Jane Willis' framework for task-based learning as a writing pedagogy¶

Design · All designs
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Willis' framework for task-based learning organizes instruction into three components: "the ‘pre-task’, ‘task cycle’ and ‘language focus’ components". Applied to writing, the end product is introduced orally or through reading in the pre-task phase, discussed at the task stage, drafted collaboratively at planning, and finalized for the report stage. The article uses this framework as the experimental treatment, arguing it attends to both fluency during the task cycle and accuracy in the language-focus phase.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

A written task is set with useful words, phrases and background knowledge highlighted before the task cycle begins
Learners discuss, plan, draft, exchange drafts for peer suggestions, redraft, and report to the class audience

Constraints¶

Willis does not describe in detail how to employ the framework to organize writing classroom activities, so the writing-specific procedure is the author's reconstruction

Target Learners¶

college EFL learners
graduate students in English writing courses

Learning Goals¶

English writing competence
grammatical accuracy and fluency in meaning conveyance

Claims¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

Linying Cao. (2012). A Feasibility Study of Task-based Teaching of College English Writing in Chinese EFL Context. English Language Teaching, 5(10). https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n10p80

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`design`
`id`	`willis-tbl-framework-writing`
`title`	`Jane Willis' framework for task-based learning as a writing pedagogy`
`description`	`Willis' framework for task-based learning organizes instruction into three components: "the ‘pre-task’, ‘task cycle’ and ‘language focus’ components".`
`status`	`review`
`generated`	by `process:settle-candidates` on `2026-11-02`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `linying-cao-2012`

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