VietTESOL International Convention 2026

Despite educational reforms prioritizing "communicative competence," traditional classrooms are often dominated by mechanical grammar and vocabulary drills that fail to bridge the gap between controlled practice and real-world language use. Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) is the most theoretically and empirically supported method for second language acquisition that develops communicative competence through authentic language use. TBLT has been shown through a meta-analysis to be more effective than the traditional approach of Present-Practice-Produce with a large effect size in promoting communicative abilities. However, due to the lack of task-based course books among other factors, the implementation of TBLT has been limited. This hands-on workshop addresses this challenge by guiding teachers to design diverse and potentially engaging tasks based on the Global Success books used in Vietnam. Participants will first be introduced to the four criteria for tasks including a primary focus on meaning, learners using their own linguistic resources, a communicative gap, and clearly defined communicative outcomes. The workshop guides participants through the experience and development of tasks categorized by discourse types and communicative gaps. Participants will also explore implementation factors, such as the various stages of the task cycle. Drawing from her published works and classroom experience, the presenter will showcase concrete examples ranging from in-person group activities to interactions with a TBLT dialogue agent. Participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of TBLT and its theoretical foundations, along with a practical framework and fresh ideas to develop engaging tasks for their own classrooms.