The Impact of Task-based Instruction on the Enhancement of EFL Learner’s Interpersonal Abilities

As a result of the emergence of communicative language teaching approach in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s and increasing awareness of the students’ needs to develop their communicative ability, the term task-based language teaching (TBLT) came into widespread use in the field of second language teaching. Task-based instruction helps language learners to make real efforts to communicate as best as they can in the foreign language which they are learning. Being a learner-centered approach, TBLT views language as a communicative tool by engaging learners in the natural, practical and functional use of language for a meaningful purpose. Therefore, this study tried to investigate the impact of task based instruction (TBI) on the enhancement of Iranian EFL learners’ interpersonal abilities. To meet this end, 60 students were randomly divided into two groups, the experimental group and the control group. At the very first session of the term participants were asked to answer Bar-On emotional intelligence questionnaire. The experimental group was instructed through task-based approach and the control group received instruction through present-practice-produce (PPP) approach. The data obtained from EQ questionnaires (post-tests) were analyzed through t-tests. Results of the statistical analysis revealed that the application of TBLT enhanced the interpersonal scores of the experimental group. In fact, subjects in the experimental group meaningfully demonstrated greater gains as a result of the treatment than those in the control group.