Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT): A Vietnamese case study using narrative frames to elicit teachers’ beliefs

Abstract

Like many other methodological innovations, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) has been applied to many English language curriculums across Asia. However, little research has been done to explore what teachers know and believe about these reforms in their specific contexts. This paper derives from an in-depth study of teacher cognition in Vietnamese high schools using multi-methods of data collection. It will present and discuss findings from one of the methods used to elicit teachers’ knowledge and attitudes - ‘narrative frames’ (Barkhuizen & Wette, 2008). Specifically, teachers were asked to write (in Vietnamese) reflective comments about their attitudes towards TBLT, and their recent experience of applying it in their classroom. After presenting some of the findings, the application and usefulness of this approach to data collection in relatable contexts will be considered.