Research Projects

TBLT in a Chinese University: Course Development, Implementation, Reflections, and Results

I have been working with my advisor Dr. Koen Van Gorp on a program of research related to a year-long TBLT course implementation in China starting from October, 2019 when I was a master student.

We collaborated on the research design, task-based needs analysis, course materials design, and assessment tasks design. I instructed two intact class (42 students each) during the implementation, and collected the data.

With the collaboration of senior cohorts in the SLS program at Michigan State University, we have analyzed student learning outcomes (assessment data), student motivation, the teacher's experience implementing TBLT, and are preparing reports detailing the course development and implementation process. We shared preliminary findings in a colloquium at the TBLT conference in Innsbruck, Austria in 2022, in an invited colloquium at the 2023 AAAL conference and expect to share additional results in different venues soon.

In a recent interview, Dr. Rod Ellis gave this work a shoutout (p. 280).

In a recent interview, Dr. Jane Willis also gave this work a shoutout (p. 185-186).

Currently, in addition to the papers we've already submitted, I am collaborating with my advisor on two studies from this project: (1) a needs analysis paper, and (2) a paper exploring learners' motivation and perceptions.

Independently, I am working on two additional papers: (1) Navigating TBLT in the Chinese Classroom: Challenges, Successes, and Reflective Practices of a Novice Teacher, and (2) Purpose and Perception: A Case Study on TBLT Meeting Students' Needs in Chinese Business English, and are expected to share additional results in different venues soon.

Unfolding Chinese EFL learners’ yearlong TBLT experiences: Capturing group and individual changes in task perceptions

This mixed-methods complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) study investigates how learners’ task perceptions and affective responses evolve over a two semester task-based business English course at a Chinese college, focusing on notable group-level transitions and individual-level variation over time.

I will be presenting the results at the 2026 AAAL Conference. I’d love for you to stop by and say hello😄!

Navigating TBLT in the Chinese Classroom: Challenges, Successes, and Reflective Practices of a Novice Teacher

This autoethnographic study that I'm working on will offer valuable practical insights for teachers and teacher educators seeking to implement TBLT in Asian contexts. I hope to share the findings at 2027 AAAL.

Purpose and Perception:
A Case Study on TBLT Meeting Students' Needs in Chinese Business English

This study involves longitudinal tracking changes in learner perceptions that span a continuous five-year period following the task-based course instruction, extending into the students' transition to post-education employment. By doing so, it offers a unique opportunity to observe the long-term impact of task-based learning on students’ professional readiness and career trajectories.

I will be presenting the results at the 2026 AAAL Conference. I’d love for you to stop by and say hello😄!

Task-based language assessment

AI-driven TBLA study

Currently, some senior cohorts and I are exploring the development of automated speech assessments using artificial intelligence within a task-based language assessment (TBLA) framework. We are in the early stages, brainstorming and experimenting with ideas to evaluate the feasibility and practicality of implementing AI-driven solutions.

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