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This study investigates the evolving demand for graduate skills in the British workforce, leveraging a task-based approach with data from the Skills and Employment Survey Series. Focused on the changing importance of job tasks related to graduate skills, the research explores the mapping of these tasks to educational attainment, discerns the price employers pay for tasks requiring graduate skills, and addresses regional variation in graduate supply and demand. Despite a slowing growth of graduate skills requirements post-2006, we find a stable assignment of graduate education with job tasks and an overall flat task price related to graduate skills requirements. We present regional evidence showing education expansion rather than exogenous factors drove high-skills demand, balancing the development of supply and demand in the British graduate labour market over 1997–2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While ample studies have explored the creation of task-based materials to enhance the English proficiency of university students, there has been limited research on how such materials can be tailored to promote university students' public speaking competence. This paper presents findings from a research and development (R&D) study aimed at refining English teaching materials using a task-based approach to bolster university students' public speaking abilities. The study was conducted in the English Language Department at a public university in Medan and followed the R&D model by employing a multi-phase methodology. Initially, a needs analysis was carried out using a questionnaire to gather student data, focusing on their learning needs and preferences for public speaking skill development. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics to identify key trends. Based on the findings, task-based public speaking materials were developed, featuring structured debates, role-plays, and presentations that encouraged students to engage in real-world speaking tasks. These materials aimed to cultivate both linguistic and strategic competencies necessary for effective public speaking in academic and professional contexts. The materials were then validated through expert evaluation to ensure content accuracy, alignment with public speaking objectives, and pedagogical relevance. Following validation, the materials were piloted in the classroom, and qualitative feedback was collected from both the lecturer and students through interviews and surveys. The validation process confirmed the practicality and effectiveness of the task-based materials. Additionally, both the lecturer and students reported positive outcomes, noting significant improvements in the students' public speaking competence and increased engagement due to the real-world relevance of the tasks.

Many new reconstruction techniques have been deployed to allow low-dose CT examinations. Such reconstruction techniques exhibit nonlinear properties, which strengthen the need for a task-based measure of image quality. The Hotelling observer (HO) is the optimal linear observer and provides a lower bound of the Bayesian ideal observer detection performance. However, its computational complexity impedes its widespread practical usage. To address this issue, we proposed a self-supervised learning (SSL)-based model observer to provide accurate estimates of HO performance in very low-dose chest CT images. Our approach involved a two-stage model combining a convolutional denoising auto-encoder (CDAE) for feature extraction and dimensionality reduction and a support vector machine for classification. To evaluate this approach, we conducted signal detection tasks employing chest CT images with different noise structures generated by computer-based simulations. We compared this approach with two supervised learning-based methods: a single-layer neural network (SLNN) and a convolutional neural network (CNN). The results showed that the CDAE-based model was able to achieve similar detection performance to the HO. In addition, it outperformed both SLNN and CNN when a reduced number of training images was considered. The proposed approach holds promise for optimizing low-dose CT protocols across scanner platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: In the contemporary globalized and interconnected landscape, technical students pursuing successful career paths must possess indispensable employability skills. This paper acknowledges the shifting demands within the job market, where mere technical expertise may no longer suffice. Objective: In response to this imperative, the study suggests the implementation of a Task-Based methodology, wherein students actively engage in genuine, real-world assignments that mimic the professional challenges they are likely to encounter in their future careers. These practical tasks serve as catalysts for developing employability skills. Moreover, this approach incorporates the integration of Intercultural Competence into the educational framework. This adaptation recognizes the growing diversity within workplaces and aims to equip technical students with the competencies needed. Intercultural Competence encompasses cultural awareness, empathy, communication abilities, and proficiency in working harmoniously within multicultural teams. Methods: This research adopts a quantitative approach, where an online questionnaire is distributed via Google Forms to assess the effectiveness of the Task-Based Approach through Intercultural Competence. The study examines a sample size of 500 technical students from selected colleges in Madhya Pradesh. The statistical technique employed for analysis is Linear Regression in the SPSS software, enabling the exploration of correlations and variations among independent and dependent variables. Results: The results show that there is a high correlation between the variables, as well as showing the significance of the model. Considering the limitations of the study, the benefits of implementing a task-based approach through Intercultural Competence are evident. The challenge may include designing culturally relevant tasks, ensuring that faculty members are adequately trained to facilitate intercultural learning, and assessing students' progress in the areas of technical and transversal competencies. Conclusion: Overall, this study underscores the significance of Task-Based learning and Intercultural Competence in nurturing employability skills among technical students, thereby making a meaningful contribution to their personal and professional advancement.

