Reimagining Task‐Based Language Teaching: An Intervention Study With Young Novice Learners

Abstract

In the field of second language acquisition, the growing emphasis on fostering communicative competence has brought task‐based language learning (TBLT) into the spotlight. Yet, empirical studies on TBLT with young novice learners in foreign language settings are notably lacking due to several factors associated with the cognitive and social‐emotional characteristics of young novice learners. To address these challenges, the cognitive sustainability framework was proposed; TBLT for this population of learners should be structured as a sequence of interconnected tasks culminating in a personally relevant end‐product, requiring multiple sessions to complete. This approach allows for systematic integration of progressively complex targeted vocabulary and syntax. Empirical validation of this framework was undertaken through a quasi‐experimental intervention study involving young novice Korean‐speaking learners of English. Results from repeated multivariate analyses of variance provide substantial support for the cognitive sustainability theory and shed light on crucial elements of TBLT overlooked in previous research.