'I'm still not sure what a task is': Teachers designing language tasks

Ellis (2003) outlined four criteria distinguishing "tasks" from traditional grammar exercises. This study examines whether teachers were able to design tasks meeting these criteria following a year-long professional development programme on task-based language teaching (TBLT). The researcher analysed 43 tasks designed by teachers against Ellis's framework to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme, on the assumption that understanding what a task is constitutes an essential first step for successful TBLT implementation. Results showed that teachers experienced difficulties with particular dimensions of task design, and the study offers recommendations for improving professional development initiatives focused on TBLT.