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The text is a practical proposal for integrating elements of the Oxford debate into Spanish lessons in the spirit of the task-based approach. It introduces the theoretical assumptions of the task-based approach, emphasizing the effectiveness of language learning through its application. The designed scenario for Spanish classes uses the Oxford debate as an effective form of consolidating difficult grammatical issues, especially the use of the conjunctive mode (subjuntivo). The lesson plan includes preparatory exercises, practical tasks, and the Oxford debate as a final task, which is performed by the students. The aim of the project is not only to develop students’ language competence but also to improve their ability to express and present their views in a foreign language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the didactics of languages and cultures, mediation often enters into a relationship with translation. After the publication of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in 2001, mediation was mainly associated with linguistic transcoding and equated with translation. In the CEFR - Companion volume (2020), the understanding of mediation has been considerably broadened, taking into account the multilingual and multicultural perspective of language use and the conditions for interaction between people with different lifestyles and views. The aim of the paper is to reflect in depth on the nature of the concepts of 'mediation' and 'translation'. Both are interdisciplinary in nature and their main vehicle is language. But there are also many differences between them which do not allow the terms to be used interchangeably. In an analysis of a comparative nature, we will try to show the most important determinants of the mediation and translation process, referring to their use in the context of language learning and teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important 21st-century skills that employers believe will grow in prominence. However, many higher education (HE) graduates often lack it. This is also true for graduates in computer science (CS) and related disciplines, who need CT to drive social and organizational digitalization. There are a number of strategies for teaching CT. However, there is no evidence regarding how to effectively teach CT in CS. To address this gap, this study proposes an educational approach that aims to promote CT to the students of CS and related disciplines. An educational experiment using this approach was conducted in two modules with similar content. The written reflections of 11 students on their development in CT and the quantitative data of students' self-assessments of their CT skills and dispositions before (N = 20) and after (N = 11) the experiment were analyzed. Priority was given to the qualitative data. The results of this study support the hypothesis that the proposed approach has a positive impact on the development of students' perceived CT skills. They also show that this approach stimulates and promotes students' ability to transfer CT to other tasks and domains and to other contexts and situations. However, the positive development of students' CT dispositions could not be demonstrated in this study, which can be explained by the short duration of this intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Learning a foreign language is a very complex process that depends on various elements such as student, teacher, teaching method, etc. Among these elements, however, the element of teaching method plays a decisive role in the state of education, and it influences the other elements as well. Therefore, it is very important to use a practical and effective teaching method.One of the methods that has been proposed in recent decades and has received much attention in foreign language teaching is the task-based teaching approach. This approach, as a new approach that stems from the communicative approach in language teaching, is based on tasks/ a task. In defining a task, Ellis (Ellis. 2004. P.9-10) refers to a set of essential features and believes that; a task is a workplan (1); the main focus is on meaning; has real processes in the use of language; can include any of the four language skills; involves cognitive processes; and it has a very clear communicative result.Therefore, it can be said that the main purpose of this teaching method is to increase language learners’ communicative ability through tasks that are based on meaning and reality. This method teaches language in three stages of pre-task, during task and post-task

