The implementation of task-based language teaching in EFL primary school classrooms: A case study in Vietnam

Research into the introduction of task-based language teaching (TBLT) in Asian primary school classrooms is rare, despite curriculum initiatives in many Asian countries promoting communicative and task-based teaching and learning. This study addresses this gap by investigating the implementation of TBLT in EFL classrooms in primary schools in Vietnam, a context hitherto under-research from a TBLT perspective. The research was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 was a multiple case study which used classroom observations, stimulated recall and in-depth interviews to investigate how seven Vietnamese EFL primary school teachers implemented speaking lessons and how they viewed the lessons. The results showed that all teachers followed the presentation-practice-production (PPP) sequence specified in the textbooks, but that they independently incorporated communicative activities into the lessons. The teachers’ view of the PPP lessons varied but they shared a concern about the mechanical nature of the PPP lessons. Phase 2 investigated the implementation of two task-based lessons redesigned from PPP speaking lessons in a textbook by three teachers who participated in Phase 1 of the study. The data were collected from classroom observations, stimulated recall and in-depth interviews with the teachers, interviews with pupils, and recordings of task performances by nine pairs of learners. The results showed that all three teachers successfully carried out the two task-based lessons and reported a higher level of learner engagement and communication in their classes. Analysis of pupil interview data reveals evidence to support the teachers’ views. All pupils expressed interest in the task-based lessons with stronger pupils affirming the scaffolding role of the pre-tasks and communicative value of the main tasks. Weaker pupils reported challenges of completing the main tasks due to lack of pre-teaching of the target structural patterns. Analysis of task interaction data showed that all dyads worked consistently towards completing the main tasks in the task-based lessons, although the achieved outcomes varied slightly. They were able to assist each other to co-construct their utterances, correct their own errors and help correct each other’s errors, negotiate for meaning to overcome comprehension difficulties and use L1 to foster task completion. All of these strategies were found to facilitate task completion and provided a fruitful context for language development. In sum, the results point to the viability of TBLT in the Vietnamese EFL primary school context. They contribute to an understanding of the implementation of TBLT in authentic classrooms and the nature of task interaction among EFL primary school pupils.