In task-based learning, the central focus of the lesson is the task itself, not a
grammar point or a lexical area, and the objective is not to ‘learn the structure’ but to
‘complete the task’. Of course, to complete the task successfully students have to
use the right language and communicate their ideas. The language, therefore
becomes an instrument of communication, whose purpose is to help complete the
task successfully. The students can use any language they need to reach their
objective. Usually there is no ‘correct answer’ for a task outcome. Students decide
on their own way of completing it, using the language they see fit.
Different teachers use TBL in different ways. Some integrate it into the
existing syllabus, some use it to replace the syllabus altogether, some use it as an
‘extra’ to their traditional classroom activities. But generally, teachers using a TBL
approach divide their task-based classes into three stages: