Working with Grade 6 and Grade 7 students on collaborative task-based activities allowed me to observe the extent to which different tasks, grade situations and language learner behaviours affect the teaching–learning process. While the activities addressed the syllabus and were methodically planned, it was in the enactment where both the strengths of the activities and the aspects that gave rise to implications for learning in collaborative task-based learning became evident. Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT) holds a strong focus on meaningful communication and learner-centeredness (Ellis, 2003; Willis, 1996), and it was within the enactments of the activities where many of these principles came to apparent light.
One of the strongest outcomes I observed was how excited the students were even before the lessons started. For example, the Grade 6 and Grade 7 groups were so eager to do their poster-making activity that they had already prepared a plan of what they wanted to do and had prepared all their materials before I even entered the class. This reflects intrinsic motivation and ownership, two characteristics not often found in traditional teacher-centered lessons, according to Indrarathne & Sundara (2022). It also shows that giving students clear tasks with room for creativity encourages responsibility and active participation beyond the classroom.
The assignments I developed, including role plays, picture descriptions, writing a story, making posters, conversing, writing informal letters, and reviewing, all aligned with the national syllabus. This allowed students to engage in meaningful communication while addressing required learning outcomes. For example, a Grade 6 student used present perfect tense when completing conversation building tasks. Grade 7 students used WH-question forms and prepositions to roleplay and create dialogues. The tasks were meaningful and student-generated, and in this context, students used grammar, vocabulary, and writing naturally through their work. This supports Nunan's (2004) findings that authentic tasks help create authentic experiences in which students are using functional language.
A notable strength was how quickly the students adapted to working in groups. In activities requiring on-the-spot preparation, such as role-plays, story writing, and picture descriptions, students divided roles and began sharing ideas almost immediately. This fast adjustment indicates that group work can function by lowering anxiety and increasing peer support; and undoubtedly relates to Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory concerning learning through interaction and co-constructed problem solving. When I interviewed several students to ask what they liked about group work, many mentioned they learned new things from their friends as well as being less pressured than doing work on their own. To me, this further supports social learning.
The implementation also pointed to some challenges and areas for improvement. The high level of enthusiasm sometimes led to noise levels that required some skillful management to maintain productivity. Further, it was difficult to ensure equity of participation; even if all group members were engaged in the task, while some naturally took leadership, the quieter students did not contribute as much unless specifically solicited to participate. The imbalance suggests that there should have been clearer distribution of roles among group members such as facilitator, writer, timekeeper, and presenter - which is suggested by the literature on collaborative learning (Ellis, 2003).
A further significant observation was the variability of student readiness between tasks prepared at home and tasks generated spontaneously in class. Poster-making tasks were examples of tasks that required planning and materials to be gathered in advance, meaning students produced extensive, detailed, and creative work. In contrast to these planned tasks, other activities that required immediate task preparation produced a greater range of quality, which indicated that students needed additional scaffolding. A brief 'pre-task preparation stage' (Willis, 1996) would provide the support for all students to feel a consistent playing field across groups and support learners who need additional processing time to engage with the task.
Overall, the implementation showed that collaborative TBLT activities can significantly improve classroom engagement and learner motivation, but they also require clear instructions, balanced group roles, and thoughtful scaffolding to maintain fairness and effectiveness. This experience taught me that while student enthusiasm is a strong motivator, the teacher’s role as a facilitator—guiding, monitoring, and supporting group dynamics—is essential for successful implementation (Ellis, 2003; Willis, 1996).
References
Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based language learning and teaching. Oxford University Press.
Indrarathne, B., & Sundara, M. (2022). English language teaching, learning and assessment in Sri Lanka: Policies and practices in the school education system. British Council.
Nunan, D. (2004). Task-based language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Willis, J. (1996). A framework for task-based learning. Oxford University Press.