One of the main challenges in teaching Arabic language is teaching the phonetic system in a systematic method Because language learners need to understand different phonetic levels through practical training in order to establish communicate purposefully and interact properly with native speakers, so that in addition to acceptable and comprehensible pronunciation in their interactions, they can provide correct verbal and non-verbal reactions to the spoken word. Therefore, the present study intends to study the task-based approach in teaching the Arabic sounds with a descriptive-comparative method. The results indicate that main difference between Persian sounds and Arabic is in the fourth level of difficulty (θ /ħ /ð /sˤ /dˤ /tˤ /ðˤ /ʕ /ɣ) and then in the third level (z /s /ʃ /dʒ /k /q /w). the task-based approach with the “pre-task phase” makes the learner cognitively aware of these differences as well as the level of Suprasegmental and creates the necessary preparations, then in the stage During task with emphasis on all aspects of language at the level of Segmental and suprasegmental of speech and behaviorally reinforce them by engaging the learner in applied tasks based on their needs in communication situations, emphasizing pivotal interaction. So that by using real tasks and in the context of the audio text, in addition to placing the learner in areal communication situation, the challenge of changing the properties of sounds, is solved by accompaniment, and by stabilizing the cognitive dimension and repetition of tasks in quasi-real situations in the post-task phase. In creases the communication ability of language learners. Therefore, it can be said that the task-based approach is quite suitable for use in teaching the phonetic system of the Arabic language.

As assessed by numerous neuropsychological tasks, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) have similar impairments related to executive functions (EFs). The neuropsychological profile of these two conditions was examined using the three-component EFs' framework of Miyake and Friedman (Cogn Psychol 41(1):49-100, 2000). This approach assesses Inhibition (suppression of unwanted and irrelevant information/responses), Updating (use and control of contents of working memory), and Shifting (disengagement between activities or mental tasks) using nine different tasks. In line with previous research, we expected greater performance deficits in ASD in all three components compared to SSD, as well as faster responses for the SSD group. A self-paced task format allowed us to examine whether unlimited time given for a task would lead to better performance. The sample was constituted by the control group (N = 25), ASD group (N = 24), and SSD group (N = 12). Groups did not differ on Inhibition performance. In Updating, individuals with SSD performed poorer than the other groups. As for Shifting, both groups demonstrated poorer performance compared to controls, with the SSD group presenting the greatest difficulties. In terms of reaction time (RT), SSD participants' RT were the slowest on Inhibition and Shifting tasks. There was a positive correlation between performance and time spent on Inhibition and Shifting only for the SSD group, which demonstrates that their performance improves when there are no time constraints. Our work provides a better understanding of spared and impaired EFs, which could be useful for designing strategies aimed at improving specific EFs in each group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reveals the peculiarities of the implementation of the problem-based approach in the professional training of future teachers of Art disciplines. The methods of systematization of scientific research, analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, classification of pedagogical tasks are used for research. The author proves the leading role of pedagogical tasks in the innovative and creative activity of the teacher, analyses their essential importance for the implementation of pedagogical innovations to provide for the productive education of students. A pedagogical task is defined as a meaningful pedagogical situation aimed at transforming reality, as a means of student activity to achieve certain educational goals. The scientific position is substantiated: the solution to the pedagogical problem is ensured by the dialectical processes of pedagogical thinking being in a complex interaction of its theoretical and practical types. Basing on generalisation of scientific material, the article formulates the requirements for the construction of musical and creative tasks for elementary school students: taking into account the psycho-physiological features of the development of learners; optimality of the ratio between complexity and accessibility of musical material; originality of the form used for material representation; informativeness of the artistic content of the task. The author formulates the principles of organizing the heuristic activity of students-musicians based on the problem-based approach: integrity, informativeness, technological capability, problematicity, integrability, variability. Their importance is determined in the context of professional training of students in practical musical and creative work with a schoolchildren team. Thus, the author proved the responsibility of the higher school for the personality formation of a professional teacher, capable of creativity, able to find new creative means, original and highly productive forms and methods of musical and creative interaction in the process of artistic activity while working with children.

