Task types

Abstract

This paper is part of a more complete study of a number of theoretical principles concerning the teaching of English grammar in EFL contexts. The purpose of this article is to analyse a number of classifications of task types. One of the striking aspects of task typologies is the rich variety of approaches to task classification that syllabus designers now offer. The available surveys of task types usually provide the reader with lists of activities; however, they do not give teachers any guidance in grading or sequencing different tasks or in organizing and integrating criteria for task design. But we need to deal with "task types, not tasks, or there will be no generalizability" (Long 12), even though typologies are likely to be fuzzy edged and in most cases a mere convenience.