The

Role of Task-based Assessment in Developing Communicative

Skills in Young Language Learners

Julia Goraj

GPTE Year 1
University of Warsaw


The Role of Task-based Assessment in Developing Communicative Skills in Young Language Learners

Abstract
This essay is a review of research studies, which are aimed at analysing the role of
task-based assessment in developing communicative skills in young language learners.
It discusses relevant research studies connected with the topic. The work attempts to explain
the nature of task-based assessment and other linked concepts. The data presented in the work
are based on the findings of experts significantly involved in second language acquisition, among
them Skehan and Willis.
However, as it turned out within gathering evidence, the majority of experiments in this
area has been done mainly in other contexts. What is lacking is a deeper analysis of task-based
assessment in the context of young learners. It is suggested to expand the scope of research to
larger treatment groups of different ages and at diverse language levels. The essay presents
the most important implications and calls for further research in this area.


The Role of Task-based Assessment in Developing Communicative Skills in Young Language Learners

Introduction
In recent times real communication has become a leading concern in language teaching.
Along with this significant change, tasks have become useful tools to achieve communicative
goals, because they provide opportunities for meaningful use of the target language. Contrary to
more traditional model Present Practice Produce PPP, task-based method is considered to be
more effective in developing natural language and promoting interaction, with students being
free of language control. (Frost online)
Assessing language ability or language competence is a complex procedure. It is believed that
language proficiency is demonstrated in a language performance. Tasks can be incorporated to
induce samples of language proficiency for assessment. To illustrate the assessment of
communicative language use, Skehan (2001) proposed the following model for oral test
performance:


The Role of Task-based Assessment in Developing Communicative Skills in Young Language Learners

Source: Wewer. (2014, p. 91).

The procedure consists of several steps taken around the task under specifically established
conditions.
This work examines the role of task-based assessment in developing communicative skills
in young language learners.
At this stage, there appears a need to explain some key concepts relevant to the work.
First of all, the definition of the word task, which is a central concept to the work, is understood
in various ways. (Hyunjoo) Norris et al. (1998) define tasks as real-world activities that people do
in everyday life and which require language for their accomplishment. (Hyunjoo) Also, it is
defined by Willis (1996) from a pedagogical perspective as a piece of classroom work that
involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target
language. According to Hyunjoo, no matter which definition is taken into account, while choosing


The Role of Task-based Assessment in Developing Communicative Skills in Young Language Learners

tasks, teachers and people concerned with test preparation need to set a clear purpose of the
test. In other words, they need to establish what they want to find out from the test scores.
Then, task-based assessment (TBA) refers to assessment that utilizes holistic tasks involving
either real-world behaviour (or as close as it is possible to get to this) or the kinds of language
processing found in real-world activities (Ellis, 2003, p. 285). (Mosquera 2012) Due to the fact
that the ability to use TBA encompasses a broader conception of communicative competence,
it is observed that it has much in common with the communicative approach, sharing the same
goals. As defined by Willis (1996), The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach
to language teaching that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of
study, as well as communication in real-life situations.


The Role of Task-based Assessment in Developing Communicative Skills in Young Language Learners

Conclusions
First and foremost, after the investigation into the role of task-based assessment in
developing communicative skills in young language learners, it is concluded that there is still not
enough evidence and this topic requires further examination. The available sources relate mainly
to older age groups and participants at higher language levels. Moreover, the samples are usually
too small and the period of collecting data is too short. However, the existing data constitute
a valuable basis for further explorations. In the investigated contexts tasks turned out to be
effective tools in teaching and assessing the language.
Firstly, Mosquera (2012) examined the effectiveness of task-based language assessment
in the context of teaching Spanish as a foreign language on middle-school students with a low
level of language proficiency. The obtained results proved that this model can be implemented in
beginning language classrooms with positive results. As stated by Mosquera, it is strongly
recommended in terms of successful performance on speaking tests and multiple-choice type
tests.
Secondly, Foster and Shekan (1999) explored the influence of task structure and different
processing conditions on performance. The presented results allow to formulate the following
statement: the more structured tasks are incorporated; the more fluent language is generated.
Then, Sample and Michel (2014) checked how task-based language teaching helps young
learners develop their language skills through the task repetition. The researchers gained positive
results of using tasks for developing communicative skills. They observed a significant


The Role of Task-based Assessment in Developing Communicative Skills in Young Language Learners

improvement of speaking with the increase of fluency. Also, the task repetition allowed the
students to focus on complexity, accuracy and fluency simultaneously.
In turn, Aiming (2013) compared the task-based language teaching with traditional
teaching method and examined the teaching efficiency according to the application in vocational
schools English teaching. The first approach turned out to be more practical and effective.
The obtained outcomes reflected significant improvement of language skills and comprehensive
ability. Another advantage underlined by Aiming is its student-centred structure, which allows for
more meaningful communication and puts more attention to students confidence and
awareness.
It is observed that task-based approach has been repeatedly analysed in terms of fluency,
complexity and accuracy. The study by Foster and Shekan (1999) examined the relationship
between the task structure and performance and the influence of different processing conditions
in terms of these three language features. According to their study, fluency is influenced by
the task structure, complexity of a language is influenced by the processing load and accuracy is
dependent on an interaction between the task structure and processing load. Another research
study by Sample and Michel (2014), which was focused on the task repetition, analysed the
relationships between these three dimensions of task performance: complexity, accuracy, and
fluency. Among other findings, they found out that repetition made the students become familiar
with the task and able to focus their attention on all three CAF areas simultaneously.
The results presented by Mosquera (2012) seem to be contradictory to the statement of
Aiming (2013). While Mosquera (2012) claims that task-based teaching approach can effectively
work with beginning language learners, Aiming (2013) considers this approach to be


The Role of Task-based Assessment in Developing Communicative Skills in Young Language Learners

inappropriate in the context of beginners due to the fact that they go through a silent period and
require comprehensible input. As the focus of task-based language learning is mainly on output,
it is believed to be not suitable. However, this matter calls for more reliable evidence.
To recapitulate, further actions in this direction in order to gather larger amounts of
accurate records and improve task-based assessment model should involve bigger samples of
different aged participants, who will be examined over longer periods of research procedures.