Panel

Laura Gurzynski-Weiss, Indiana University Bloomington, USA
Claudia Fernández, University of Illinois Chicago, USA
YouJin Kim, Georgia State University, USA

This panel, Global Innovations in Task-Based Language Teaching: An Invitation from IATBLT, showcases the resources and initiatives of the International Association for Task-Based Language Teaching (IATBLT) and its worldwide membership. IATBLT advances TBLT research and practice through its biennial conference, hands-on workshops, professional awards, mentorship program, and dynamic online community. The IATBLT also offers distinctive resources available to all, including The Task Bank, the Task Generator (TaskGen), the association’s flagship TASK journal and book series, and collaborative ventures such as the ACTFL TBLT SIG, the Task-Based Teacher Education working group, and the YouTube channel TBLTea. Panelists will illustrate how these opportunities support professional growth, scholarly exchange, and practical innovation across diverse teaching and research contexts. By spotlighting the work of our global membership, this session provides both a window into the breadth of IATBLT’s contributions and an open invitation to join an active international community shaping the future of TBLT.

Academic Roundtable

Leonardo da Silva, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Priscila Fabiane Farias, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Ellen J. Serafini, George Mason University, USA
Raquel D’Ely, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Julio Torres, University of California, Irvine, USA

This academic roundtable, entitled: “Doing Critical TBLT across the Americas”, brings together scholars who have conceptualized and enacted task-based language teaching from critical perspectives (e.g. critical language pedagogy, critical language awareness, critical literacy, among others). The main objective is to reflect on how TBLT may contribute to the development of socially-just language teaching practices. Based on our experiences designing and implementing critical tasks in Brazil and in the US for different learning contexts (e.g. English as an additional language, Portuguese as a host language, and Spanish as a heritage language), we aim to reflect on a) what makes a task critical, b) the reason why critical tasks are needed in such contexts, c) the role of the teacher in critical TBLT, and d) how to advance TBLT theory and praxis by integrating critical perspectives regarding language learning across contexts. It is expected that, by engaging in critical dialogue, we may be able to not only showcase the work on critical tasks in the Americas, but also foster an engaged community of practice where new questions may be asked and collaborative practices may be strengthened.

Keynote Speech

ZhaoHong Han, Teachers College, Columbia University