Effects of task-based instructions on second-language learners' comprehension of collocations to improve writing skills: A pedagogical perspective

Abstract

The current study was envisioned to examine the influence of task-based writing instruction (TBWI) on learners’ knowledge of collocations and its impact on the writing performance of a sample of 20 students registered in undergraduate programs at a college in Pakistan. English language teaching (ELT) practitioners and researchers have been promoting Task based language teaching (TBLT) as an important component of language pedagogy curricula in many nations across the world. In the current study, tasks were used as the principal part of teaching, and a mixture of consciousness-raising and communicative task-based materials were used to develop learners' understanding of collocations in writing narrative essays. To enable the research process, the writing samples were collected at the start and end of the study to evaluate any language development in second language performance. Quantitative content analysis was used in terms of language complexity, fluency, and accuracy to analyze the written work to comprehend the development in the learners’ understanding of collocations and their use to improve writing skills after they have been instructed using Task Based Language teaching methodology. The results of the data implied vital signs of improvement in the level of learners’ knowledge of collocations and writing performance in terms of language performance with regards to language complexity, accuracy and fluency.