Tasks are everywhere. They are the things we do in daily life. Long (2016) argues that task-based language teaching (TBLT) is the strongest empirically supported teaching approach around. However, for many instructors of commonly and less commonly languages, TBLT is still an innovative approach that deviates from more familiar structure-based or form-focused teaching methods. They find it difficult to incorporate real-world tasks in their classrooms. Are real-world tasks the only option or can instructors integrate more pedagogical tasks? What do they look like and how do they incorporate (or not) grammar and vocabulary?

This talk will focus on what makes a task different from a traditional language classroom activity or exercise, and how real-world and pedagogical tasks can drive classroom (and beyond) learning. This talk aims to provide you with the foundational principles of TBLT so you can make tasks work for students and classrooms.