A Case Study on the Impact of Task-based Language Teaching on Improving English Speaking Skills.

Abstract

Teaching English as a second language is gaining prominence within the scope of language teaching, where Task-based Language Teaching plays a major role, as it is comparatively a new method of English language teaching. The current study is a qualitative research, which is designed to identify the impact of practicing authentic tasks based on task-based language teaching in the ESL classroom in order to improve English speaking skills. Since most of the Sri Lankan students find it difficult to speak in English fluently even after learning English for almost 10 years at school denotes that an alteration in teaching methodology is required. The research sample was a randomly selected fifty students of English diploma followers at the Department of English and Modern Languages of Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy. The sample was supposed to face a pre-test along with a questionnaire. As the second step, they were subjected to a teaching program based on Task-based Language Teaching for three months proceeding with a post-test which was the same test they faced at the very beginning of the study. The ultimate objective of the study was to figure out the impact of Task-based language teaching method on improving English-speaking skills, and to obtain a clear idea about how they learnt English at school. When comparing the marks of each criterion of both the tests, it was obvious that speaking skills of the research sample has been improved by 20.9% in the post-test than the results of pre-test. The data collected through this research evidenced both the facts that, there is a positive impact of Task-based Language Teaching on improving English-speaking skills as a second language and the majority of the students are not satisfied with how they learnt English at school. Finally, it has been identified that, one‟s English speaking skills can effectively be nourished with the practice of Task-based Language Teaching Methodology.