The Effects of Task-Based Language Teaching on EFL Learners’ Speaking Performance

Abstract

In spite of the current needs for human resources with the ability to communicate using English, most of Vietnamese learners still have many difficulties in speaking after a long time of study. In order to tackle this issue in English education, Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) was strongly recommended by the Ministry of Education and Training with the aim to shift the educational view to a more supportive and efficient perspective for learners’ communicative competence. In this context, the study was conducted to explore the effects of TBLT on EFL students’ speaking performance. This quasi-experimental research was carried out on 60 participants from a hospitality college in Ho Chi Minh City. The students in the experimental group were instructed with TBLT for eight weeks while those in the control group were taught with a conventional method. The research data were gathered via two instruments of tests (pre- and post-test) to measure the students’ speaking performance before and after the treatment, and a questionnaire to discover their attitudes towards the implementation of TBLT. The analysis and interpretation of research data were conducted thanks to the use the software SPSS. Particularly, pre-test and post-test scores of the two groups were compared in terms of mean values with the employment of an independent samples t-test. As for the questionnaire, mean value and standard deviation of each item were calculated and interpreted.  The findings indicated that TBLT significantly improves the students’ speaking ability and they have positive attitudes towards its employment in their speaking classes.