Innovation in Language Learning

Research on task-based language teaching (TBLT) has long been focused on the analysis of learners’ language use during task performance. While this line of research has been valuable in advancing the field, it has neglected learner affect. However, recently there is a growing interest in learner affect in TBLT research (Lambert et al., 2023). We will present a study conducted in business Italian and Japanese courses in 2026 to deepen our understanding of the types of tasks that motivate learners using self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017) as a theoretical framework. We designed these courses as a TBLT course centered around an event, which we call event-based TBLT. The title of the event is “Italian Japanese Business Night,” which students in the two courses organized together. Business Night is an event in which students engage with representatives from local Italian and Japanese companies. Main tasks include email correspondence in the target language, and oral communication (e.g., guided Q&A, phone calls, and in-person conversations) at the event. The two professors acted as advisors during the preparation and execution of the event completion phase. Eight students of Italian and six students of Japanese participated in the study. The data source includes a reflective essay on the event with guided questions and a questionnaire consisting of numerical and short-answer responses. We analyzed them quantitatively and qualitatively. Preliminary results demonstrated that students found the event-based tasks to be relevant to their educational goals, felt motivated, and perceived gains in target language, suggesting an event-based approach to TBLT is an effective method to help students flourish as language learners and future professionals who are ready to navigate a multicultural world.

Keywords: Business Italian, Business Japanese, Task-based language learning, community engaged language learning

REFERENCES

[1] Lambert, C., Aubrey, S., & Bui, G. (2023). The role of the learner in task-based language teaching: Theory and research methods. In C. Lambert, S. Aubrey, & G. Bui (Eds.), The role of the learner in task-based language teaching: Theory and research methods (pp. 1–16). Routledge.