Revisiting the TBLT versus P-P-P Debate: Voices from Hong Kong

Abstract

Whilst there is a body of research evidence on task-based language teaching (TBLT) with adults, less is known about its suitability for implementation in secondary schools, particularly in Asian contexts. This study uses interview data from a purposive sample of 12 secondary school teachers and 10 teacher educators based in the Hong Kong context, a setting in which task-based approaches have been adopted since the 1990s. The focus of the paper is to explore informants’ perceptions of the pros and cons of TBLT as opposed to long-standing presentation-practice-production (P-P-P) approaches and discuss issues arising. Four main sub-themes are addressed: the extent of reported implementation of TBLT and/or P-P-P in Hong Kong secondary schools; the reasons for preferences for task-based teaching or P-P-P; how well teachers are perceived to understand TBLT and P-P-P; and calls for further evidence on the effectiveness of TBLT for schooling. Following from this, the paper discusses implications for teacher education and suggests some avenues for further research.