The purposes of this research were 1) to study the user experience and needs of EFL students and teachers in learning English writing skills; 2) t to design and develop a mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) application, teaching writing procedure, and writing activities; and 3) to implement a MALL application and, teaching writing procedure to students. The samples were 665 EFL lower secondary students in Thailand as the online survey respondents and five high school teachers as the interviewees. The experiment samples were 35 EFL lower secondary students. The research instruments consist of the MALL application, the learning process, English writing tasks, English writing tests, scoring writing rubrics, and a questionnaire on student satisfaction. The experimental period lasted for 8 weeks. The data were analysed by using frequency, mean, standard deviation, priority needs index, dependent t-test, and one-way ANOVA with repeated measure analysis. The research result indicated that 1) lower secondary students were able to use the internet on a regular basis. Students wanted to learn writing skills relevant to the student's experience through the study of writing errors, writing samples, writing styles, peer assessment, and constructive feedback from teachers. 2) The learning process of mobileassisted language learning application using a task-based approach and gamification to enhance lower secondary students' English writing skills consisted of 3 components: pre-task, task process, and language focus. The 7 steps are as follows: selecting themes, exploring topics, drafting ideas, editing tasks, giving feedback, reviewing submissions, and concluding findings. 3) The experiment results indicated that the samples' English writing skills in the post-test were higher than in the pre-test at the .05 level of significance. 4) The difference in mean scores in the English writing tasks showed that there was a difference between English writing scores at the .05 level of significance (F=1579.266, sig=.000). 5) The result of satisfaction showed that the respondents were very satisfied with the learning process and MALL application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important 21st-century skills that employers believe will grow in prominence. However, many higher education (HE) graduates often lack it. This is also true for graduates in computer science (CS) and related disciplines, who need CT to drive social and organizational digitalization. There are a number of strategies for teaching CT. However, there is no evidence regarding how to effectively teach CT in CS. To address this gap, this study proposes an educational approach that aims to promote CT to the students of CS and related disciplines. An educational experiment using this approach was conducted in two modules with similar content. The written reflections of 11 students on their development in CT and the quantitative data of students’ self-assessments of their CT skills and dispositions before (N = 20) and after (N = 11) the experiment were analyzed. Priority was given to the qualitative data. The results of this study support the hypothesis that the proposed approach has a positive impact on the development of students’ perceived CT skills. They also show that this approach stimulates and promotes students’ ability to transfer CT to other tasks and domains and to other contexts and situations. However, the positive development of students’ CT dispositions could not be demonstrated in this study, which can be explained by the short duration of this intervention.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of task-based language teaching approach for improving speaking skills, focusing on fluency, use of appropriate language structure and vocabulary for primary schools in Singapore. This study is also to find out whether the task-based language teaching model can increase students' motivation level, confidence, and ability to speak Malay. This quasi-experimental non-equivalent groups pre-post-tests design study was conducted in Singapore, involving primary 5 pupils from two different schools. The treatment group comprised of 30 students while 22 students were included in the control group. The treatment group used the task-based language teaching model and the control group used conventional approaches. The treatment and control groups underwent oral pre-test before task-based language teaching approach and conventional approaches, respectively. Five task-based language teaching lessons were carried out for five weeks before post-test was administered using pictures for the treatment group. The control group took the same post-test after the conventional approach. The treatment group also completed survey questions before and after task-based language teaching approach. Findings show that there were significant differences between the pre- and post-tests scores for fluency, vocabulary, and language among students in the treatment group. For the control group, there were no significant differences between pre- and post-test scores for fluency, vocabulary, and use of language. However, when the post-test scores of both groups were compared, the results show only significant differences for fluency but not for vocabulary and language. The descriptive results show improvement in motivation and confidence after using task-based language teaching approach. Based on the findings, the researchers recommend that task-based approach be given more attention in Malay Language classes though they also suggest that further research is needed to explore more in the effectiveness of task-based programs for other levels.

