Defining Pedagogic Tasks: Issues and Challenges

Abstract

At the beginning of this book, we proposed a set of general elements to describe what we broadly mean by ‘task’. We did so to provide an initial point of reference for talking about issues relating to the use of tasks in general education and human sciences research. As we further narrow the focus in our consideration of tasks as a pedagogic tool for second language learning, we revisit the construct of ‘task’ and attempt a more precise definition than the general elements we offered in Chapter 1. To this end, we:

• Invite consideration of why a more precise definition might be desirable.

• Explore some of the ways that task have been defined in the literature.

• Highlight issues and challenges involved in arriving at an adequate task definition.

• Offer a working definition of our own.