Jane Willis - Doing Task-Based Teaching

When we began planning this book, we sent out a request to language teachers worldwide who were involved in TBT. We asked them to send us tasks which had worked well with their learners together with outline lesson plans to go with them. We also asked them what advice they would give to other teachers hoping to implement TBT, and to report difficulties and problems they had encountered themselves and had heard of from colleagues in connection with TBT. The response was magnificent. So first, and most importantly, we would like to thank the contributors listed at the end of this book, not only for sending us their tasks and ideas, but also for responding so willingly to our follow-up requests for more details. Sadly we were unable to find space for all the tasks sent inwe received well over 100but everyones advice has been collated and incorporated at relevant stages in the book, and especially in the final chapter. It is their co-operation that makes this book truly worthy of its title: Doing Task-based Teaching.

Wed also like to thank the large number of teachers and trainers whom we have met and talked to over the past ten years at conferences, workshops, and talks in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, and more recently at IATEFL conferences. We would also like to include participants in the TBLT 2005 conference at Leuven who sent us feedback through Steve Mann, who attended that conference. By asking questions and filling in slips of paper in workshop sessions, teachers have, sometimes unwittingly, contributed advice and ideas that have helped to shape this book We should also thank Masters students at Birmingham and Aston Universities who, through their assignments and research, have given us useful insights into classrooms all over the world and demonstrated how TBT can work in practice.

Several peoplewhose names we do not knowread various early outlines and drafts of chapters and commented thoughtfully and constructively on many aspects, helping us to reshape and fine-tune the contents. Steve Mann gave us detailed feedback on the last four chapters, which certainly clarified a few issues for us, and helped to make the final version more readable. Roger Hawkey kindly wrote a short section on testing for our final chapter. We are very grateful to you all and just hope that we have done justice to your suggestions.

Many other people, including former colleagues from Aston University and the University of Birmingham, have helped and encouraged us in many ways. Thanks to all of you, too.