The Task-Based Approach (TBA) has become more popular in the domain of teaching translation in the last few years of the current century. This study aimed to investigate the effective role played by utilizing the Task-Based Approach in improving sight translation skills among Saudi students of translation at King Khalid University. It is hypothesized that there is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the undergraduate students of sight translation who are taught sight translation utilizing the Task-Based Approach and that the students of sight translation who are taught sight translation utilizing the traditional methods. The study results revealed that the Task-Based Approach (TBA) is effective in improving sight translation skills among Saudi students of translation. Also, undergraduate students of sight translation should be trained to develop their competency in translation by reaping great benefits from the Task-Based Approach (TBA). Instructors of sight translation and experts should supply plenty of drills in sight translation by using the Task-Based Approach (TBA) in teaching. Additionally, instructors of sight translation should be fully aware of the importance of using the Task-Based Approach (TBA) to increase the undergraduate translation students' sight translating rate and comprehension skills.

Translator education in monolingual contexts presupposes that students should develop their translation and linguistic competence concurrently, which presents a series of pedagogical challenges. This evaluative descriptive study examines the use of data-driven learning in a task-based approach (DDL-TB) for teaching grammar in a Chilean translation programme. Such an approach implies the exploration of a corpus to find different patterns or linguistic phenomena. The paper presents the design and graduation of tasks and, later, examines the translation students' and lecturer's perspectives about the suitability of this approach for English grammar teaching. The students' comments suggest that the approach allowed them to 1) reflect on the way they learn languages and 2) develop an active role in their formative process. The lecturer highlights that the approach aligns with the learning objectives of the course unit, allowing the course to be effectively 'descriptive'. It is concluded that the narratives examined in this study indicate that an ABD-ET approach would be suitable for English grammar teaching in translation education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to present the development process of a Spanish as a foreign language didactic teaching material, focused on an audience of Portuguese-speaking adults. The development of the material is linked to Vaivén Hispano's mission of "consulting as well as teaching Spanish as a foreign language and for specific purposes". This material is founded on approaches from cognitive linguistics for foreign language teaching (RUIZ, 2007; IBARRETXE-ANTUÑANO, 2019) and on the didactic perspective of task-based language teaching methodologies (TBLT) (ESTAIRE; ZANÓN, 1990). A sample of two didactic units of introductory (A2) and advanced (C1) levels are taken to analyze the structure of the materials and the criteria considered for their elaboration. We conclude with some important and necessary considerations based on our experience during the development of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document reports on a research study carried out in a rural public school in Colombia. The aim of the study was to identify the impact of a task-based teacher development program on three primary school teachers’ teaching practices. To this effect, we used a survey, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews before and after the implementation of the development program. We identified that teachers' perceptions, beliefs, and realities in their teaching practice influenced their performance, inside and outside the classroom. The results also showed that participants improved their teaching practices regarding the processes of lesson planning and materials design. They also improved their English language performance regarding pronunciation and vocabulary use.

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Authentic texts are a vital component of the task-based learning approach in classroom language acquisition. As they derive from the real-world they constitute a richer source of input and have the potential to raise learners’ awareness of a wider range of discourse features. These qualities of authentic texts are aligned with the contemporary, broadest notion of task, which is not limited to meaning-focused activities and meaningful communication but encompasses focus on form and consciousness-raising of linguistic structures and processes as well. Authentic texts, as real-life input, containing cultural and linguistic information, can respond most effectively to one of the main objectives of task-based instruction, which is to provide a situational and interactional context for activating the language acquisition process. The emphasis on task modelled on real-world language expressions and on authentic response and the engagement of the learners also advocates the use of authentic texts as a source input for task-based language learning. In this article we explore the theoretical frame for the integration of authentic texts into tasks, emphasising the task authenticity criteria and the task typologies for authentic texts. At the end we present a teaching scenario showing how authentic materials and task-based learning can be implemented in teaching literature to lower level students, who are the least exposed to authentic language input in the classroom.

This study aims to explore the students’ perceptions about the strategies adopted when coping with lexical meaning related to medical vocabulary and the obstacles they face during listening-based tasks. To achieve this objective, the study deploys a quantitative approach in the form of a questionnaire applied to a sample of 40 students in the first year pharmacy branch at Farhat Abbas University, Setif. The main upshot displays convergent insights about the restricted use of listening strategies when manipulating vocabulary comprehension, in addition to poor textual and linguistic knowledge, and mismatch of tasks with the students’ level. The study concludes that the transition from exploration to experimentation is recommended for further investigation.

Literary text and literature, as a cultural expression of a community, take a necessary place in the teaching of a second language, understood from the communicative and social point of view. This approach has historically centred the discussion of its teaching around the selection of contents, whose solutions have oscillated between absolute respect for the canon or a use of the literary text with a merely practical purpose (to teach lexicon, grammar, expressions...), devoid of its aesthetic and cultural significance. The aim of this article is to re-evaluate this question, through a review of the methodological transformations that have placed the literary text as a significant learning tool, starting from a processual and task-based approach. Inductive learning, on which it is based, empowers the active role of the learner and enables the conversion of his or her cultural habits and practices into academic skills relevant to his or her training. Alternative canon criteria and models will also be presented. In this case, the use of works belonging to the canon of Galician literature will be based on a specific didactic proposal, based on a broad and plural conception of Hispanic literary references. In order to achieve the intercultural purposes, that it pursues, it will rely on the significance of literary geographies to construct maps, discourses and conceptual imaginaries, relevant to the construction of a solid, broad and diverse cultural competence.

The purpose of the study was the development, selection and implementation of high-quality physical tasks and situational tasks into the school course «Physics 8», as the conditions for positive motivation to study Physics and form pupils’ key competences in the process of solving them at incomplete secondary schools, namely: communication by means of the state language applying scientific and technical terminologies; core competences in the Natural Sciences and Technology; the digital information competence; the ability to learn throughout life; initiative and enterprise; the social and civil competence; environmental literacy and a healthy lifestyle; the self-educating competence; personal self-improvement. The introduction of the competence-based approach made it possible to take into account the psychological characteristics of adolescents and contributed to the integration of the two child development trends ‒ the desire to communicate with adolescents and the desire to learn the world. The experimental research work was carried out in the eighth grades of secondary schools № 67 and № 68 (Odesa). For the implementation of qualitative problems and situational assignments in Physics, certain examples of qualitative problems in Physics and practical assignments in the Natural Sciences were used in compliance with the curriculum. The assignments had a prominent competence-based nature and were aimed at developing pupils’ skills to explain natural phenomena from a scientific point of view, the ability to apply this knowledge in an unusual context to solve scientific, technical problems and everyday life situations. The chosen framework for performing situational assignments and high-quality tasks inherently enabled pupils’ communicating, mastering scientific physical and technical terminology, manifesting independence in activities, awareness of its value and usefulness, the ability to work in a team. The pupils had an opportunity to use their knowledge of Physics in order to solve practical problems; independently or in a group, to explore the manifestations of physical phenomena, laws and properties in nature, technology, environment and everyday life; to feel responsible for their careful use of natural resources. The observation, questioning, and pupils’ academic success showed that the experimental research contributed to their desire to study Physics as a science, provided not only their mental development, but also the ability to act independently and use the knowledge gained in order to solve specific scientific, technical and life problems or problem situations. It is planned to further use the task-based approach in the process of teaching Physics as an important condition that facilitates the developing of the key competencies of the pupils studying at incomplete secondary schools.

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This article discusses the technology of city digital twins (CDTs) and its potential applications in the policymaking context. The article analyzes the history of the development of the concept of digital twins and how it is now being adopted on a city-scale. One of the most advanced projects in the field—Virtual Singapore—is discussed in detail to determine the scope of its potential domains of application and highlight challenges associated with it. Concerns related to data privacy, availability, and its applicability for predictive simulations are analyzed, and potential usage of synthetic data is proposed as a way to address these challenges. The authors argue that despite the abundance of urban data, the historical data are not always applicable for predictions about the events for which there does not exist any data, as well as discuss the potential privacy challenges of the usage of micro-level individual mobility data in CDTs. A task-based approach to urban mobility data generation is proposed in the last section of the article. This approach suggests that city authorities can establish services responsible for asking people to conduct certain activities in an urban environment in order to create data for possible policy interventions for which there does not exist useful historical data. This approach can help in addressing the challenges associated with the availability of data without raising privacy concerns, as the data generated through this approach will not represent any real individual in society.

