Form-focused Instruction: A New Interpretation of TBLT in Iranian EFL Setting

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) with its emphasis on the application of meaningful tasks seemingly undermines the importance of teaching language forms to the extent that many teachers and learners around the globe have come to believe that TBLT is the easy way out of the maze of English language learning. Nevertheless, a close inspection of the practical aspects of the approach may prove otherwise. The researchers of the present study have investigated the applicability of TBLT in the Iranian setting where English is taught as a foreign language (EFL). In so doing, a 15-item questionnaire with two versions for EFL learners and teachers was developed in Farsi by the researchers based on the one used by Schulz (2001). It was administered to 145 learners and 36 teachers in a language school in Tehran, Iran. Based on the findings it could be concluded that ELT in Iran is not fully compatible with TBLT and form-focused instruction which includes both Focus on Form as well as Focus on FormS is more promising in the EFL setting of Iran.