TASK-BASED COMMUNICATIVE INSTRUCTION IN EFL: EFFECTS ON LEARNERS’ SPEAKING FLUENCY, INTERACTIONAL COMPETENCE, AND WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE

Abstract

This study investigates how task-based communicative instruction (TBCI) influences EFL learners’ speaking fluency, interactional competence, and willingness to communicate (WTC) in pedagogical university classrooms. Drawing on task-based language teaching and interactionist perspectives, the research examines whether a structured cycle of pre-task planning, meaning-focused task performance, and post-task reflection can strengthen both temporal aspects of speech (e.g., reduced breakdowns and more stable flow) and social-interactional skills (e.g., turn management, repair, and responsive listening). A mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design compares a TBCI group with a textbook-centered communicative practice group over an instructional period. Speaking data are collected through paired and small-group tasks and analyzed using fluency indicators and an interactional competence rubric, while WTC is measured via validated self-report scales and classroom observation notes. The findings indicate that learners exposed to TBCI demonstrate more fluent task talk, more strategic participation in interaction, and higher situational readiness to initiate and sustain communication. The study highlights the pedagogical value of task sequencing, planning support, and reflective feedback for developing communicative performance in EFL teacher-education contexts, and it offers practical implications for designing classroom tasks that promote both linguistic development and learner agency.