Reading CEFR texts that use the task­based approach to teaching/learning foreign languages enables teachers to develop a critical approach towards the teaching aids that they have at their disposal and the ways they can be used in didactic process. In order to be up­to­date and teach Polish as a foreign language according to the rules of task­based approach the teacher must prepare the teaching aids on his own. However, older textbooks must not necessarily be banned and rejected. They often contain interesting examples of exercises that can be used during language classes. The main topic of the article is to present several ways of adapting the traditional textbooks to teaching and learning through the task­based approach. The author of the article asserts that it is not the type of textbook that decides about the method of teaching; on the contrary, with a little effort the teacher can apply a task­based approach using ‘traditional’ materials.

The purpose of this study is to identify the effectiveness of the task-based approach to teaching business vocabulary to master’s degree students while studying business English. The discipline of business English aims to develop students’ ability to analyse and solve problems of the business environment, improve their foreign language competence on the basis of acquired business vocabulary. The authors used the task-based approach in teaching business vocabulary which was aimed at encouraging students to social contacts, discussions, use of the necessary lexical units in situations close to real business life. The participants of the study were 34 students who studied for a master’s degree at the National Aviation University (Kyiv, Ukraine) majoring in aviation, rocket and space technology. The study of the course required 34 academic hours. According to the methodology of the experiment, the two groups of students (control and experimental ones) had the same learning materials during the course, but the teaching methods were different. In the control group, we used traditional vocabulary learning methods which implied the presentation of the new vocabulary by the teacher, practice exercises which made learners more familiar with the lexical units and the use of the new vocabulary by students in context. In the experimental group, task-based learning method was used which required students to work on solving real business problems with special attention to the development of teamwork skills and communication skills based on the students’ experience of work in business and communication with colleagues from other countries. Specially designed tasks were used to intensify the process of learning business vocabulary. The study showed significant positive dynamics in the acquisition of business vocabulary by students of the experimental group. The results of the test confirmed that task-based approach to vocabulary learning allows students to learn the necessary business vocabulary on a particular topic more easily and quickly It has been concluded that the task-based approach is not only efficient in vocabulary learning, but also increases the students’ confidence in their professional and communicative competence.

Studies on Second Language Acquisition (SLA) have been increasingly conducted in recent years, especially concerning the contributions of the so called task-based approach, which has been gradually undergone some adaptations, becoming a driving force for syllabus design. Within the field of Didactics of Translation (DT) the use of tasks has also, so far, proven to be an appropriate approach in the teaching and learning of translation. Therefore, in this article, I will discuss the differences regarding the rationale behind the definition of task as well as its application both in the SLA and in the DT environments. The method seeks to justify the choice of the discussed concepts, and presents the steps in the development a translation task here proposed. The discussion is grounded on this example of translation task and examines how the notion of task in SLA interfaces with the acquisition of translation competence in DT. The conclusion shows that SLA can inspire and contribute to DT concerning the task-based approach. Some of these contributions here discussed are authenticity, focus on meaning and on form, and planning. Furthermore, such contributions are applied in the development of a translation task, as a means of exemplification, and building a bridge between the areas of SLA and the DT.

A number of scholars in applied linguistics and reading proficiency have regularly underlined the significance of reading as a prerequisite to academic achievement and success. On that account, numerous studies have attempted to investigate a best course of action into presenting a new way of teaching reading proficiency. The present contribution attempts to investigate the probable effect of employing Harmer’s Engage, Study and activate (ESA) elements involved in teaching of tasks in developing reading comprehension of EFL learners. For this reason, two intact groups of each containing 15 Iranian EFL learners from Chabahar Maritime University were enrolled. Prior to the study, before the actual classes were inducted, participants were administered an FCE reading pre-test to ensure both groups equivalence and homogeneity. Consequently, the control group was instructed based on the principles of Grammar-translation method (GTM) and the experimental group was instructed through implementation of ESA elements involved in teaching of reading tasks. Eventually, at the end of the treatment period, a post-test of FCE reading comprehension was administered to investigate their performance in reading comprehension. The results of the statistical analyses, i.e. independent sample t-test showed that the experimental group has significantly outperformed the control group; the learners also showed a positive overall tendency towards the teaching method based on ESA elements .It is expected that the pedagogical implication of the study would make considerable contribution to the works of EFL teachers, Researchers, policy makers and curriculum designers.

