Center for Language Acquisition Invited Speaker Series

Speaker: Martin East

Abstract:

This presentation explores two distinct phenomena in applied linguistics and language teaching and whether, and to what extent, there is or should be an interface between them: (1) task-based language teaching (TBLT), a communicative pedagogical approach that focuses on tasks as vehicles for second language acquisition, and (2) translanguaging, or language users’ practice of drawing on linguistic and non-linguistic resources both in and beyond the target language (TL)—including their first language—to maintain or augment the effectiveness of communication. In TBLT, a pervasive ideology exists that the TL should be the sole (or virtually exclusive) language to be used for task completion. This ‘monolingual principle’ is challenged by the reality that translanguaging has often been utilized by TL speakers in real-world situations and therefore represents an authentic linguistic reality for TL users. These contrasting perspectives have implications for pedagogical practice. In this presentation, I will give an overview of arguments for and against translanguaging in TBLT classrooms and will draw some conclusions for theory, research, and pedagogy. I will address in particular the following questions: What is TBLT? What is translanguaging? What are the benefits of translanguaging for TBLT? What are the barriers to translanguaging in TBLT?

Bio:

Martin East is professor of language education in the School of Cultures, Languages and Linguistics, the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Prior to this, he was a language teacher educator in the University’s Faculty of Education and Social Work. His research interests include innovative practices in language pedagogy and challenges for additional language learning in English-dominant contexts. He is the author of numerous publications in the field of language pedagogy and assessment. Drawing on his years of experience as a language teacher and teacher educator, his recently published book Foundational Principles of Task-Based Language Teaching (Routledge Open Access 2021) outlines, in an accessible and reader-friendly way, the core theories that inform and central practices that make up TBLT.