Exploring the perceptions and practices of task-based language teaching: EFL teachers’ narratives

Task-based language teaching has drawn language teaching practitioners, teacher educators, and researchers’ attention over thirty years. Many teachers claim they have been implementing task-based language teaching in their classes, but there is little research on teachers’ perceptions and practices. The present study aims to explore how secondary-level EFL teachers perceive and practice TBLT. Narrative inquiry research design was employed to explore the stories of the participants through unstructured interviews. The data were analyzed using the seven-stage data analysis process. The findings revealed that the teachers possess considerable theoretical knowledge of task-based language teaching; however, they lacked practical exposure to effectively implementing this approach in their classrooms. The study also discovered that despite clear understanding and necessary professional training, EFL teachers are making efforts to transform their pedagogical practices by adopting more student-centered approaches. This study recommends enhancing English language teachers’ TBLT skills through participatory and collaborative approaches to research and training.