The present study investigated ELT students' opinions about the convenience of exam-based or task-based approaches for their learning process, concerning three criteria that relate to the effectiveness of task-based and exambased education: 1. the contribution to the professional and personal development of the students (whether task-based or exam-based applications develop them better); 2. the contribution to their critical and creative skills; and 3. the advantages and disadvantages of task-based and exam-based approaches. Exam-based approach as summative assessment type and task-based approach as formative assessment type were compared in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. Findings indicate that the majority of the students are not satisfied with the summative assessment system. Participants believe that the formative evaluation approach is more appropriate for them. The results propose that the conventional approach, which is based on an exam-focused system in the English Language Teaching Department, should be changed in order to enhance future English teachers' creative skills as well as their personal and professional development as far as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article reports on the design and adaptation of a task cycle (SKEHAN, 1996; 1998)originally designed by student-teachers attending a workshop on teaching Portuguese to speakers of other languages. The original task was adapted by the researchers having in mind a group of pre-intermediate immigrants attending Portuguese classes. The data consisted of field notes made by the authors while the student-teachers were conceiving the task cycle, the original and the adapted tasks. We observed that, even though the Task-Based Approach seems to be a good proposal to expand and improve the Communicative Approach to language teaching, the design of tasks can be challenging, in particular the idea of the outcome for a language task and the maintenance of a coherent focus among the different subtasks that compose a task cycle. Nevertheless, the task cycle analyzed in this paper, with adaptations to the teaching context, was successfully used in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes freshmen’s limitations in the command of socio-cultural term. These shortcomings constitute a barrier for an efficient communication in the foreign language of teachers’ trainees of English, particularly in the discipline History of the Culture of Anglophone Peoples from the third year on. Departing from systematized course experience, new ways to approach foreign culture study are explored enhancing the acquisition of the associated metalanguage from the first years of the initial training. Thus, the Panorama of the Culture of Anglophone Countries course was designed. Its conception lies on the task-based approach from the didactic point of view and the use of a glossary, which favored the use of specialized vocabulary and the development of the students' sociocultural competence. Keywords: language development, intercultural communication, task-based approach

This paper focuses on one of the latest and much integrated subdomains of linguistics - pragmatics - with the objective of bringing forward a proposal on teaching the commissive speech acts (promises and threats) expressed through modal verbal units. This is meant to help students internalize this linguistic function, which will, in turn aid them to take part in daily conversations and other activities, such as reading, writing and listening to English excerpts, thus integrating the pragmatic competence into other skills. The study, hence, proposes to facilitate the understanding and use of these language strategies, since commissives are a very common type of speech acts. Moreover, a task-based approach is adopted in designing the teaching plan, as it is one of the best communicative teaching techniques, allowing students to learn through meaningful interaction and being proved to bring positive results to the language learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building a learning environment for students to meet educational objectives is a major challenge facing education stakeholders, particularly teachers. This study aimed to design and implement an e-task-based approach (eTBA) and examine its impact on 21st-century learning outcomes (21st-CLOCs)--namely, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration across networks, agility and adaptability, effective communication, initiative and entrepreneurialism, accessing and analyzing information, and curiosity and optimism--in a kindergarten sample (N = 22). A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Observation forms and rubrics were designed and used to collect evidence on 21st-CLOCs, and a repeatedmeasures analysis of variance was used to measure patterns of progress during a 24-week experiment. Over the course of 12 experience task activities, the 21st- CLOCs developed significantly. Children's overall learning outcomes improved as a result of the e-task-based approach applied in this study. Experiencing three task activities was enough for children to cope with the outcomes, with respect to children's individual variations. Further research is required to apply the e-task based approach to different contexts and grade levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]