Investigating Tasks in Formal Language Learning (review)

This volume brings together a diverse selection of research exploring tasks in language learning that will be welcomed by both researchers and classroom practitioners. It is, in fact, addressed to researchers, teachers, and students, and this link between the research field and the classroom is well reflected in the organization and selection of research included.

Robinson begins with an introduction to the field of language task research, focusing specifically on task design. This opening chapter sets the tone for the book by framing the research as addressing pedagogical questions about task design, delivery, and sequencing; Robinson provides an overview of specific issues and challenges related to task design and an outline of various approaches to task taxonomy and classification. This prepares the reader well for the research that follows, as many of the studies explore task design within a particular framework of task classification. Robinson goes on to describe how each of these approaches is applied to the question of task design and sequencing and focuses on the Cognition Hypothesis, which suggests that the concept of task complexity be the basis for pedagogical decisions on task sequencing.

The subsequent chapters report on research studies investigating specific questions related to language tasks. They represent a rich selection of studies that explore language tasks in a variety of modes and settings, including task research in oral interaction, writing, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development, and deal with the learning and teaching of English, Spanish, German, and French in five different countries.

Many of the studies are concerned with the relationship of task complexity to fluency and accuracy and with how task design influences linguistic production. Lambert and Engler investigate how variation in task design affects complexity and fluency in oral information gap tasks. A study by Gilabert focuses on the relationship between task sequence based on degree of complexity and outcomes in lexical richness, fluency, and complexity in oral production.

Several studies follow the same research theme but investigate the relationship between task complexity and linguistic development in reading and writing tasks in different settings. Kuiken and Vedder look at the effect of task complexity on syntactic complexity and lexical variety and accuracy in writing tasks with Dutch university students studying French at different levels of proficiency. Ishikawa explores the relationship between complexity in task design and writing outcomes with Japanese secondary school students studying English. A study by Peters investigates the effect of task complexity on reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition with learners of German.

The remaining studies included in this volume are diverse. Garcia focuses on negotiation in oral interaction and differentiates tasks according to interactionist criteria. Soler looks at noticing and investigates the effect of consciousness-raising tasks in instruction over a 15-week period. Alvarez focuses on interlanguage development and lexical innovation and investigates how learners fill in gaps in their vocabulary by creating new words, and a study by Lamy moves onto different ground by situating the research online, looking at how online task design can influence the degree to which learners engage in metalinguistic discussion during online chats.

The selection also includes research that draws on sociocultural perspectives. Storch and Wigglesworth look at collaborative learning and explore how writing in pairs as opposed to alone influences the complexity, fluency, and accuracy of the written product. De la Colina and Garcia-Mayo investigate the relationship between collaborative task design and the development of metalinguistic knowledge of particular linguistic features.

Investigating Tasks in Formal Language Learning adds a great deal to the current research literature on task-based language learning and teaching by including research that spans a broad range of contexts and settings while fine-tuning the research agenda to focus on specific aspects of task design. The broad range of language settings gives the volume an international scope that is highly appropriate to the Canadian context, which includes a history of learning and teaching languages other than English. In terms of classroom contexts, the selection is not quite...