The Effect of Task-Based Language Teaching on Speaking Performance and Willingness to Communicate of Indonesian EFL Senior High School Students

Muhammad Ali Imran; Nurasia Natsir

doi:10.55606/concept.v5i3.3071

Authors

Muhammad Ali Imran Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar
Nurasia Natsir Institut Ilmu Kesehatan Pelamonia Makassar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55606/concept.v5i3.3071

Keywords:

EFL, Senior High School, Speaking Performance, Task-Based Learning, Willingness to Communicate

Abstract

Speaking remains one of the most difficult skills for Indonesian learners of English as a foreign language (EFL), partly because classroom instruction is often dominated by teacher talk, grammar explanation, and memorized dialogues that provide few opportunities for meaningful communication. Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) has been proposed as an alternative that engages learners in meaning-focused tasks, but empirical evidence from Indonesian secondary schools remains limited. This study investigated the effect of TBLT on students' speaking performance and willingness to communicate (WTC). A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest non-equivalent control group design was employed with 64 eleventh-grade students at a senior high school in [City X], Indonesia. The experimental group (n = 32) was taught using Willis's TBLT framework for eight meetings, while the control group (n = 32) received conventional Presentation–Practice–Production (PPP) instruction. Data were collected through a speaking test assessed by two raters using an analytic rubric and a WTC questionnaire. The results showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in the speaking posttest (M = 74.63 vs. 65.28; t(62) = 4.57, p < .001, d = 1.14), with the largest gains in fluency and content. The experimental group also reported significantly higher WTC after the intervention (M = 3.56 vs. 3.02; t(62) = 4.36, p < .001, d = 1.09). The findings indicate that TBLT improves not only speaking performance but also learners' readiness to use English. Pedagogical implications for implementing TBLT within the Indonesian curriculum are discussed.

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