Reconceptualizing English Language Teaching through Task-Based Learning: A Pathway Toward Bilingual Competence in Barranquilla’s Public Education

 Abstract

This study examines the implementation of a task-based learning (TBL) approach as a strategy to enhance vocabulary acquisition and communicative competence among fifth-grade students at Institución Educativa Distrital del Barrio Simón Bolívar (IED del Barrio Simón Bolívar) in Barranquilla, Colombia. Anchored in the principles of communicative language teaching and aligned with the District of Barranquilla’s 2030 Bilingualism Policy, the research addresses the challenges posed by socio-cultural, economic, and institutional factors that currently hinder students’ progress toward the Ministry of National Education’s expected proficiency standards.

1. Introduction

In the Standards of Competence in Foreign Language: English (Ministerio de Educación Nacional, 2006), the Colombian Ministry of Education established that students in grades four and five should attain A2 proficiency under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This level should be consolidated during grades six and seven. Yet, in practice, schools like IED del Barrio Simón Bolívar face substantial barriers—cultural, economic, moral, and structural—that limit their ability to meet these goals.

With only two hours per week dedicated to English instruction, students struggle to achieve the desired communicative outcomes. Recognizing this reality, the institution undertook a strategic revision of its proficiency targets for the period 2023–2030, in collaboration with English teachers and bilingual mentors.

Grade Level	2023–2025	2026–2030
Transition – 1st	Pre–A1.1	Pre–A1
2nd – 3rd	Pre–A1.2	A1.1
4th – 5th	A1.1	A1.2
6th – 7th	A1.2	A2.1
8th – 9th	A2.1	A2.2
10th – 11th	A2.2	B1

This curricular adaptation aligns with the District of Barranquilla’s educational vision—to cultivate 21st-century skills, global citizenship, and linguistic competence as engines of social mobility and urban development.

2. Theoretical Foundations of Communicative Learning

Language learning, as conceptualized by Richards and Rodgers (1986), is grounded in the notion that language functions primarily as a system for meaning making and interaction. Their framework emphasizes that:

1. Language expresses meaning rather than merely structure.
2. Its primary function is interaction and communication.
3. Structure reflects use, not the reverse.
4. The true units of language are functional and communicative categories found in discourse, not isolated grammar points.

In other words, to learn a language is to engage with meaning in authentic contexts. Learners must experience real communicative exchanges—both oral and written—where they make choices, hypothesize about language patterns, and confirm or reject these intuitively, based on lived interaction.

This reflective process transforms the classroom into a laboratory of language experimentation, where students not only acquire vocabulary but also co-construct meaning, drawing from their cultural and cognitive frameworks (Ellis, 2003).

3. The Need for Task-Based Learning

Given the contextual limitations of English instruction time, task-based learning (TBL) emerges as a pedagogical bridge between theoretical standards and practical classroom realities. TBL focuses on using language as a tool for communication rather than as an object of study.

According to Skehan (1998), a true communicative task is not:

• A repetition of pre-given meanings.
• A performance for display.
• Conformity-oriented.
• Practice-centred.
• Focused narrowly on form.

Instead, tasks should require learners to negotiate meaning, solve problems, and use language creatively to fulfil authentic communicative goals. Through such tasks—storytelling, information gaps, role plays, or collaborative projects—students develop their lexical competence while internalizing language patterns naturally.

4. Research Focus and Methodological Scope

This research project specifically explores the following question: How may the implementation of a task-based approach enlarge the vocabulary stock of fifth-grade students at IED del Barrio Simón Bolívar in Barranquilla, Colombia?

To address this, the study investigates the relationship between task-based pedagogy and vocabulary expansion, focusing on how contextually grounded strategies can foster communicative competence.

4.1 Hypotheses

• Working Hypothesis: Implementing task-based learning will enhance students’ ability to recognize, pronounce, spell, and use new vocabulary effectively in communicative contexts.
• Null Hypothesis: There will be no significant difference in vocabulary expansion before and after TBL implementation.
• Alternative Hypothesis: Task-based learning will have a positive impact on fifth-grade students’ lexical competence.

4.2 Variables

• Independent Variable: Implementation of task-based learning strategies.
• Dependent Variable: Students’ lexical competence and vocabulary use.
• Control Variables: Socioeconomic conditions, cultural background, access to resources, and policy constraints.

5. Pedagogical Implications

The truth is that communicative tasks are more than classroom exercises—they are windows into real-world language use. By situating vocabulary learning within social and cultural contexts, TBL promotes deeper cognitive engagement and sustained motivation (Willis & Willis, 2007).

For bilingual teachers, this means rethinking lesson design:

• Prioritize meaning over memorization.
• Encourage learner autonomy and reflection.
• Integrate cultural content that resonates with students’ lived experiences.
• Facilitate dialogue, allowing learners to co-construct knowledge through interaction.

When students speak, write, or think in English to meet their own communicative needs, they experience the language as alive, purposeful, and empowering—not merely as an academic requirement.

6. Conclusion

This study reaffirms that language education is inseparable from the social realities in which it occurs. Implementing a task-based approach within the context of IED del Barrio Simón Bolívar can bridge the gap between national proficiency standards and the everyday challenges of public education.

By engaging learners in authentic communication, teachers nurture not just linguistic competence but also agency, confidence, and global citizenship. The expected outcome is a more equitable bilingual education system, one that equips students for personal growth and contributes to Barranquilla’s ongoing development and competitiveness.

In the end, learning a language is not just about mastering words—it’s about opening doors, building connections, and imagining new futures.

References

Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based language learning and teaching. Oxford University Press.

Ministerio de Educación Nacional. (2006). Estándares Básicos de Competencias en Lenguas Extranjeras: Inglés. Bogotá, Colombia.

Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (1986). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.

Skehan, P. (1998). A cognitive approach to language learning. Oxford University Press.

Willis, J., & Willis, D. (2007). Doing task-based teaching. Oxford University Press.