Effects of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) Method in Improving Lao EFL College Students’ Basic English Grammar

Abstract

This research employed Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), in teaching English grammar in an English teacher training course in Lao PDR, with the objectives of examining the efficiency of TBLT-based lesson plans against the 75/75 criterion, comparing Lao EFL college students’ grammar ability before and after instruction through pre-test and post-test mean scores, and investigating students’ levels of satisfaction on the TBLT method. It adopted a one-group pre-test–post-test design, involving a population of 24 third-year English teacher training students at Savannakhet Teacher Training College, Lao PDR, from which 16 students were selected through convenience sampling. The research instruments included eight lesson plans designed based on the TBLT framework, pre- and post-tests, and a satisfaction questionnaire. Quantitative data was analyzed by using basic statistics such as mean, percentage, standard deviation, and a one-sample t-test, while qualitative data was decoded and interpreted descriptively; the findings revealed that the effectiveness of the TBLT-based lesson plans exceeded the 75/75 criterion, with E2 scores of 78.75/80.88, the post-test mean score (80.88) was significantly higher than the pre-test mean score (55.44), representing an improvement of 19.71%, and students demonstrated a very high level of satisfaction with learning through TBLT, as indicated by an overall mean score of 4.44 (S.D. = 0.54), with the highest satisfaction reported for item 5 (x ̅ = 4.81, S.D. = 0.40) and the lowest for item 2 (x ̅ = 3.63, S.D. = 0.72); moreover, most participants perceived TBLT as highly effective for enhancing English grammar, although time consumption in completing tasks was identified as a common challenge. Overall, the study concludes that the implementation of TBLT in teaching English grammar to English teacher training students in a Lao college context was effective and fostered positive student attitudes toward grammar learning through this method.