign language classroom. The book is particularly useful for teachers willing to embrace a task-based instruction, as chapters exemplify a variety of information, opinion, and reasoning tasks (Ellis, 2009), include spoken, written , and hybrid modalities, examine traditional and online genres, and combine old and new resources. -- Laura Dubcovsky, University of California, Davis, USA * LINGUIST List 32.1542 *